A few months back I found an old recipe that was given to me over 20 years ago. It was for a dessert called Hello Dolly Bars.

For those unfamiliar, the is an absolutely delicious cookie bar that comes topped with chocolate, pecans and coconut. The original is also full of sugar, condensed milk, and of course, plenty of cookie. This is fine as an occasional treat,but as athletes we can do better.

I’ve upgraded the old recipe to boost the nutrient density. This version tastes amazing, but it also includes a good amount of protein. Go ahead and eat a few (or 5) after your next training session, it’ll do your muscles some good. Or pair them with a tall glass of milk and you’ve got an amazing late night snack that will keep you full and happy for a long time.

You must give these a try.

Oops I did it again. Feeling like Britney Spears LOL. Hello Dolly bars with a protein twist. Yum yum yum @barbellbuddha

A photo posted by Moozlers (@moozlers) on Mar 12, 2015 at 5:35am PDT

These bars take about 30 minutes to make, but they taste amazing! They’re worth every step. I’ll be having 2 before my workouts this week.

What you’re going to need

For the “condensed milk”

• 1 can of coconut milk.
• 1 tablespoon of maple syrup.
• 1 tablespoon of pure vanilla extract.
• Pinch of salt.

For the cookie base

• 1 and 3/4 cups of fine oatmeal. I grind old fashioned oats in my blender until they are the right texture.
• 2 scoops of whey protein powder. Be careful, too much powder will make the dough too dry. Too little…your cookie dough will feel too wet.
• 3 beaten eggs.
• 1/4 cup of coconut oil or butter.

For the topping

• 1 cup of dark chocolate chips or broken chocolate. I use 80% cacao.
• 1/2 cup of pecans.
• 1/2 cup of unsweetened coconut. I like a mix of shredded and flaked for varied texture.

Method

Grease and line a 9 x 9 inch baking pan.

Mix together the coconut milk and maple syrup, heat in a small pan and allow to simmer until it thickens. This should take about 15 minutes. Add the vanilla and salt, then whisk.

While the milk is cooking, mix together the ingredients for the cookie base. This should form a soft dough. Press the dough evenly into the baking pan and then bake for about 15 minutes at 350 degrees, or until everything is golden brown.

When the cookie base is done, layer the coconut, chocolate chips and nuts on top and then pour the “condensed milk” all over. Bake for another 15 minutes and the allow to cool.

Hide a few in the fridge, or else you won’t have leftovers. These things are seriously delicious.

Macronutrients

Per bar (about 1/16th of the total batch):

• 138 total calories
• 9 grams of fat
• 12 grams of carbohydrate
• 2 grams of sugar
• 9.5 grams of protein

You won’t find a bar better than that, not in taste or value. I really do need to open up that protein bakery I’ve been planning 🙂

For more great recipe ideas, make sure to check out my blog, MOOZLERS. The are plenty of ideas there to keep you busy and well-fed.

Eat well,

Virginia

For More

• Need help getting your macronutrients dialed in? Check out Nutrition for Weightlifters.