One-bowl Healthy Monster Cookie Bars packed with protein! These monster cookie baked oats are lower sugar and lower fat and perfect for a breakfast or post-workout snack.
Jump to RecipeI’d bought some of those festive Halloween M&Ms and really wanted to make some recipe with them before the Halloween season ended, so here we are.
Also a really good opportunity to finish up that bag of rolled oats I had in my pantry for way too long.
Anyway… This recipe came together so quickly that I’d totally recommend it again!
Ingredients for Healthy Monster Cookie Bars
This healthy, high protein monster cookie bar recipe is made with protein oats, protein powder and peanut butter powder too for a higher protein, low sugar recipe.
- Rolled Oats – I used this high protein oats from Zego.
I wouldn’t recommend Instant or Quick since they’d get too soggy - Vanilla Protein Powder: For high protein monster cookie baked oats; I used Quest Nutrition Vanilla protein powder.
- Unflavored Protein Powder: To add extra protein and remove some of the carbs. I recommend KOS Unflavored protein powder.
- Peanut Butter Powder like this powdered peanut butter from PbFit or PB2.
- Unsweetened Applesauce
- Unsweetened Almond Milk
- Baking powder
For the OG Monster Cookie Vibe:
- Peanut Butter: I really recommend a creamy one here so it mixes well with rest of the ingredients.
To make it better, I recommend a high protein peanut butter; This Monster Cookie PB from American Dream Nut Butter would be perfect here. Use my code HAYLSKITCHEN for a discount on your order. - Chocolate Chips – I recommend sugar-free chocolate chips from Lily’s here.
- M&Ms
How to make Monster Cookie Protein Baked Oats
This monster cookie protein baked oats recipe comes together in just one bowl – and that’s what makes it a really easy recipe!
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Whisk all the dry ingredients in one bowl – oats, vanilla and unflavored protein powder, peanut butter powder and baking powder.
Make sure you use Rolled Oats and NOT instant or quick oats! The latter are too fine and will make the mix to soggy. - Add in the wet ingredients: applesauce, milk and peanut butter.
- Whisk everything together.
- Add most M&Ms and Chocolate Chips and gently fold.
- Grease the baking pan before putting in the mixture. You want to make sure the baked monster cookie oats comes off easily.
- Pour mixture into baking pan; Top with remaining chocolate chips & M&Ms.
- Bake for 25-27 minutes.
Remove when the center is still slightly soft; It will cook completely when it cools; Don’t over-bake or the monster cookie baked oatmeal will be too tough.
How to Store Low Calorie Monster Cookie Bars
These low calorie monster cookie bars are great for a meal prep snack or post workout, and here’s what you can do to keep them longer:
Store these monster cookie baked oats bars in an airtight container in the fridge for about 5 days; This recipe is great for a meal-prep breakfast too, haha.
To freeze baked monster cookie oatmeal bars, keep in the freezer in zipper bags or airtight containers. They should last 2-3 months.
Alternatives for Healthy Monster Cookie Oat Bars
Make these healthy monster cookie oat bars your own by customizing some of the ingredients you use:
Unflavored Protein Powder?
Use unflavored collagen or a bit of oat flour instead. The same ⅓ cup as the recipe says.
Milk Options:
Instead of almond milk, you can use regular milk or any other dairy free milk alternative.
Options for Applesauce
If you don’t have access to applesauce, use mashed banana or pumpkin puree (but this will change the flavor a little)
Monster Cookie Bars without Peanut Butter
If you’re not a fan of peanut butter, use almond butter and almond butter powder (like this one)!
Perfect for an allergy-friendly option.
Dairy Free Chocolate?
You can replace the M&Ms and chocolate in this recipe for a dairy free and sugar free chocolate if you’d like!
More Healthy Protein Baked Oats Recipes
- Protein Baklava Baked Oats
- Chocolate Tahini Protein Oat Bars
- Pumpkin Kefir Baked Oatmeal
- Banana Protein Baked Oatmeal Bars
Healthy Monster Cookie Bars – One Bowl, Double Protein!
Ingredients
- 1¾ cup Rolled Oats, 160g, High protein recommended
- ⅔ cup Vanilla Protein Powder, 60g
- ⅓ cup Unflavored Protein Powder, 30g
- ⅓ cup Peanut Butter Powder, 32g
- 2 tsp Baking Powder
- ⅔ cup Unsweetened Applesauce, 160g
- ½ cup Unsweetened Almond Milk, 120ml
- 2 Tbsp Peanut Butter, 28g, High protein PB recommended
The Mix-Ins:
- 2 Tbsp Chocolate Chips or Chopped Chocolate, 28g
- 28 g M&Ms
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F, and lightly grease an 8”x8” baking pan.
- In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients – oats, vanilla and unflavored protein powder, peanut butter powder and baking powder
- Add in applesauce, almond milk and peanut butter.Fold with spatula to combine.
- Add most chocolate chips and M&Ms, and fold.
- Pour mixture into prepared dish and flatten with back of a spoon or spatula.Top with more chocolate and M&Ms.
- Bake for 25-27 minutes until center is just set. The top will be slightly wet in the middle, but that’s expected. Tester knife inserted into middle should come out slightly moist.Cooking longer will make the oats dry on the inside.
- Let cool for about 15-20 minutes.Slice into bars, and enjoy!
Notes
- Nutrition details are calculated using products recommended below.
- See post for alternate ingredients, tips and storage options.
- Quest Nutrition Vanilla Whey-Casein Protein Powder
- KOS Plant Unflavored Protein Powder
- Flavored PB Co Flavored Peanut Butter Powder
- Pb2 Original Powdered Peanut Butter
- Yield: 16 pieces | Serving size: 1
- Calories: 106 cal
- Fat: 3.3g | Saturated fat: 1.3g
- Carbohydrates: 12.1g | Fiber: 2.6g | Sugar: 2.8g
- Protein: 8.5g
I made these and I really like them! I like an oat heavy bar with the extra fiber. Definitely extra points for it being one bowl and only a few ingredients. I didn’t have M&Ms so I used lilys dark chocolate chips and lilys chocolate marshmallow chips (which are so yummy limited edition).
Love these! I subbed collagen for unflavored protein powder and tastes fantastic!