These Strawberry Yoghurt Protein Bars taste like one of my all-time favourite chocolates called “Yogurette” but are infinitely better for you.
Packed full of protein, fresh strawberries and 0% fat Greek yoghurt, encased in an irresistible dark chocolate shell, they are exactly the snack I want after a sweaty workout!
Why You Will Love This
Amazing way of getting your protein
I’m not sure about you, but I’m not particularly fond of the protein bars you can buy. They all taste oddly stodgy to me (although the protein wafers I recently found were pretty good!) and are not really what I crave after a workout that has me hot, exhausted, and craving something that just feels both cooling and healthy.
That’s where these Strawberry Yoghurt Protein Bars come into play. They have only 7 ingredients (more about them below) take 10 minutes to make plus some cooling time and taste like really fresh and healthy strawberry yoghurt with a crisp dark chocolate coating.
Each of them comes with about 5g protein and just 40 calories.
Know exactly what’s in them
Making your protein bars at home means you know exactly what goes into them. No preservatives, no fillers. Just protein powder, yoghurt, fruit and chocolate.
The Perfect Ice Cream Bar
Did you ever want an ice cream bar that’s also good for you? This is the one.
All the benefits of yoghurt with its calcium and probiotics .
Plus the much needed protein to build muscle, keep your bones healthy and reduce cravings
And of course the fibre and antioxidants of fresh strawberries, which we are using in two different forms here, these bars are a nutritional powerhouse.
Oh and dare I say it? Dark chocolate (within reason) is also pretty beneficial in its own right, containing lots of minerals and even reducing inflammation. But mainly: It makes me really happy to eat it.
Super Easy to Make
My Strawberry Yoghurt Protein Bars comes together within minutes. You don’t need any special equipment, though a blender like a Nutribullet is helpful for getting strawberry puree. But mashing them with a fork works fine too.
The rest is just a quick stir, transfer into a freezer proof flat container, wait a bit, cut into pieces and quickly coat with melted dark chocolate. A tiny bit more patience while they freeze again and you have your post workout (or anytime really) snacks ready for the week.
The Ingredients
Lets start with the obvious one: Protein Powder. I used MyProtein Strawberry here and loved it. But a good quality vanilla flavoured one will do just fine.
The strawberry flavour comes from both fresh and freeze dried strawberries. While you could use just fresh, I found that the tiny nuggets of freeze dried strawberries give these bars their striking resemblance to Yogurette, with their intense bursts of flavour in your mouth.
I found mine in snack packets from Holland & Barrett and (yes, you may call me a bit weird, but we gotta work with what we find) took 5 minutes to separate the strawberry from the peaches.
If you find them on their own, even better. Or just use the combo. I’m fairly sure the added peach will be delicious too. If you try it, let me know your thoughts!
One note on freeze dried fruit: They are like sponges soaking up any humidity in the air quickly. So chop them last minute before adding and keep the ones for decorating in an airtight container. Otherwise you’ll have a sticky clump instead of nicely defined crunchy pieces. Have a wild guess how I found out…
Fat free Greek yoghurt adds the classic Yogurette flavour base of course. You could use full fat, but personally I feel the protein powder adds so much creaminess, it’s just not necessary.
A tiny bit of honey and lemon juice round out the flavour and of course dark chocolate to coat them. I used a 70% dark chocolate here. I tried both Lindt and the Madagascar 70% from Lidl and loved them equally.
The Process
First clean and roughly chop your fresh strawberries. Either mash them with a fork or puree them for a few seconds in a blender.
Finely chop your freeze dried strawberries. Put a few aside for decorating later if you like.
In a medium bowl, mix all your ingredients except the dark chocolate until creamy and well combined.
Line a freezer proof container with a flat base with parchment paper, so you can easily take out and cut the whole thing later. Don’t skip the parchment paper, or you’ll have to scrape out the filling and eat it like ice cream. I mean…not that this would be the worst thing in the world. You can absolutely skip the chocolate covering and do that.
I use a medium sized Pyrex dish about 15x 7in, in which the Strawberry protein filling came up about 0.7in. But honestly, no need for exact science in this. Use what you have and cut them later.
Pour your Strawberry-protein cream into the prepared dish and freeze for at least 3h or until very solid. You’ll need it extremely cold to be able to coat it with chocolate.
When it’s frozen, take it out onto a chopping board and cut into bars with a sharp hot, but dry knife. I dipped mine into hot water in between cuts, then dried it with a towel, to avoid water crystals on the bars.
Put back into your container and freeze while you melt the chocolate.
Break or chop your dark chocolate and add to a microwave safe bowl. If you enjoy a slightly softer coating, you could add a teaspoon of coconut oil, but I love my bars really crisp, so I left it out.
Melt in quick 30 second bursts in the microwave, stirring in between or over a water bath on the stove, being careful that the bowl with the chocolate doesn’t touch the water. Stir until melted and creamy.
Transfer to a deep plate with flat bottom, so your bars can lie flat in the chocolate.
Line a small tray that fits into your freezer with parchment paper.
Take your Strawberry Yoghurt Protein Bars out of the freezer and, using 2 forks, quickly turn each one in the hot chocolate until fully coated, let the excess drip off and transfer to the prepared parchment lined tray.
If you want to decorate them with the freeze dried strawberry pieces, you gotta be quick and do it immediately after taking each bar out of the chcolate bath, as the chocolate will harden extremely fast. You want the pieces to stick to the just soft enough chocolate before it’s all crisp.
Put back into the freezer for an hour or so, before trying one. I found they taste best, if you give them a few minutes at room temperature to soften the inside just a little.
Enjoy your homemade healthy Strawberry Yoghurt Protein Bars.
Storing
Strawberry Yoghurt Protein Bars keep well in the freezer in a lidded container for up to 3 months. Not that there is any hope they will last that long. But you might want to make double, so they last a few weeks.
Have you tried this? Did you enjoy it?
What other recipes would you like to see?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please rate, share, and comment. It helps me a lot.
Strawberry Yoghurt Protein Bars
These Strawberry Yoghurt Protein Bars taste like one of my all-time favourite chocolates called “Yogurette” but are infinitely better for you.
Packed full of protein, fresh strawberries and 0% fat Greek yoghurt, encased in an irresistible dark chocolate shell, they are exactly the snack I want after a sweaty workout!
3/4cupprotein powderI used MyProtein Whey Strawberry, but a good vanilla flavoured one will work fine too.
1cup0% fat Greek yoghurt
0.7oz20g freeze dried strawberriesfinely chopped
7ozchocolate70% cocoa content (or whatever kind you enjoy)
3tsphoney
1tbsplemon juice
Instructions
Prepare:
Line a freezer-proof container with parchment paper, ensuring the base is covered. This will allow for easy removal and cutting of the bars later.
Clean and roughly chop the fresh strawberries. Mash them with a fork or puree them in a blender until smooth.
Finely chop the freeze-dried strawberries. Set aside a small portion for decorating if desired.
Mix Ingredients:
In a medium bowl, combine the pureed fresh strawberries, protein powder, Greek yogurt, finely chopped freeze-dried strawberries, honey, and lemon juice. Mix until creamy and well combined.
Pour the strawberry-protein mixture into the prepared container. Spread it evenly and freeze for at least 3 hours or until very solid.
Coat with Chocolate:
Once frozen, remove the mixture from the container onto a chopping board. Use a sharp, hot, and dry knife to cut it into bars. Dip the knife into hot water between cuts and dry it with a towel to prevent water crystals on the bars. Return the bars to the container and freeze while preparing the chocolate coating.
Break or chop the dark chocolate and place it in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring in between, until melted and creamy. Alternatively, melt the chocolate over a water bath on the stove, ensuring the bowl doesn’t touch the water.
Notes
These bars keep well frozen in a freezer proof container or bag for up to 3 months.
You know this craving when only deliciously peanutty Vegan Satay Noodles will do?
The creamy peanut sauce with lots of umami, slightly sweet with a bit of spice, that just feels so incredibly cozy like a hug on a plate. Add to it the fact that peanuts give you a good bit of protein and join the whole thing up with lots of veggies in different forms and you have yourself a dinner that’s as quick as it is good for you.
Why You Will Love This
Simple to make
If you ever had chicken Satay, you know how utterly addictive that peanut butter sauce is. And probably wondered about its secrets. There really aren’t many, which is probably the best thing about it. The whole dish comes together in about 30 minutes, which makes this very doable even on a busy day.
Flexible
Both noodle and veggies wise, Vegan Satay Noodles are classic case of “use whatever you have at home”. It’s a great way to use up any odds and ends in your veggie drawer or and sort of noodles you have in your store cupboard.
If you don’t have peanut butter (or are allergic) you can use Tahini or almond butter. Sure, it’ll taste different, but just as delicious.
Want to add more protein? Top with some crispy fried tofu or chicken. Beef or lamb work well too if you are not vegan. Or even halloumi for a vegetarian option.
Nutritious
With the ratio of vegetables to noodles I’m using here, you easily get all 5 of your 5-a-day in one portion, including all the fibre and vitamins that come with whatever combination you choose.
Peanut butter adds healthy fats and protein, while the noodles give you satisfying carbs.
Leftovers are great cold
Most noodles, soba in particular, will make this dish taste fantastic cold. So you could eat it hot for dinner one day, then take the leftovers to work and eat them cold (or may I suggest a picnic in the spring sun?) the next day.
The Ingredients
Noodles, as the name says, are of course included, but I use a little trick with a spiraliser to cut down on carbs.
Mixing in spiralised zucchini and carrots, sneaks in a good portion of veggies right with the noodles, so even kids will enjoy them.
To add even more nutrition, colour, and flavour, I’m using my beloved red cabbage, tenderstem broccoli, thinly sliced sweet red peppers and bright green spring onions to top the plate.
The satay sauce comes together mainly from store cupboard ingredients like peanut butter, balsamic vinegar (or, even better if you have it, black rice vinegar, which tastes like the Asian version of balsamic vinegar I feel), soy sauce (or coconut aminos), honey or maple syrup and some sweet chili sauce if you like.
I also add a bit of minced garlic and grated ginger, but you can either leave it out or use them from jars you’ll find in the Asian section of most supermarkets these days. They are a really great shortcut for adding a ton of flavour without the work.
Toppings, while optional, really make this dish sing. I like a squeeze of lime juice over mine, sliced spring onions, some crunchy chopped peanuts or sesame seeds, a bit of cilantro (or parsley, if you have the “Cilantro tastes like soap” gene) and, if you are feeling spicy, a bit of chili crisp or more sweet chili sauce.
The Process
Prepare you vegetables as per ingredient list and set aside while you make the peanut sauce.
For the sauce, simply stir together all the ingredients in a small bowl. It will later be thinned a bit by adding some of the noodle cooking water, just like for other pasta sauces.
Get a large pot of salted water to the boil, add your noodles, and cook according to packet instructions. Before draining them, scoop out some of the cooking water and set aside to add to the sauce later.
Get a wok or large pan, adding a bit of groundnut or olive oil and gently fry ginger and garlic until fragrant but not browned. Tip in the shredded cabbage, followed by the broccoli and fry for 2-3 minutes until slightly softened. Add the remaining vegetables and quickly stir fry until hot, but still crisp with a bit of bite.
Now let the noodles join the veggies in your wok and top with the satay sauce, stirring and thinning with a bit of the cooking water, until it reaches a creamy consistency.
Taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking.
Serve in a large deep plate, topped with spring onions, chopped roasted peanuts, sesame, herbs and maybe some chili crisp if you like.
How to Store
Leftovers keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days and are fantastic cold as a salad. I always make a big portion to have a healthy and delicious dinner for my workdays.
Looking for more veggie packed dinners, that give you all of your 5-a-day in one portion?
Here are some ideas:
Have you tried this? Did you enjoy it?
What other recipes would you like to see?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please rate, share and/or comment. It helps me a lot!
Vegan Satay Noodles
You know this craving when only deliciously peanutty Vegan Satay Noodles will do?
The creamy umami, slightly sweet with a bit of spice sauce, that just feels so incredibly cozy like a hug on a plate. Add to it the fact that peanuts give you a good bit of protein and join the whole thing up with lots of veggies in different forms and you have yourself a dinner that’s as quick as it is good for you.
1tbspsweet chili sauceor any other hot sauce you enjoy
1tbspmaple syrup or honey
1clovegarlicminced
2tspgingergrated
2tbspOil for frying. I used groundnut.
Veggies and Noodles
7oz(200g) noodlesI used medium egg noodles
1zucchinispiralised or thinly sliced
3carrotsspiralised or julienned
¼red cabbagethinly sliced
7oz(200g) tenderstem broccolidry ends cut off
1red pepperjulienned
3spring onionsthinly sliced
1tbsppeanuts, roasted and choppedoptional
1tbspsesameoptional
Instructions
Prepare all your vegetables as per the ingredient list and set them aside while you make the peanut sauce.
In a small bowl, mix together the peanut butter, soy sauce or coconut aminos, black rice vinegar (or balsamic), sweet chili sauce, maple syrup or honey, minced garlic, and grated ginger to make the sauce. Set aside.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the noodles and cook according to the package instructions. Before draining, reserve some of the cooking water for later use.
In a wok or large pan, heat a bit of groundnut or olive oil over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and grated ginger, stirring until fragrant but not browned.
Add the shredded cabbage to the wok, followed by the tenderstem broccoli, and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes until slightly softened.
Add the remaining vegetables (zucchini, carrots, red pepper) to the wok and quickly stir-fry until hot, but still crisp with a bit of bite.
Add the cooked noodles to the wok, then pour the satay sauce over the noodles and vegetables. Stir well, thinning the sauce with a bit of the reserved noodle cooking water until it reaches a creamy consistency.
Taste the noodles and adjust the seasoning according to your liking.
Serve the vegan satay noodles in a large deep plate, topped with sliced spring onions, chopped roasted peanuts, sesame seeds, fresh herbs, and optionally, some chili crisp for extra heat.
Notes
How to StoreLeftovers keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days and are fantastic cold as a salad. I always make a big portion to have a healthy and delicious dinner for my workdays.
Protein Rice Pudding has all the creamy decadence of the popular dessert, but with a healthy dose of protein. I’ve created 4 versions for you to choose from with different add-ins and toppings, so you have a healthy post workout meal ready for you any day.
On top of that, if you have an instant pot, this can be ready for you in the time you take a shower. No stirring and standing at the hob required!
Why You Will Love This
Instant Pot for Instant gratification
I’ve always loved the rice pudding my mom made for me when I was a kid, but rarely made it myself due to the stirring and watching and possibility of milk burning. Happened to me multiple times and if you ever had the small of burned milk in your kitchen, you know it isn’t pleasant.
All of this changed when I got my beloved Sage Fast Slow Pro. The notion of the pot just doing everything for me when it comes to both risotto and rice pudding was a revelation and opened a whole new range of dishes for me to enjoy, without dreading the ages of stirring.
All it takes is 10-12 minutes of cooking and a few minutes more for the pressure release, and you can use any instant pot you have, to get the perfect rice pudding. Even late evening cravings can be satisfied in minutes. You let it do the work for you, while you have your post workout shower, to enjoy a healthy, protein packed meal.
Can be made Vegan and Lactose free
Being lactose intolerant always left me queasy after eating things like rice pudding or oatmeal. Took me years to realise why that is (being essentially gaslit into not trusting your own feeling leaves marks, doesn’t it?).
Now I make all my dishes with various plant based milks and am just fine.
A Note on Protein Powder
I think I have said this many times on this blog, but I’ll include it here, as the protein powder is such an essential ingredient in this recipe: Despite being lactose intolerant, I do use Whey Protein powder from MyProtein.
This is neither affiliated nor sponsored. Just the powder I found to taste best after trying a fair few. If you never found one you enjoy, give this one a try.
I never had any issues with it and just can’t stomach the taste of the vegan ones. But if you have one you enjoy, you can of course use that.
Why Protein?
Protein is such an important building block for our bodies and its important to eat enough of it. Personally, as I don’t each much meat or legumes for that matter, I wouldn’t have enough in my diet to fulfil my bodies needs. Hence protein powder to the rescue. Preferably in sweet recipes.
How to vary your Protein Rice Pudding
While this Protein Rice Pudding is utterly delicious on its own, topped with just a bit of cinnamon sugar, there are so many more options, that I decided to give you a few here.
If you read any of my posts you probably stumbled over my way to lose weight and keep it stable and of course give my body the nutrition it needs, which is to include as many fruit and veggies as I can in every meal. This one is no exception.
There are plenty of fruit that go fantastic with milky or creamy dishes, so you can wildly pick and choose your favourites. I’m giving you just a few ideas here.
Cherry or Berry. Or Both.
My all-time favourite and a classic with rice pudding in Germany is cherry compote. Essentially sweet cherries briefly cooked with a tiny bit of water, to help them heat up and release their juices, then thickened with cornstarch. That’s as easy as it gets and works nicely with berries too. Blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, or a mix of all would be lovely. Add a bit of vanilla and honey and you are set.
Rice Curd-ish with Pomegranate and Grapes
Another variation, borrowed from a co-worker from India are grapes and pomegranate and the rice pudding being enriched with yoghurt, bringing it into the direction of a favourite summer dish from India: Rice curd. The yoghurt adds even more protein, especially if you are using any type of Greek yoghurt.
A few pistachios sprinkled on top, a hint of cinnamon if you like will round this off nicely.
Black Forest or Chocolate Hazelnut
Now we can’t talk rice pudding without mentioning chocolate, can we?
I mean I love chocolate anything of course, and who wouldn’t, but here it’s just so incredibly easy to include it simply via protein powder flavour and, if you want it extra chocolatey (as I always do) a bit cocoa and a hit of espresso powder, to enhance the flavour even more.
Add some cherry compote or even fresh cherries and, if you are having this for dessert or feeling extra indulgent, some Kirsch (a German clear cherry liqueur), top with some whipped cream or coconut cream and you have yourself an irresistible treat.
Want to add some crunch to this one? Roasted and chopped hazelnuts instead of cherries would transform this into a sort of Ferrero Rocher experience. Or drizzle over some melted chocolate or slightly warmed Nutella, to have an utterly indulgent, yet still reasonably healthy dessert.
Mango-Coconut
Last but not least, a tropical mango-coconut rice pudding. You can either cook it straight from the start with coconut milk, or, as I did here, add some after cooking, for a gentle coconut flavour and stir in fresh mango pieces or mango puree. Or both.
Take it over the top with toasted coconut flakes (can I convince you to make maple-lime coconut chips just for this? It’s so worth it!) and enjoy being taken to a tropical island via dessert.
The Ingredients
Of course some of the ingredients with depend on the flavour combination you choose, but the basic recipe is always the same:
1 cup pudding rice or use arborio as alternative. Round corn rice is best suited for pudding, as the grains absorb more liquid and contain more starch than, say Basmati rice, resulting in creamier rice pudding. And creamy is what we want here.
4 cups liquid. You can use any type of milk you enjoy. If you aren’t lactose intolerant like me, whole milk is a great option. I’m using unsweetened almond milk to cook the rice in, then, after cooking, mix the protein powder with a bit of creamy soy or coconut milk, to add even more creaminess.
A pinch of salt – I’m a firm believer of adding a bit of salt to anything sweet. It balances and enhances the flavour of everything it touches. There is a good reason why salted caramel is so popular!
Protein Powder – This is my favourite way to get a high protein sweet meal. It sounds like a cheat, maybe it is. But I have yet to find a better way to add protein, sweetener, and whatever flavour you enjoy in one step to dishes. My Protein is my favourite brand, as it’s super creamy and doesn’t taste artificial. I mostly use the limited edition “Jelly Belly Buttered Popcorn”. Any good vanilla flavour would work too. Though I dread the day when this one reaches its time limit of the limited edition, as I’m utterly in love with it.
For the Black Forest version I used Gold Standard Whey Chocolate, as I have a ton left from before discovering MyProtein. It’s pretty decent, if less creamy.
Again, just to be clear: This is in no way sponsored or affiliated. Just what I use. Though if anyone from MyProtein reads this: Please sponsor me?
The Process
Pressure Cooker/ Instant Pot
If you have a pressure cooker/instant pot/Sage Fast Slow Pro, this couldn’t be any easier:
Add your rice and 3.5 cups of your milk of choice and pinch of salt to your cooker. Set to 10 minutes high pressure, then 10min auto release and let it do its thing while you get on with your day.
After the time is up, mix your chosen protein powder with the remaining half cup of milk or yoghurt until no lumps remain and stir it into your rice pudding. Don’t let it come to a boil after you mixed in the protein, or it might get a bit grainy.
If you make a bigger portion for several days, I would advocate for adding the protein-milk mix just before eating, as rice pudding has the habit of thickening in the fridge. And if you add too much liquid, the rice might essentially dissolve. If you love that, feel free of course.
Add your chosen fruits and flavourings, decorate, and top to your heart’s desire and enjoy hot or cold.
I often prepare a large portion at the start of the week, to have a super quick breakfast/dessert or even dinner (yep, I love sweet dinner! That’s my favourite way to satisfy sweet evening cravings: Make it a healthy dinner!).
You can have this Protein Rice Pudding straight from the fridge for hot summer days or simply re-heat it in the microwave.
On Stovetop:
While I’m plain too lazy to make this on the stovetop, you can absolutely do that too.
It will take about 20- 30 minutes of patient stirring and very gentle simmering to get creamy rice pudding.
Tips and Tricks
If you have no round corn rice, you can use Basmati. It might not get as creamy though
In India, Rice Curd is made by using ready cooked Basmati rice and stirring in “curd”, which is similar to yoghurt, but thinner. So if you are feeling even lazier or just have leftover rice to use up, either stir some plain yoghurt with protein powder into it and top with fruit for a refreshing summer treat. Or heat it up in the microwave, stir in some milk mixed with protein powder and top with whatever your heart desires.
A classic Thai version of this would be to boil the rice in coconut milk. To get the best flavour, use the drinking version, not a can.
You can make this also with black rice, which would look absolutely stunning, or brown rice for added fibre. For those versions follow the cooking instructions for your particular rice. Time and needed liquid may vary.
Want even more protein? Add some chia seeds or hemp hearts and top with more Greek yoghurt. I love the 0% fat version, as I feel the rice has plenty of creaminess already.
Need extra indulgence and want this to taste like the classic rice pudding dessert? Temper an egg yolk by adding a bit of warm milk at the end of the cooking process and stir into the rice, warming it through gently, to avoid curdling the egg. Add some butter to take it over the top. May I suggest browned butter if you do?
The 4 Different Versions
All amounts and instructions are given to make 4 portions of the same variation.
If you’d like to try all 4, as I did in the pictures, simply halve the amounts.
Except the cherry compote. I would always make the full 2 cups, as I love it so much, I happily eat it over everything or on its own. Plus just boiling half a cup is too much hassle for the output.
After your rice pudding is cooked mix 2 cups of milk/yoghurt/coconut milk with 4 scoops of your favourite protein powder. Depending on the version you are going for and stir into the rice until it reaches your preferred consistency.
If you find it too cold after that, feel free to briefly microwave to heat it up, but don’t let it come to a boil again, or your protein might curdle a bit. Which still tastes ok, but doesn’t look as inviting and creamy.
Cherry or Berry. Or Both.
Use about 2 cups of fresh or frozen sweet cherries or mixed berries together with 1 tbsp of sugar (brown or white), maybe a little lemon juice or vanilla extract or both, if you like. In a pot on the stove, bring them to a boil, adding about 2-3 tbsp water, to help them release their juices. Mix ½ tbsp cornstarch with 2 tbsp water in a separate container. Once your cherries or berries are hot and bubbling, pour in your cornstarch slurry while stirring. Bring once more to the boil and stir until it thickens. Take off the heat and your compote is ready.
I used this for both the cherry version and dusted it with a tiny bit of vanilla powder and in the Black Forest version.
Mix 2 cups of soy milk with a good vanilla protein powder until no clumps remain, Stir into the rice pudding.
Top with the cherry (or berry) compote and enjoy.
Rice Curd (-ish) with Protein, Pomegranate, Grapes and Pistachios
If using a fresh pomegranate, cut it in half crosswise. Tuck one half into a small freezer bag. Ideally with a zip and close it, with the open side of the pomegranate pointing down.
Now get a cooking spoon, Wood with the classic spoon shape works best I found.
Start smacking the top of the pomegranate until all seeds have tumbled into the bag.
Discard the empty shell and fish out any pieces of pith that might have fallen out.
Halve the grapes. Roughly chop the pistachios if using.
Mix 2 cups of yoghurt (I used 0% fat Greek yoghurt) with 4 scoops of a good vanilla protein powder until no lumps remain. Stir into the cooked rice pudding. Ideally after it has cooled a bit.
This version is particularly good cold on a hot summer day.
Mango-Coconut Protein Rice Pudding
Prepare your coconut chips if using.
Pre-heat your oven to 350°F/175°C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Mix 1 cup of coconut chips with 1 tbsp maple syrup, a pinch of salt and the grated zest of 1 lime.
Spead onto the baking sheet and bake for about 10-12 min, stirring halfway, until golden brown.
Let them cool to crisp up while you prepare the mango. They will keep in an airtight container for about a week (if they last that long, as they are seriously more-ish). You will find reasons to make them again and again as snack or topping for sweets, cake, salad and even Thai soup or curries.
Peel your mango and chop into bite sized cubes.
Mix 2 cups of coconut milk (canned or from a tetra pack is both good) with 4 scoops of a good vanilla (or coconut) flavoured protein powder until no lumps remain.
Stir into the ready cooked rice pudding, top with mango and coconut chips.
Black Forest Protein Rice Pudding (or chocolate without the cherries)
Prepare the cherry compote as per instructions for the cherry version. If you feel extra indulgent, add some Kirsch.
Whisk some cream or coconut cream into soft peaks. If using coconut cream, make sure it’s very cold or it won’t hold its shape. I found cans of coconut whipping cream at a local health food store, but using just the firm layer from a can of cold coconut milk will do just fine.
Mix 2 cups of soy milk with 4 scoops of chocolate flavoured protein powder and 1 tbsp cocoa until no lumps remain. If you only have vanilla flavoured protein powder use that, but add 2-3 tbsp cocoa, depending on your preference.
Stir the chocolate protein mix into the cooked rice pudding.
In pretty glasses, layer some cherry compote, then rice pudding, finishing with more cherry compote and a large spoon or whipped cream or coconut cream.
Decorate with fresh cherry and chocolate shavings if you like. I simply used a vegetable peeler to create shavings from a piece of dark chocolate.
How to Store
As mentioned above, I often meal prep a big batch for the week and store it in a lidded container in the fridge. It will keep quite happily for about 3-4 days, depending on the milk you used.
If you want to mix it up, portion the Protein Rice Pudding into single portion jars and add your favourite toppings, to have an amazing meal to grab and go.
Have you tried this? Did you enjoy it?
What other recipes would you like to see?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please rate, share and/or comment. It helps me a lot!
Protein Rice Pudding 4 Ways
Protein Rice Pudding has all the creamy decadence of the popular dessert, but with a healthy dose of protein. I’ve created 4 versions for you to choose from with different add-ins and toppings, so you have a healthy post workout meal ready for you any day.
On top of that, if you have an instant pot, this can be ready for you in the time you take a shower. No stirring and standing at the hob required!
3.5cupsunsweetened almond milkor milk of your choice
2cupssoy milkor any other milk of your choice. Coconut for the Coconut-Mango variation
4scoopsprotein powderI used MyProtein Whey Buttered Popcorn. Any good vanilla flavoured powder will work fine. Since this is the main flavour component, please use one you enjoy.
1pinchsalt
2tspvanilla extractoptional but lovely
Topping Versions
Cherry Protein Rice Pudding
2cupsof cherries
½tbspcornstarch
1tbspsugar
2cupssoy milk and 4 scoops vanilla protein powder as stated in basic version
Rice Curd-ish with Pomegranate and Grapes
1Pomegranateseeds only (see post on how to get them out without a mess)
1cupgrapeshalved
2cups0% fat Greek yoghurtinstead of the soy milk in the basic version
4scoopsvanilla protein powderas stated in the basic version
½cuppistachiosroughly chopped
Mango- Coconut Protein Rice Pudding
1cupcoconut chips
1tbspMaple syrup
1limegrated zest only
1mangochopped in bite sized cubes
2cupscoconut milkcanned or tetra pack
4scoops vanilla or coconut protein powder as stated in basic version
Black Forest Protein Rice Pudding
2cupsof cherries
½tbspcornstarch
1tbspsugar
1tbspKirschoptional
2cupssoy milk
4scoops chocolate protein powderinstead of vanilla as stated in basic version
1tbspcocoa
½cupwhipped cream or whipped coconut creamor to taste
1small piece dark chocolateshaved with vegetable peeler, to decorate
Instructions
Using a Pressure Cooker/Instant Pot/Sage Fast Slow Pro:
In the cooker, combine the rice, 3.5 cups of almond milk (or milk of your choice), and a pinch of salt.
Set the cooker to 10 minutes on high pressure, then allow for a 10-minute auto release.
While the rice cooks, mix the protein powder with the remaining 2 cups of milk until smooth.
After the pressure cooking cycle completes, stir the protein-milk mixture into the rice pudding gently. Avoid boiling after adding protein to prevent graininess.
If preparing a larger portion for multiple days, add the protein-milk mix just before serving to avoid over-thickening and potential rice dissolution. 1/2 cup of soy milk +1 scoop of protein powder per portion.
Customize with your chosen fruits and flavourings, and top with desired toppings.
Serve hot or cold. Refrigerate leftovers for future servings.
On the Stovetop:
In a saucepan, combine the rice, 3.5 cups of almond milk (or milk of your choice), and a pinch of salt.
Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
Simmer for about 20-30 minutes, stirring frequently, until the rice pudding reaches a creamy consistency.
Follow steps 3-7 from the pressure cooker instructions to complete the dish.
Enjoy your protein-rich rice pudding as a quick breakfast, dessert, or even dinner option! Adjust toppings and flavourings to suit your preferences.
Cherry Protein Rice Pudding
Prepare the cherry compote by simmering cherries, sugar, and a splash of water until hot.
Mix cornstarch with water, then add to the cherries, boil and stir to thicken.
Mix soy milk and vanilla protein powder and stir into the cooked rice pudding.
Serve topped with cherry compote.
Rice Curd-ish with Pomegranate and Grapes
Extract pomegranate seeds. See post on how to get them out without a mess.
Halve grapes and chop pistachios.
Mix yogurt and vanilla protein powder, then stir into rice pudding.
Serve chilled, topped with pomegranate seeds, grapes, and pistachios.
Mango-CoconutProtein Rice Pudding
Mix coconut chips with maple syrup and lime zest, bake on a parchment lined baking sheet at 350°F/175°C for about 10min until golden.
Mix coconut milk and protein powder, then stir into rice pudding.
Serve topped with mango and coconut chips.
Black Forest Protein Rice Pudding
Prepare the cherry compote by simmering cherries, sugar, and a splash of water until boiling and cherries are hot.
Mix cornstarch with 2 tbsp water, then add to the cherries to thicken.
Add 1 tbsp Kirsch if desired
Mix soy milk with chocolate protein powder and cocoa.
Stir into cooked rice pudding.
Layer with cherry compote and top with whipped cream.
Decorate with chocolate shavings if you like.
Notes
The nutrition here is given for the basic Protein Rice pudding. It will vary slightly depending on the toppings, though the protein will remain roughly the same. Slightly more for the curd version due to the greek youghurt, slightly less for the coconut mango version, as the coconut milk has less protein than soy milk.How to StoreAs mentioned above, I often meal prep a big batch for the week and store it in a lidded container in the fridge. It will keep quite happily for about 3-5 days, depending on the milk you used. If you want to mix it up, portion the Protein Rice Pudding into single portion jars and add your favourite toppings, to have an amazing meal to grab and go.
This Vegetarian Caesar Salad with Crunchy Air Fryer Tofu answered all my cravings for the crunch of KFC chicken, the spiced marinade, and the urgent need for creamy, tangy, and punchy Caesar dressing on a fresh salad. Super satisfying, packed with protein from the tofu with a cashew based sauce, adding all the nutrition you could possibly want for dinner in one delicious plate.
Why You Will Love This
Crunchy Air Fryer Tofu
Did you ever feel you really wanted the crunch and flavour of KFC chicken, but in Tofu? Or anything other than meat really, but Tofu really offers itself due to the structure and tenderness you get, when you first press then marinate it. In this case in a marinade made from almond milk with a tablespoon of lemon juice and a spice mix from Joshua Weissman that is very similar to KFCs.
This infuses the tofu with lovely tang and lots of flavour, getting it ready to be coated in crushed cornflakes. You can bake it in the oven or pan fry, but I found it bakes best in the air fryer, giving you perfectly crunchy and golden pieces, that are rather addictive when dipped into the Caesar Cashew dressing.
The all-important Caesar Dressing made vegan
While typical Caesar dressing is made with mayonnaise and anchovies, I’m using a base of cashews, which are blended into a super creamy dressing with capers, to give the salty, briny umami notes you’d usually get from anchovies and Worcester sauce. Nutritional yeast replaces the parmesan, making the dressing vegan.
While you could of course use a vegan mayonnaise, I prefer the nutritional benefits of cashews, adding protein and minerals. Plus the more natural taste they give to any salad dressing. And I use them for many different ones like my Cashew Ranch Dressing.
Thyme Lemon Garlic Croutons
Another defining and rather addictive element of the Caesar salad are the croutons. They are also an ideal use for any stale bread you might have. I used homemade sourdough bread, but any reasonably good bread will do. A few days old is perfect, as it will crisp up in the oven or air fryer. I added fresh thyme from my garden, grated lemon zest from the lemon I used for the dressing, some garlic powder, salt, and olive oil, to give it a lovely herby and fresh flavour.
Making them in the air fryer is fantastic, as you only need to shake them once and it’s hands off apart from that. They come out perfectly golden and crunchy on the outside and soft in the middle.
Mixed Salad
While the classic Caesar Salad would be Romaine, I always like different veggies in my dinner, so I added shredded carrot, thinly sliced white cabbage, sweetcorn, red onions that are being quick pickled in some lemon juice.
I’ve also added black grapes, but if you are not a fan of fruit in your salads, you could swap them for black olives, which would go really well with the vegan Caesar dressing.
You could just leave out or swap around any of the veggies I added here. Cucumber and tomatoes would be nice too, radishes, different types of greens, kale in particular or even added asparagus.
The Ingredients
I’m just mentioning a few key ingredients here and why I’m using them. For the full list, please check the recipe card.
Crunchy Air Fryer Tofu
For the Crunchy Air Fryer Tofu I’m using firm tofu. In Ireland I find the best one of those I tried is from “The Tofuu Co.” https://www.tesco.ie/groceries/en-IE/products/294476706
You can use any brand, as long as it’s very firm, so it doesn’t fall apart when marinating and then breading.
Since I wanted to get as close as I could to buttermilk fried chicken, similar to KFC, but without the chicken and huge amount of fat, I used almond milk mixed lemon juice and spices. Don’t be put off by the fairly long list. You will likely have them in your spice collection already, as they are very common.
The Joshua Weissman recipe for the spice mix I adapted had celery powder in it, which I couldn’t find here, so I used celery salt. This made also up for the fact that Tofu is a bit more neutral than chicken on its own, so it can take more salt.
I left out the MSG though. Not last because I didn’t have any, but also due to its rather questionable reputation. Personally I admit I haven’t looked into it much, as I rarely eat out, let alone buy convenience food, so it wasn’t much of a topic for me to focus on.
If you are a fan, feel free to include some. I think the marinade does a fantastic job as it is though.
Seasoned Flour and Cornflakes are then used for “breading”. And because I’m not working with raw meat, the marinade does double duty instead of eggs, to attach the two dry coatings to the tofu.
The Cashew Caesar Dressing
Using cashews as base has become my favourite way to create super creamy, delicious, and nutritious salad dressings. I honestly wouldn’t go back to mayonnaise based, even without the calorie and nutrition consideration. I tried one recently again and simply didn’t like the greasy texture and taste anymore. The cashews are neutral enough to add any flavourings you like and with even a small highspeed blender like the Nutribullet you get an extremely smooth base.
While the original Caesar dressing didn’t have anchovies, they have become a rather classic way to add umami and saltiness to this tangy sauce. Brined capers, even though I’m not a fan of them on their own (wouldn’t eat anchovies on their own either) have a very similar effect when blended and add a hint of their briny flavour, which goes really well with the tangy punch of mustard and lemon juice that give the dressing its characteristic taste.
Often parmesan is used to add more saltiness and a cheesy background flavour. So you can use either grated parmesan or, like me, nutritional yeast for a very similar effect.
The Process
Salad
Prepare your salad ingredients:
Roughly chop the Romaine Lettuce, grate the carrots, finely shred the cabbage, drain and wash the sweetcorn, wash the grapes (or drain olives if you prefer salty to sweet) and keep all in separate containers.
Peel and thinly slice the onions. In a small bowl mix with ¼ tsp salt and 2-3 tbsp lemon juice. Cover and leave to marinade until ready to use.
All the veggies will keep well for 3-4 days, if you keep them separate.
Cashew Caesar Dressing
Drain the soaked cashews. Add all ingredients to a high speed blender. You can use a normal blender or food processor, but it won’t get as lovely smooth and creamy.
Blend until creamy.
Have a taste and add more salt, mustard, or lemon juice to balance the flavours to your liking.
Croutons
In a small bowl, mix your olive oil, chopped thyme (or any other hardy herb you might have on hand. Rosemary works very well too), garlic powder and salt.
Add your bread cubes to a larger bowl. Drizzle over your olive oil mix, turning the cubes over after half over it, so they are all coated evenly. Stir carefully to distribute the oil mix and let them sit for a few minutes so the oil can absorb.
Bake in your air fryer at 400°F/200°C for 4 minutes, toss and turn once, then bake for another 2 minutes. Transfer the croutons to a paper towel lined plate until ready to serve. Nibble a few, you know you want to.
The Crunchy Air Fryer Tofu
Similar to chicken, that improves dramatically with brining, tofu needs a bit of help to come to its full potential. So this needs a bit of planning ahead. Start about 2h before you plan to fry the tofu or the day before.
First remove your tofu from its package, drain the fluid and press it. You can either wrap it into a clean kitchen towel between 2 wooden boards and put something heavy on top. Or, if you want a much easier and less precarious solution, get a tofu press like this one and put it in the fridge for an hour or longer.
Once your tofu has given up some of its liquid, it’s time to marinade it. Cut into about ½ in / 1cm thick slices and halve them diagonal. You could just leave them in one piece, but I think more corners mean more crunch and more crunch is always better.
Mix your plant milk with a tbsp of lemon juice and let it stand while you get your spice mix together. Add the marinade spice mix to the now curdled milk and whisk well. In a container that is large enough to hold all tofu pieces in one layer or a freezer bag, add first your tofu then pour the tangy, spicy milk mix over it. Now let this marinade in the fridge for at least 1h, better even overnight.
Meanwhile, mix the flour with the spices and herbs for the dredge mix. This will season the tofu even more and give it that characteristic crust you’d get on fried chicken.
Now obviously we are not deep frying this, so the incredible crunchy crust that develops when the marinade-flour (and usually egg) mixture hits the hot fat, will come from crushed cornflakes.
In a firmly closed freezer bag, crush your cornflakes either by hand or, carefully, so you don’t pop the bag and scatter the crumbs across your kitchen (never happened to me…ahem…) with a rolling pin or bottom of a cooking pot. You want relatively rough crumbs, not fine as panko. Check the picture for the texture we are aiming for.
When you are ready to fry your tofu, set up a breading station with 3 rimmed containers or deep plates. Into one add your flour-spice dredge, the second will hold all the remaining marinade that wasn’t absorbed by the tofu, the third has the crushed cornflakes.
Using one hand for dry and one for wet, to avoid the dreaded dough fingers, firmly press your tofu first into the flour, coating it very well, pushing it in, so it sticks. Then into the marinade, turning once until coated- Last into the cornflakes, again, pressing firmly, covering it with the crumbs and pushing down until every last bit is well coated.
Spray both your air fryer basket and the tofu pieces with a bit of vegetable or avocado oil.
The crunchy tofu will take about 15 minutes in your air fryer at 400°F/200°C, turning it once very carefully after 10minutes, the fry for another 5 until golden and crunchy.
I you are making them in the oven, this will take about 25-30minutes at 450°F/225°C, turning them after 15 minutes.
To Serve
First drape a bed of romaine lettuce on a plate, followed by the carrots, cabbage, sweetcorn, onions and grapes or olives. Drizzle everything with a bit of the Vegan Cashew Caesar Dressing. Top with croutons and crispy tofu and serve with more dressing on the side, to drizzle over or dip your tofu pieces into.
Meal Prep
I prepared this Vegetarian Caesar Salad with Crunchy Air Fryer Tofu on my weekend, to have a fresh salad during my workdays. Keeping everything separate in containers, the tofu in a paper towel lined box, means you can assemble freshly, and everything remains crunchy.
I re-heated the tofu pieces in the air fryer before serving, so they were just as crispy as freshly made.
Now I’d love to hear from you in the comments!
Have you tried this? Did you enjoy it?
What other recipes would you like to see?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please share and comment. It helps me a lot.
Vegetarian Caesar Salad with Crunchy Air Fryer Tofu
This Vegetarian Caesar Salad with Crunchy Air Fryer Tofu answered all my cravings for the crunch of KFC chicken, the spiced marinade, and the urgent need for creamy, tangy, and punchy Caesar dressing on a fresh salad. Super satisfying, packed with protein from the tofu with a cashew based sauce, adding all the nutrition you could possibly want for dinner in one delicious plate.
½cupraw cashewssoaked for 30min in just boiled water
½cupwater
¼cuplemon juice
2tbspnutritional yeast
2tspDijon mustard
2tspcapers
2clovesgarlic
Homemade Croutons
4slicessourdough breadcubed into bite sized pieces
1tspfresh thymechopped
½tspgarlic powder
1tspkosher salt
3tbspolive oil
Crunchy Air Fryer Tofu
1Blocktofupressed
1cupplant milk with lemon juice
1.5tspKosher salt
1tspground white pepper
2tspsmoked paprika
2tspgarlic powder
1.5cupscrushed cornflakes
11 Herbs and Spices Dredge
1.5cupsall-purpose flour
1tspfreshly ground black pepper
1.5tbspKosher salt
2tspground white pepper
1tspginger powder
1tspcelery powder or celery salt
2tspgarlic powder
1tspsmoked paprika
1tspdried oreganocrushed
1tspdried thymecrushed
2tspmustard powder
Instructions
Salad:
Prepare all salad ingredients as mentioned. Marinate sliced onions in salt and lemon juice. Keep all ingredients separate.
Vegan Cashew Caesar Dressing:
Drain soaked cashews.
In a blender, combine soaked cashews, water, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, Dijon mustard, capers, and garlic cloves.
Blend until creamy. Adjust salt, mustard, or lemon juice to taste.
Homemade Croutons:
Preheat air fryer to 400°F/200°C.
In a small bowl, mix olive oil, chopped thyme, garlic powder, and kosher salt.
Toss cubed bread in the olive oil mixture until evenly coated.
Air fry for 4 minutes, toss, then fry for another 2 minutes until golden and crisp.
Set aside on a paper towel-lined plate.
Crunchy Air Fryer Tofu:
Press tofu to remove excess liquid.
Cut tofu into slices about ½ inch thick, then half diagonal.
Mix plant milk with lemon juice and let it curdle.
Combine the plant “buttermilk” with salt, white pepper, smoked paprika, and garlic powder. Marinate tofu in this mixture for at least 1 hour in the fridge. Overnight is better.
Crush cornflakes into coarse crumbs.
Mix flour with spices for dredge.
Set up a breading station with flour-spice dredge, remaining marinade, and crushed cornflakes.
Coat tofu slices in flour mixture, then marinade, and last crushed cornflakes.
Spray air fryer basket and tofu slices with oil.
Air fry tofu at 400°F/200°C for 15 minutes, flipping once after 10 minutes.
To Serve:
Arrange romaine lettuce on plates.
Top with grated carrots, sliced cabbage, sweetcorn, marinated onions, grapes (or olives), and croutons.
Drizzle with Vegan Cashew Caesar Dressing.
Add crispy air-fried tofu on top.
Serve additional dressing on the side for dipping or drizzling.
Enjoy your Vegetarian Caesar Salad with Crunchy Air Fryer Tofu!
Notes
Meal PrepI prepared this Vegetarian Caesar Salad with Crunchy Air Fryer Tofu on my weekend, to have a fresh salad during my workdays. Keeping everything separate in containers, the tofu in a paper towel lined box, means you can assemble freshly, and everything remains crunchy.I re-heated the tofu pieces in the air fryer before serving, so they were just as crispy as freshly made.
All the flavour of a delicious and refreshing Mango White Chocolate Cheesecake on a coconut crust, but without the cheese. Instead 15g protein per slice, about one third less sugar and fat and easier to digest for those of us with lactose intolerance. Giving you the tropical island feeling in the middle of winter. This is what I call a dessert worth eating!
It’s winter here in Ireland. And that means…well…we have weather. As all year round essentially. Just a lot wetter and a bit colder. My garden is one big mudslide, all green removed by huge dog paws racing happily around in the mud. Wookie, with his giant fluffy paws, absolutely loves splashing the mud by jumping up and down with his front. Or simply splashing the water from his bowl, causing a huge muddy mess.
Until recently I just wiped his and Lilly’s paws dry when they came in, but the amount of mud in my living room (which goes out to the garden) has become plain unmanageable. So I started washing their paws with the shower head of my garden hose.
Now you’d think they’d hate that, but Lilly grew up going to the beach every day and happily jumping into the little river flowing into the sea, swimming upstream, mouth open, to drink.
She discovered very quickly that the shower head can be used in the same way and Wookie learns fast. He often sticks his whole head under the water, lapping it while he is getting dripping wet.
Recently he found out, that me turning on the flat stream with more pressure means, he can simply open his mouth and get all the water he wants directly delivered into it. And now he constantly demands to be let out to drink, waiting until I get them in, to drink from the hose. I have created a monster!
Where was I before digressing? Ah yes, wet, cold winter. And that means I need either a nice bowl of hot soup (Like my Vegan Tom Kha Soup https://forthepleasureofeating.com/vegan-tom-kha-soup/ ) or something sweet, tasting like summer. Which is how this Mango White Chocolate Cheesecake with Protein was created.
Why You Will Love This
Being uhm…selectively lactose intolerant (is that a thing?) means I feel queasy after eating cheesecake made with cream cheese but can happily eat yoghurt. Now I’m not a scientist, but I suspect the yoghurt cultures help with the digestion. Oddly enough I can also eat other cheeses, but apparently the sheer amount of the fresh stuff in one slice is more than my tummy tolerates.
On top of that it tends to be pretty high in fat and calories and I have yet to find a “light” one that I enjoy. Meaning, once more, I had to create my own.
Lower fat and sugar, higher protein
This recipe, while tasting utterly indulgent and like proper creamy cheesecake, has only about 310cal per slice (assuming 12 slices) just 18g fat and sugar, but about 10g protein. Compared to the about 550cal, 40g fat and sugar and only 6g protein of an average Mango White Chocolate Cheesecake.
The tropical tasting coconut crust instead of the more typical crushed biscuits with butter doubles the amount of fibre and replaces the butter with the slightly healthier coconut oil.
Easier to digest for people with lactose intolerance
By using yoghurt and coconut milk instead of cream cheese for the filling, you can probably eat this even if you are lactose intolerant as me.
Mango and White Chocolate for a taste of Summer
Mangos are readily available in winter, but really taste like summer, don’t they? This cake (or rather pie I suppose) transports you right onto a tropical island with its flavours of mango, coconut, and lime, so you can forget the cold and grey outside for a while.
Of course it’s equally enjoyable in summer, but that seems just so far away right now!
The Ingredients
I’m listing just a few key ingredients here and why I’m using them, to not bore you to death with the whole list.
I’m using shredded, toasted coconut and coconut oil together with maple syrup, to get a crunchy crust that compliments the White Chocolate Mango filling.
White Chocolate Mango Filling
For the filling, try to get really ripe mango, as they will cook down into a coulis much easier. I had rather unripe mangoes, which was all I could find, and not the patience to let them ripen. Also, is it just me or are mangoes very much like Avocados, with their about 5 minutes of perfect ripeness?
Anyway, if you, like me, can only find relatively hard mangoes, you can still puree them reasonably fine in a food processor, then cook, to soften as much as possible and throw into a blender. Ideally high speed like a Nutribullet. The result won’t be perfect, but still delicious.
The creamy cheesecake-ness comes from 0% fat Greek yoghurt combined with a can of full fat coconut milk and protein powder. The whole mix will be fairly liquid, so we firm it up with gelatine.
When I was making it the first time, I honestly thought it would just remain liquid and I had completely miscalculated. But it simply needs a few hours in the fridge, ideally overnight, so you aren’t getting impatient (like me) and checking every 20 minutes.
For the protein powder, use one you really enjoy. I’ve tried several vegan ones in the past and absolutely could not stand the flavour, and after trying then multiple whey based ones, I landed on MyProtein and absolutely love it! For this recipe I used their Buttered Popcorn flavour, but any nice vanilla flavoured one will do fine.
This is neither affiliated nor sponsored. Just what I enjoy in my food.
The fact that the protein powder provides a lot of sweetness and the mango and white chocolate add to that means, I got away with adding just one tablespoon of honey.
White chocolate wise, I used Lindt. A good alternative would be Green&Blacks or any reasonably good quality white chocolate.
The Process
The Mango Coulis
Start by making the Mango Coulis. This can be done up to 2 days before making the cake, as it keeps well in the fridge.
Simply peel the mango, cut it off the stone by slicing down on both sides of it, then cube the flesh.
Add it to a cooking pot with the sugar and lime juice and cook until very soft and starting to fall apart, stirring occasionally. The time this takes depends on how ripe your mangoes were to begin with.
Once the fruit is soft, either tip into a blender (if you are using a Nutribullet or similar closed blender, please let it cool first, or the heat from blending could lead to it exploding) and blend until smooth. You could also use an immersion hand blender for this.
Pass through a sieve for smoother consistency.
Leave to cool either in the fridge, if making the day before, or room temperature, if you plan to use it on the same day.
Divide your Mango Coulis into 2 portions. Keep half in the fridge for topping the cake once firmed up later or the next day. It will thicken a bit, which is what we want.
The Crust
Now prepare the coconut crust. You can do this up to 2 days in advance as well. If you do, wrap it well into clingfilm, ideally still in the springform, until ready to use.
Start by pre-heating your oven to 300°F/150°C.
Spread the shredded coconut on a parchment lined baking tray and toast for about 4 minutes, stir and toast for another 2-3 minutes, until golden and fragrant.
Take out of the oven and divide into 2 portions.
Line a springform bottom with parchment paper and lightly grease the sides.
Raise the oven temperature to 350°F/175°C.
Add one portion of the toasted shredded coconut to a food processor together with the oats, salt and flour. Process until finely ground.
Add remaining coconut, melted coconut oil, vanilla extract and maple syrup and pulse until combined. Don’t overprocess, to keep some structure to the mix.
Tip into a bowl and mix with a spoon or your hands until it comes together. Add a little more oil or maple syrup if it feels too dry. You should be able to form clumps, but also crumble them apart easily.
Transfer the mix into your prepared springform and push flat using your hands, all the way to the sides, but not up. It should form one even layer.
Prick with a fork a few times all over.
Bake for 16 to 18 minutes, turning around once, if your oven bakes unevenly, until golden brown and smelling delicious.
Leave to cool, but still in the springform, while you prepare the filling.
The Filling
Gently melt your white chocolate either over a water bath or in the microwave. If using a microwave, set it to 600 watt and melt in 30 second bursts, stirring in between, until nearly melted, then stir a bit longer and see if it comes together. If not continue in 10 second bursts until you can stir it creamy.
Tip: White chocolate melts much faster than dark, due to the high cocoa butter content. Unfortunately it also seizes up much faster, so proceed with care, to avoid it getting crumbly due to overheating. I’m afraid if it does, there is no coming back from it. You might still be able to use it, but it will likely impact the texture of your filling.
White chocolate won’t get as liquid as dark either. It rather remains at the creamy stage and goes straight to crumbly after.
In a large bowl (I used the Tupperware mixing bowl with a lid that has an opening in the middle here, to avoid splattering) and a hand mixer or in a blender blend together half the Mango Coulis, melted white chocolate, yoghurt, coconut milk, lime juice, honey, vanilla and protein powder.
Have a taste and add more honey or lime juice if you think it needs it.
In a small microwave proof bowl or cup mix your gelatine powder with 2 tbsp of water. Microwave for 10 seconds until liquid. Add to the rest of the filling and mix again until slightly foamy.
Pour your filling onto the crust in the springform and transfer to the fridge carefully, to firm up. At this stage I would not cover it, as any clingfilm has the tendency to attach to the filling and leave marks we don’t want. Once it is firm to the touch you can cover the form with clingfilm.
I usually leave my cake overnight, so I’m not entirely sure how many hours it will take to firm up exactly. It’s definitely more than one though. My estimation would be 3-4.
Once your Mango White Chocolate Cheesecake with Protein is firm to the touch and set, spread the remaining Mango Coulis evenly over the top.
Chill while you prepare your optional toppings.
Slice your last Mango and lime thinly. Whip your Oatly cream (chilled ideally, or it won’t be firm enough. Have a wild guess how I know…) and toast some coconut flakes if you like.
Decorate your pie with the whipped cream, mango, lime, and coconut. I pulled the cream out into the mango coulis for a star-like pattern, using a toothpick.
Then run a sharp knife briefly under hot water and dry. Slide around the insides of the springform, to loosen the pie. Remove the ring by opening the clasp and pulling it off carefully.
You can now either leave the pie on the springform bottom or carefully slide onto a plate. The transfer can be a bit nerve wracking but should work out fine if you are gentle.
Serve your Mango White Chocolate Cheesecake with Protein with a nice cup of tea or coffee and feel like you have gone on vacation on a tropical island, even on the coldest winter day.
Storing
This Mango White Chocolate Cheesecake with Protein keeps well in the fridge for up to 4 days. Though the crust might soften a bit. Personally I quite like it that way.
Now I’d love to hear from you in the comments!
Have you tried this? Did you enjoy it?
What other recipes would you like to see?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please share and comment. It helps me a lot.
Mango White Chocolate Cheesecake with Protein
All the flavour of a delicious and refreshing Mango White Chocolate Cheesecake on a coconut crust, but without the cheese. Instead 13g protein per slice, about one third less sugar and fat and easier to digest for those of us with lactose intolerance. Giving you the tropical island feeling in the middle of winter. This is what I call a dessert worth eating!
Food Processor, Blender or Immersion blender, springform
Ingredients
Crust
1.5cupsshredded coconuttoasted, divided
1/3cupoats
1cupwholegrain spelt flour
3tbspcoconut flouror more spelt
¼cupcoconut oil
¼cup+ 2tbsp maple syrup
1tbspvanilla extract
1/8tspkosher salt
Mango Coulis
2mangosripe, chopped
1tbsplime juice
1.5tbspsugar
“Cream Cheese” filling
2cups0% fat Greek yoghurt
1cancoconut milkfull fat
1tbsplime juice
1tbsphoney
1tspvanilla extract
3.5oz/100gwhite chocolatemelted
2scoops protein powderI used MyProtein “Buttered Popcorn”, but vanilla works well.
2tbsp1 pack powdered gelatine
To Garnish (Optional)
1Mangosliced
1limesliced
1pack Oatly whipping cream
A few coconut flakes or shaved white chocolate
Instructions
Mango Coulis:
Peel and cube the mango flesh.
In a pot, combine mango cubes, sugar, and lime juice.
Cook until very soft and starting to fall apart, stirring occasionally.
Blend until smooth using a blender or immersion hand blender.
Pass through a sieve to get a smoother consistency
Allow cooling to room temperature or refrigerate if making in advance.
Crust:
Preheat oven to 300°F/150°C.
Toast shredded coconut on a parchment-lined baking tray for 4-6 minutes until golden and fragrant.
Divide toasted coconut into two portions.
Raise your oven temperature to 350°F/175°C
In a food processor, combine one portion of toasted coconut with oats, salt, and flour. Process until finely ground.
Add remaining coconut, melted coconut oil, vanilla extract, and maple syrup. Pulse until just combined.
Transfer mixture into a bowl and mix until it comes together, adding a little more maple syrup or coconut oil if it feels too dry.
Press mixture into the bottom of a parchment-lined springform pan to form an even layer.
Bake for 16-18 minutes until golden brown.
Allow to cool while preparing the filling.
Filling:
Gently melt white chocolate using a double boiler or microwave on low in short bursts, stirring frequently.
In a large bowl or blender, mix half of the Mango Coulis, melted white chocolate, Greek yogurt, coconut milk, lime juice, honey, vanilla extract, and protein powder until smooth.
Taste and adjust sweetness or acidity if necessary.
In a small microwave-proof bowl, mix gelatin powder with 2 tbsp water and microwave for 10 seconds until liquid.
Add the gelatin mixture to the filling and mix until slightly foamy.
Pour the filling over the cooled crust in the springform pan.
Refrigerate until firm, preferably overnight.
Assembly:
Spread the remaining Mango Coulis evenly over the top of the set cheesecake.
Optional: Whip the Oatly cream until soft peaks form.
Decorate the cheesecake with whipped cream, sliced mango, lime, and coconut flakes or shaved white chocolate.
Run a sharp knife briefly under hot water, dry, and then slide around the edges of the springform pan to loosen the cheesecake.
Carefully remove the springform ring.
Transfer the cheesecake to a serving plate if desired.
Slice and serve chilled.
Enjoy your Mango White Chocolate Cheesecake with Protein!
Notes
StoringThis Mango White Chocolate Cheesecake with Protein keeps well in the fridge for up to 4 days. Though the crust might soften a bit. Personally I quite like it that way.
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