Apple Cinnamon Protein Snack Bread
I go through really extreme phases with food. There was my Afternoon Iced Chai Phase, which left me broke and needing 7,000,000g of melatonin to get to sleep. There was my Steak For Every Dinner Phase, which I think was because I had anemia? And my Pizza Phase, which left me with an extra roll around my belly and made me very very happy. Very happy about Pizza Phase. If Pizza Phase didn’t torment the skin on my forehead with little bumps, it would be less of a phase and more of a lifestyle.
About a month ago, a new phase emerged. Protein Cookie Phase. First, some background: I go to Whole Foods like pretty much every day. It’s right next to my gym, so after the gym I go and get ingredients for that night’s dinner. (I know, so Parisian, right?) It works well for me because it extends the time I’m out of the house (#workfromhomelife) and also means I don’t have to plan too far in advance and buy a bunch of produce that might go to waste. But it also means I’m by the protein cookies all the time. All the time.
And it’s when I’m hungry. And they’re so good and guilt free and sometimes because of my Prime membership they’re only like $1.79 which is AMAZING. But it’s an unnecessary thing to become addicted to, particularly because even the ones with the best ingredients still have preservatives and excess packaging.
So, I’m trying really hard. Really. Hard. Y’all. To not become the person who grabs a protein cookie on the way out the store every visit. So because I’m—as you can clearly see—a very professional home lifestyle blogger in crisis mode, I thought I could get to work creating something comparable that I would have complete control over ingredients-wise and that would keep the protein cookie monkey off my back.
And yes, I’m aware that I do need to get a life, but I’m really proud of what I’ve created! To be clear: it fits my breakfast and post-workout needs in that it has a good bit of whey protein, a moderate amount of carbs (from the flour and sugar), and very little fat. I’m a huge fan of fat, but I do try to keep it low around a workout because it slows your body’s digestion which then slows the rate at which your body metabolizes carbs and shuttles protein towards your muscles. If I sound smart right now I promise you I’m not. I’ve managed to make this bread virtually fat free by replacing the butter I’d normally have used in a bread of this style with apple sauce. This also helps cut the calories down a good bit.
Of course, this bread doesn’t taste 100% like a “normal” breakfast bread or snack bread, but it’s damn close considering the alterations we’re making to give it so much protein and so little fat. We’re replacing a whopping HALF of the flour with whey protein, which means that each piece of bread has about 12 grams of protein from the whey alone, and additional protein from the wheat flour. Try it out and let me know what you think!
If you’re not interested in a breakfast bread that is equal parts yummy and protein bar, might I suggest a couple of our traditional baked breakfast goodies: Tahini Chocolate Chip Banana Bread | Blueberry Earl Grey Scones
Shoutout to Our Place for the beautiful speckled ceramic plates and bowls! We loveee! Check out their shop right here ;)
Apple Cinnamon Protein Snack Bread
takes 1.5 hours / makes 6-8 slices
1 lb Fuji apples, cut into 1/2” cubes (should be about 4 cups)*
1/2 cup light brown sugar
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon (divided into 2 and 1 teaspoons)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon salt, divided in half
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 cup (125 g) whole wheat pastry flour*
1 cup (87 g) 365 Brand Vanilla whey protein*
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 1/3 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup cane sugar
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees with a rack set in the middle position, and line a loaf pan with parchment paper.
In a large saucepan or pot over medium heat, combine apples, brown sugar, two teaspoons cinnamon, vanilla extract, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and lemon juice. Cook on medium for ten minutes, stirring to combine. Reduce heat slightly to medium-low and cook an additional ten minutes, stirring often, until nearly all of the liquid has dissolved and the apples are very tender. Transfer to a bowl to cool.
In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining teaspoon of cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon salt, flour, whey protein, baking powder, baking soda, and nutmeg. Set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the apple sauce, egg, and cane sugar until well combined. Add in the dry ingredients and whisk to combine. Fold in the apples, reserving about 1/3 of the apples for the top of the loaf.
Pour the batter into the loaf pan, top with remaining apple, and bake for 45 minutes or until a wooden skewer comes out clean. Let cool, slice and enjoy with butter, nut butter, or all by itself!
Bread will stay fresh in an air-tight container for about 3-4 days, but is best when re-heated in a toaster oven or microwave.
Notes
Whey Protein—I recommend using the Whole Foods 365 brand vanilla whey protein as it has very few “weird ingredients” and a vanilla flavor that doesn’t taste too artificial. Some whey proteins have a pretty strong fake vanilla flavor which will make this bread disgusting. Also people put all kind of weird chemicals in protein powder, so if you use anything other than the recommended brand, there could be some weird reactions and I’m not guaranteeing your bread will work out!!
Apples—I really liked using fuji apples here, but you can get creative. I would only not recommend using red delicious, as you really want an apple with at least a little bit of tang.
Measuring Dry Ingredients—For the wheat flour and whey protein, using a kitchen scale to get the correct weight is ideal. If you don’t have a kitchen scale, use a spoon to fluff up the flour and whey protein in their containers, and then gently spoon the ingredients into the measuring cup before leveling off and using in the recipe. Scooping directly out of the container with the measuring cup compacts the ingredients and may result in an incorrect measurement.
Thanks for stopping by the blog! If you make this, tag us on Instagram ( @probablythis ) so we see it!
xoxo Beau