Applesauce Birthday Cake Protein Bars Recipe (Nut-Free, Plant-Based)

Here’s an easy, no-bake recipe that satisfies your birthday cake craving in the healthiest way possible. The secret to making these birthday cake protein bars is the applesauce and a pinch of baking soda. The slight salty bitterness from baking soda gives these deliciously cakey bars an authentic taste of the cake with the satisfying protein bar texture. It’s a great nostalgic snack option for you and your family.

This no-bake recipe needs 10 minutes of preparation and 30 minutes of resting time. Then just cut the bars, dip them in white chocolate, and enjoy the cakey texture in the form of a protein bar. A healthy dessert disguised in your favorite flavors, ideal for snacking, travelling and even lunches.

Here’s why I love this recipe

• no-bake
• easy to prepare
• high-protein
• high-fiber
• incredibly nostalgic

Ingredients used to make Homemade Birthday Cake Protein Bars

_{**I’ve linked some of these ingredients to amazon.com to give you an idea of what they are, but you should also be able to find them in your local grocery store (usually, the natural & organic food section). They are also affiliate links, which means that I earn a commission as an Amazon Associate if you decide to purchase the items. The price will be the same for you, link or no link 🙂}

• Applesauce – I used regular applesauce this time, but you can use unsweetened, like this one.

• Protein Powder – You can use any protein powder for this, but I found that whey protein tends to produce gummier results. My go-to protein powder is a vanilla plant-based protein powder, like this one below. Also, if you’re using unflavored protein powder, you may need to add more sugar or sweetener.

• Coconut Flour – you can use any brand of coconut flour for this recipe.  Here is a brand of coconut flour I like to use.

• Butter flavored Coconut Oil – Like this one. You can use regular coconut oil, but I think the butter flavor helps these protein bars actually taste like birthday cake!

• Baking Soda – This recipe is no-bake, but just like the butter flavored coconut oil, the addition of this ingredient helps the protein bars tastes like the real thing. Omit if desired. If you’re curious though, baking soda has a slightly salty, bitter flavor.

• White chocolate chips – you can use any white chocolate chips (or chopped white chocolate), but to make these low-carb, use a lower sugar, stevia sweetened brand instead. For a dairy-free, vegan alternative, try this brand.

More Applesauce Recipes (HERE)

How to Make

Recipe Variations and Optional Add Ins:

• Feel free to experiment with natural flavoring / extracts. Add a teaspoon of vanilla extract (since I used vanilla protein powder I left it out in this recipe), or other flavorings or extracts.

How to Make this Healthier

• Make this even healthier by adding a handful of nuts, seeds and old-fashioned oats to add texture and nutrition. Even better, add a tablespoon of ground flaxseed, hemp seeds, or chia seeds.
• Instead of coating these bars in chocolate, you can also frost them with my 2-ingredient almond-yogurt frosting.

How to Store Homemade Birthday Cake Protein Bars

• Store these protein bars covered in the fridge for up to 3-5 days.

More Protein Bar Recipes (HERE)

Final Tips

• Coconut flour and protein powders are all very different depending on brands, so if you find that the dough is too soft, add more coconut flour; if the dough is too thick, add a teaspoon or more of water or almond milk.
• Add a teaspoon of coconut oil to the melted chocolate to thin the chocolate. This is how I got the really thin white chocolate coating on the bars.