Protein Ice Cream Bars

Make the bars:

Place an eight-cavity silicone popsicle mold on a small tray or cutting board so it can be transferred to the freezer without bending.
Add the cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, maple syrup or honey, protein powder, vanilla and salt to a high-powered blender or food processor. Blend until completely smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed. Continue blending until no cottage cheese curds remain and the filling looks glossy and uniform.
1 1/2 cups (345 grams) full-fat cottage cheese, 1/2 cup (120 grams) full-fat Greek yogurt, 1/4 cup (80 grams) maple syrup or honey, 1/3 cup (35-40 grams) vanilla protein powder, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, 1/4 teaspoon salt
Check the consistency. It should be thick and creamy but pourable, similar to thick pudding. If it is too thick to flow easily into the molds, blend in milk 1 teaspoon at a time. Avoid adding more than necessary.
1-3 teaspoons milk, only if needed
Divide the filling evenly among the eight cavities, using approximately 74–75 grams per cavity. Tap the tray firmly against the counter several times to release air pockets, then insert and straighten the popsicle sticks.
Freeze for at least 7 hours or overnight. The bars should feel completely solid before you attempt to unmold them.
If using a silicone mold, gently remove the bars without warming it. If using a hard plastic mold, you’ll likely need to run warm water around the outside for a few seconds, just until the bars loosen enough to release. Place them on a parchment-lined tray and return them to the freezer for 15–20 minutes.

Prepare the coating:

Place the chocolate and 1 tablespoon of coconut oil in a shallow microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in short intervals, stirring thoroughly after each interval, until smooth. Add up to 1 addi8tional teaspoon of coconut oil if the coating is too thick to spoon easily.
1 3/4 cups (298 grams) semi-sweet chocolate, 1 tablespoon (14 grams) refined coconut oil
Let the coating cool slightly. It should remain fluid but shouldn’t be hot.
Keep all but one bar in the freezer. Hold the bar over the bowl and spoon chocolate over the back and sides. Coat the front last, then let the excess chocolate drip back into the bowl. You don’t need to coat the small area around the stick.
Immediately sprinkle the chopped peanuts over the front before the chocolate sets. Return the coated bar to the parchment-lined tray in the freezer and repeat with the remaining bars, working with one at a time.
3-4 tablespoons finely chopped roasted peanuts
Freeze the coated bars for at least 20 minutes or until the chocolate is completely firm. Store the finished bars in an airtight freezer container for up to one month.
Let the bars sit at room temperature for 10–15 minutes for the creamiest texture. For a firmer, slightly icier texture, let them soften for only a few minutes.

Ingredients

For the bars:

For the coating:

Instructions

Make the bars:

Prepare the coating:

Notes

Nutrition