The Ultimate High Protein Strawberry Pop Tart Bars Recipe

Make healthy cravings a reality with the ultimate Strawberry Top Tart Protein Bars recipe! These macro-friendly, low-sugar and low fat bars taste just like the real deal but are packed with protein and no guilt.

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You know that feeling when you're looking for something, and somehow it just happens to be right there for you, like it was meant to be? That's exactly what happened with this recipe.

I was planned on creating a new recipe for back to school season and remembered that a follower had asked me for a brown sugar cinnamon pop tart bar. After checking the macros, I realized it just wasn't going to be the healthy pop tart bars I wanted to go for.

So I moved on... until I saw a jar of strawberry jam in my fridge that I needed to finish. And here's the best part: there was EXACTLY two-thirds of a cup of jam left. It was a sign!

I scrapped the old idea and created these incredible strawberry jam protein bars instead, and they're so good, they'll make you forget all about the other recipe. These protein powder pop tart bars are about to become your new favorite.

The Ingredients for These Strawberry Pastry Protein Bars

Vanilla Whey-Casein Protein Powder: Whey-casein protein powder is ideal for baking and I recommend the one from Quest Nutrition.
Unflavored Protein Powder: Unflavored protein powder replaces some of the flour in this recipe and helps to boost the protein too. KOS is the one I recommend.
Almond Butter Powder, or PB Powder: This is a low-fat alternative to regular nut butters.
Baking Soda
Non-fat Plain Greek Yogurt: This adds moisture to help with dryness from the protein powder.
Unsweetened Applesauce: This acts as a low-fat substitute for oil or butter, keeping the pop tarts moist without the extra calories.
Almond Milk: A low-calorie alternative to dairy milk, but you can use regular milk if you like.
Cashew Butter: This provides a rich and creamy flavor to the pop tarts, and subs out the butter that a regular recipe would have.

Filling:

Strawberry Jam: Use one that has no added sugar since there's quite a lot!

Frosting:

Vanilla Protein Powder: A replacement for the usual powdered sugar frosting. I use Quest Nutrition again.
Unsweetened Almond Milk: For a smooth, spreadable frosting.

See recipe card at the bottom of the page for the measurements!

Ingredient Substitutions for Your Strawberry Jam Protein Bars

Need to make a swap? This strawberry jam protein bar recipe is easy to make your own. Here's some options that will work well:

Flour: You can use all-purpose flour, or whole wheat pastry flour. For a gluten-free option, use 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend.
Avoid using almond flour or oat flour as a direct 1:1 substitution, as the consistency will be different.
Protein Powder: Any vanilla-flavored protein powder will work.
If you use a whey protein, I would say avoid adding the almond milk to the base, and reduce the milk from the frosting and use just 1 tablespoon to start.
Whey protein absorbs less liquid than whey-casein!
Cashew Butter Powder: You can substitute with peanut butter powder. Or use 3 tablespoon of cashew butter, and reduce the milk to 2-3 tablespoon as well.
Cashew Butter: Use peanut butter, almond butter, Sunflower Seed Butter, Hazelnut Butter or even Tahini. Note that the PB or AB will alter the flavor a little.
Greek Yogurt: I use nonfat, but you can also use a lower-fat version of Greek Yogurt. Coconut yogurt would also be a good option.
Almond Milk: You can use any type of milk you prefer, such as skim milk or soy milk.
Strawberry Jam: You can use any jam you prefer. Raspberry or Blackberry will also work well.

How to Make Your Strawberry Pop Tart Bars

Prep: Grease or line two 8" x 8" baking dishes (or one square and two loaf pans) with parchment paper.
Make the Dry Mix: In a bowl, whisk vanilla protein powder, unflavored protein powder, flour, almond butter powder and baking soda. Whisk well to make sure there are no lumps.
Make the Wet Mix: In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, applesauce, milk, and cashew butter until smooth. Again, make sure there's no lumps.
Combine: Add the wet mix to the dry mix, whisk lightly for 7-8 seconds, and then gently fold with a spatula until just combined.
DO NOT OVER-MIX: Over-mixing can make the bars gummy since they have protein powder.
Form the Layers: Divide the batter into two pans and spread evenly. In one pan, spread the strawberry jam evenly on top of the batter.
The batter will be fairly sticky, so you need to be patient.
Freeze: Place both pans in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.
Bake: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Once the base is frozen, place the frozen base on top of the strawberry layer and bake for about 25-30 minutes. The top should be set and a toothpick inserted into the center should come out mostly dry, with just a bit of moisture (it will continue to cook in the pan as it cools).
Cool: Let the bars cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Make the Frosting: Once the bars are completely cool, mix the protein powder and milk in a bowl until smooth. Spread over the cooled bars. Cut into 16 bars and serve!

Tips for Baking the Perfect Protein Powder Pop Tart Bars

Use drippy cashew butter so it mixes well with the wet ingredients and does not clump.
Use the right protein powder: The type(whey vs whey-casein vs plant-based_ and brand of protein powder can greatly affect the final texture.
See the alternate ingredients section about for subs to make.
Don't overmix: This is the most critical tip for soft strawberry pop tart bars. Over-mixing will make the bars gummy.
Taste the batter and see if you need some extra sweetener. I'd recommend using stevia powder to maintain the consistency of the batter and have healthy poptart bar recipe with no added sugar.
Don't skip the freeze step: Freezing the layers is crucial for a clean, two-layer bar. The batter can be sticky, and trying to spread the second layer on the jam will not be easy. I tried and failed very massively!
Don't over-bake the bars or it will get tough; Remove when the tester/knife comes out just dry, but moist.
Let the bars cool before frosting or the frosting will melt away!

Equipment

This is the 8x8" baking pan I use for all my brownies and bars recipes and would highly recommend!

Storage Instructions for These Low Sugar Pop Tart Protein Bars

Once the low sugar pop tart bars have completely cooled, you can store them in an airtight container.

Room Temperature: These pop tart bars will stay fresh on the counter for a couple of hours. The frosting is milk-based so they need to be stored in the fridge.
Refrigerator: For a weekly meal prep, you can store them in the fridge in an airtight container for up to a week.
Freezer: These pop tart bars are great for a rainy day too. Freeze them individually on a baking sheet (so the frosting does't touch and mush up the other bars).
Then place them in a freezer-safe bag or container. They will last for up to 3 months. To reheat, simply microwave for 15-20 seconds, or let them thaw on the counter.

FAQs: Common Questions about a Healthy Strawberry Pop Tart Recipe

Why did my strawberry pastry protein bars come out dense or gummy?

This is most likely due to overmixing the batter. If you mix the batter too much, the protein powder will make the bars gummy. Mix just until the wet and dry ingredients are combined.

Can I use different nut butter?

Absolutely! This recipe works well with peanut butter powder or almond butter powder too. Same with using peanut butter, almond butter or even tahini for the base.

Can I make blueberry pop tar bars with this recipe?

Yes! Replace the strawberry jam with blueberry jam and you have a high protein blueberry poptart recipe!

If you were interested in this one, here's some more recipes you might like:

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