Quest Creation - Strawberry Cheesecake Jello Bars

I think it is time I come clean...I am...a Quest Bar addict...There, I said it! I am not ashamed either! These bars taste amazing, are super healthy, and you can turn them into crazy creations! For example, how about some Strawberry Cheesecake Jello Bars?!

This dessert is fantastic! It is a great way to satisfy that sweet tooth.  Plus, it is packed full of protein and very low in fat.  

Don't worry, it is very easy to make! You only need four ingredients.

Vanilla protein powder, unsweetened vanilla almond milk, sugar free fat free strawberry jello mix, and that wonderful Strawberry Cheesecake Quest Bar. 

Unwrap the bar, place on microwave safe plate, and warm it up.  

It only needs 8-10 seconds in the microwave.  Just enough to make it soft enough to mold. 

Place the bar between some parchment paper and roll it nice and thin.  

I am using a small 5x7 baking dish, so I made it to fit.  You could use any shape and size dish.  If your dish is much bigger, you may want to use two bars.  

Coat the dish generously with some non stick spray and just lay the flattened bar in there.  It doesn't have to be a perfect fit because the bar will expand some as we bake it.  Into the oven at 350 for 10-12 minutes.  

Ta-Da! 

Now we have a beautiful and tasty crust for our bars. Stick this in the fridge while we mix up the jello part. 

Add the whole package of jello mix to one cup of boiling water.  If you want, you can add a sweetener to two.  I used one little Splenda. 

Make sure all the powder is dissolved and stick this in the freezer, just to take the chill off.  

In a shaker cup, add 1/2 scoop of vanilla protein powder and 1/2 cup milk.  Shake it up real good!

If you don't have a shaker cup, you can just use a whisk or spoon.  I find the shaker works really well though! 

Now add the jello mix.  It's ok if it a little warm, you just don't want to add boiling hot liquid to milk...Mix it up some more!

Really work those arm muscles! 

Now you should have a very pretty pink mixture.  Don't worry, we are almost done!!

Stick this back in the fridge or freezer for a bit.  You want to make sure your Quest Bar crust, and jello mixture are completely cool before we do the next step!!

Once you are sure everything it cooled, slowly pour the jello mixture over the crust.  If the jello mix is even a little bit warm, it will start to melt and break apart the crust.  

Stick the in the fridge for about an hour or until the jello has set.  I know...waiting is the worst part!!

 It is so worth it though!! As you can see, I was a little impatient and forgot to take a finished product picture...I couldn't wait to eat a piece!!

 I got six nice sized bars from this recipe.  Let's be honest though, I ate the whole dish by myself...And why shouldn't I?! The whole dish is only 260 calories! That is much less than any teeny tiny piece of cheesecake you might get at a restaurant.  

 That bite is pure perfection! 

The jello is cold and creamy, the crust is sweet and crunchy, and together it is simply amazing!

Yum!!!

 The whole dish also has a whopping 36 grams of protein! I really look forward to this treat after a tough workout!

If you're only excuse for not making this is that you don't have any Quest Bars, then let me stop you right there!!! Go here and buy some now! I promise you will be glad you did :)

Strawberry Cheesecake Jello Bars

• 1 Strawberry Cheesecake Quest Bar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk (120ml)
• 1 package sugar free fat free strawberry jello mix
• 1/2 scoop MTS vanilla whey (15g)
• 1 cup water
• sweetener if desired

1. Microwave Quest Bar for 10 seconds.
2. With a rolling pin, flatten the bar between parchment paper. Make is fit whatever size dish you are using. 
3. Coat dish with nonstick spray and place flattened bar on bottom.
4. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes
5. Let cool completely.
6. Mix together entire package of jello and 1 cup boiling water.  Let cool.
7. In a shaker cup, mix milk and protein powder.  Add jello mixture once it is cool. 
8. Once crust and jello mixture are both completely cooled, slowly pour jello over the crust.
9. Place in fridge for 1-2 hours or until jello is set.
10. Enjoy!!

Makes 6 Bars

Whole Dish - 260 calories

7g Fat

29g Carb

36g Protein 

Strawberry Cheesecake Bites

Strawberries and summer! They go together like peanut butter and jelly, milk and cereal, and scrambled eggs and ketchup! Ok...maybe not everyone agrees with the last one. Don't knock it til you've tried it!! Anywho...back to strawberries! How about some delicious Strawberry Cheesecake Bites?!

These are my new favorite summer snack! So easy, so tasty, and so healthy! 

All you need is Fiber One Original cereal, fat free cream cheese, vanilla, sweetener, and of course strawberries!

You can also use graham crackers or any other type of cereal you like! 

Start by cutting the tops off the strawberries and rinsing them well.  

I am not a germ-a-phob my any means, but I always wash my fruit extra good.  I always picture all the crazy old ladies opening the strawberry containers and squeezing the berries looking for the best package...

 Next, take a knife and hollow out the strawberries.  

You can leave most of the strawberry, just make a nice little hole for some creamy filling.

Speaking of creamy filling...

This is so simple to make.  Just mix together some fat free cream cheese, vanilla, and sweetener if you want.  You could also add some cocoa powder or cinnamon to make some crazy flavored creamy filling!

We also need to make the "crust" part of the strawberry cheesecake bites.  I love using the Fiber One Cereal but use your imagination and grind up whatever you like!

I threw in one sweetener too.  Just add your cereal to a blender and get it nice and fine.  

 All ready to assemble!!!

Silly me...using a white bowl to show white cream cheese filing...Oh Kim...

 Just spoon a little of the filling into the hollowed out strawberry.

I usually stuff them pretty good!! The crust needs something to hold on to so it's ok if the cream cheese is sticking out a bit.

Dip into your crust...

And there ya have it!! Easy peasy strawberry squeezy!!! Ok, doesn't flow off the tongue quite so well...

How awesome do those look!!!

 The best part is that this whole plate is only 120 calories!! I picked the biggest strawberries too!

Feeling crazy?!

You can dip these in all sorts of things!! Chocolate chips, sprinkles, nuts, coconut...

What is it about sprinkles that make everything look so fantastic!?

So pretty and colorful!

How amazing would these look sitting out at a picnic, BBQ, or party?!

I think for the 4th of July I am going to make them and dip in blue sprinkles!! Red, white, and blue!!

That first bite is perfection! 

They are cold, creamy, and sweet! Yum!

Strawberry Cheesecake Bites

• 6-8 strawberries (148g)
• 2 T fat free cream cheese (66g)
• 1 T Fiber One Original cereal (7g)
• 1/2 t vanilla 
• sweetener to taste

1. Cut tops off strawberries and rinse.

2. With a knife, cut out the middle of the strawberries. Set aside.

3. Add cereal and sweetener to blender grind it up til it is very fine. Set aside. 

4. Mix together cream cheese, vanilla, and sweetener.  

5. Fill strawberries with cream cheese and dip in cereal.

6. Eat! Refrigerate any leftovers in a tupperware.

For 6 Bites - 120 calories

1g Fat

22g Carb

9g Protein

"Grandma's" Pineapple Bread Pudding

A few days ago someone messaged me on Facebook asking me to take their Grandma's recipe for pineapple bread pudding and redo it "Kim Style".  I was assuming this meant to make it healthy, low carb, high protein, and of course tasty! I was pretty honored, but also a little worried that I was going to fail miserably!! I am happy to say I think it turned out quite delicious!

I looked over the original recipes and had an idea in mind.  Off to the store for a few ingredients.

Of course I knew I would need bread and pineapple.  I also used egg substitute in place of the real eggs, applesauce instead of butter, and vanilla protein powder seemed like a good alternative to sugar! The pineapple was so naturally sweet that I didn't even use the sweetener!!! That's a first!

I cut the bread into cubes and set it aside.  

I used a light wheat bread to keep is super healthy, but you could use any type of bread

I mixed up the remaining ingredients. I squeezed out most of the liquid from the crushed pineapple.  

 Looking pretty good so far! I think...I had never made any kind of bread pudding before this so I really wasn't sure if it was looking like it was supposed to!

I took a little taste of the mixture and it was nice and sweet.  

Fold in the bread gently and make sure it's all coated.  I just made a single serving.

Bake for 25-30 minutes at 350.  I kept checking it like every two minutes so I didn't burn it!! 

It smelled amazing!!! I was so excited to give it a taste!

I didn't even let it cool. I just dug right in! Success!!!! It was seriously so good!

 I really surprised myself! I thought for sure a few attempts would end up in the garbage.  I wanted to eat the whole thing but I had already promised my husband I would save him some. Dang...should have made a bigger dish! 

I will be making this again for sure!! I hope the person who requested it is as pleased with it as I am!

Pineapple Bread Pudding

2 slices light wheat 45 calorie bread

5 oz crushed pineapple (140g)

2 oz unsweetened applesauce (60g)

3 T egg substitute (46g)

1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder (15g)

1. Cut bread into cubes and set aside.
2. Mix together applesauce, egg, and protein powder.
3. Mix in fruit.
4. Gently stir in bread cubes.
5. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes. 
6. Enjoy

Makes one serving (share only if you must!)

245 calories 

1g Fat 

43g Carb 

22g Protein

*What dish would like to have redone to be healthier?

Cookies and Cream Protein Cups

I love making tasty treats with protein powder! I pretty much always use MTS Whey in my baking because I love how well it mixes and it tastes fantastic! The Cookies & Cream is by far the best flavor they have so far.  Hm...What to make with such a fun protein powder?!

How about some Cookies and Cream Protein Cups?!

Ya, they taste as good as they look!

You don't need many ingredients for these treats.

Cookies and cream protein powder, unsweetened almond milk, sugar free fat free chocolate pudding mix, sugar free fat free vanilla pudding mix, and sweetener if you like.

Our protein cups will have two layers.  A chocolate layer cookies and cream layer, and a vanilla layer. First we will mix up the bottom chocolate layer.

Just mix together one serving of the chocolate pudding mix, 1 T of milk, and one scoop of protein powder.   You will need some additional liquid to get it the right consistency.  I just used some water, but you can also use more milk.

Get out your silicon muffin cups.  I hope you have bought some by now!!! If not, paper or foil should work...although they may stick...

I made 4 cups, but you could do more and make them smaller if you want.

Distribute the batter evenly and put them in the freezer while we mix up the next layer.

In another bowl mix together the vanilla pudding mix, and 1 T of milk. Once again, you will need some additional liquid.

I could eat this all right now...

Take your cups out of the freezer and layer the vanilla mixture on top.  

Back in the freezer they go. Waiting is the worst part!!! They will need to stay in there for about 30-45 minutes.  You want them to be completely frozen or they will just be a melty mess.

Finally they are ready!!! Don't worry, they are worth the wait! They are cold and creamy and just plain delicious!! And of course, you can eat all 4 yourself! They are under only about 52 calories each and only 210 calories for all of them.  

These are so great after a workout.  I love having something sweet after a good sweat.  Plus, they have 24 grams of protein!  I highly recommend using MTS Cookies & Cream whey in these.  The flavor is out of this world.  You could mix the protein powder with the vanilla or chocolate layer.  They are great both ways!

Use code KH to save 30% on MTS products!

Buy MTS Whey here. 

If for some crazy reason you don't eat them all, just store them in the freezer.  They will keep for quite some time.  When you are ready to eat them, just let them thaw for a minute or two.  They do melt quickly, but I am pretty sure they won't last very long!!

Cookies and Cream Protein Cups

• 1 scoop MTS Cookies & Cream whey (30g)
• 2 T unsweetened almond milk (60ml)
• 1/4 package sugar free fat free chocolate pudding mix (11g)
• 1/4 package sugar free fat free vanilla pudding mix (8g)
• sweetener if desired

1. Mix 1 T milk with the chocolate pudding mix and protein powder.  Add some additional liquid (water or milk) to get a pudding consistency.  
2. Divide batter evenly into 4 silicon cups.
3. Freeze 15 minutes.
4. Mix 1 T milk with vanilla pudding mix.  Add additional liquid to get same pudding consistency.
5. Divide batter evenly into cups.
6. Freeze 30-45 minutes.  Wait until they are completely frozen!
7. Eat them all!! Store any uneaten cups in the freezer :)

210 calories for whole batch

4g Fat

20g Carb

24g Protein

Protein Cake

I have stumbled upon something truly magical!! Something I refer to as Protein Cake.  I cannot take credit for this creation though...It was created by the awesome Eric Johnson.  I made a few little tweaks and let me tell you, it is amazing! This cake tastes amazing and is only 170 calories.  It also has 34 grams of protein!! You might be surprised at the ingredients but you must try it!

All you need is protein powder, egg substitute, and baking powder.  

Absolutely any flavor of protein powder will work! Fruity or desserty.  I just prefer the dessert kinds. I have made it with cookies & cream, chocolate, cinnamon bun...Today I am using vanilla ice cream. 

Just dump all the ingredients in a bowl.  

I also added 2 sweeteners.  You could add some vanilla extract too or any extract for that matter.

Whisk it up nice and smooth.  

You will want it to be pretty runny so you will need to add some more liquid.  I just add a little water but you could add milk or sugar free syrup too.  

Pop it in the microwave for 1-2 minutes.  This time will depend on what kind of dish you use.  You can make it in a bowl or a square container.  Really any shape will work as long as it is microwave safe!

Watch it closely in the microwave. You will see it start to bubble up on the sides.  A hole will form in the middle and will start closing in.  When the hole is almost gone, it's done.  You don't want it to cook the whole way through or it will be hard and rubbery.  It may take a couple trial and errors before you figure out the right baking time.  

See how it is still a little runny in the middle? Perfect!

Sometimes it looks kinda funny but don't worry, it will still taste great!

Figuring out what toppings to use is the best part! 

You can use basically anything! Whipped cream, chocolate sauce, maple syrup, sprinkles, greek yogurt, PB2, jelly, marshmallow fluff, caramel sauce...go nuts! You could add nuts!!

You are going to be shocked by how good this tastes!! It is soft and sweet and tastes like cake!

If it seems rubbery to you, that means you over cooked it.  Don't give up on it yet! Try again! It will be worth it, I promise :)

Protein Cake

• 1 scoop protein powder (30g)
• 6 T egg substitute (92g)
• pinch of baking powder
• optional sweetener and flavored extract

1. Whisk together all your ingredients.
2. Add some form of liquid until it's pretty runny (water, milk, syrup...)
3. Microwave for 1-2 minutes.  Watch it closely!!!
4. The center should still be runny when it's done.
5. Top with anything you desire and enjoy!

170 calories per cake

1g Fat

2g Carb

34g Protein

**What is your favorite flavor of protein powder??