My mother used to make no-bake cookies, the stovetop kind, oats and cocoa and peanut butter bound up in sugar and set out to cool on wax paper. This one skips the stove altogether. I traded her applesauce for ripe banana, built the protein up where hers never had to, and pressed a whole almond into the center of every piece the way you'd tuck a coin into a jar. She would have loved these — I think she'd have said they tasted like she remembered, just built for a body that needed something different from them now.
The Recipe
Zero cooking, zero baking — just a food processor, three ice cube trays, and the freezer. High in protein, rich in the good fats, portioned small enough that one serving never feels like a cheat.
Prep Details
Yield
48 frozen pieces (3 trays, 16 each)
Serving Size
3 pieces (16 servings)
Equipment
Food processor, 3 ice cube trays
Prep Time
15 minutes
Chill Time
2 hours (freezer)
Total Time
2 hours 15 minutes
Ingredients
- 11 oz can Vanilla Nurri Ultra-Filtered Milk Shake, divided
- 2 medium ripe bananas (about 1 cup mashed)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup regular creamy peanut butter
- ½ cup dry PB2 powder
- 48 packets Splenda Original Sweetener
- 3 cups quick-cooking oats
- 8 tablespoons (about 4 scoops) Vital Proteins Unflavored Collagen Peptides
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup raisins
- 1 cup almonds, finely chopped, plus 48 whole almonds for the centers
- 1 pinch salt, optional
Instructions
- Load the liquids. Pour the Vanilla Nurri protein shake into the food processor first. Add the peeled bananas and vanilla extract. Process on high until completely smooth and emulsified.
- Add the powders and oats. Add the peanut butter, PB2 powder, Splenda packets, quick-cooking oats, collagen peptides, and cocoa powder directly into the processor.
- Blend the base. Process until a thick, cohesive chocolate protein dough forms, scraping down the sides and pulsing as needed if the mixture is too thick.
- Fold in the textures. Add the raisins and finely chopped almonds. Pulse 5 to 10 times, just until they're evenly distributed without being pulverized.
- Scoop and freeze. Spoon the mixture into the ice cube trays, pressing firmly into each of the 48 slots, tucking a whole almond into the center of each piece.
- Set. Freeze the trays flat for at least 2 hours until solid. Pop the bites out and store in a freezer-safe zip-top bag. Enjoy straight from the freezer.
Macro Breakdown
| Nutrient | Total Recipe | Per Piece | Per Serving (3) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calories | 3,766 kcal | 78.5 kcal | 235.4 kcal |
| Protein | 193.1 g | 4.0 g | 12.1 g |
| Carbohydrates | 435.0 g | 9.1 g | 27.2 g |
| Total Fat | 159.6 g | 3.3 g | 10.0 g |
| Saturated Fat | 26.2 g | 0.5 g | 1.6 g |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 89.0 g | 1.9 g | 5.6 g |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 44.4 g | 0.9 g | 2.8 g |
Estimated from the ingredients above — the fat here runs mostly mono and poly, from the peanut butter and almonds. Actual values will vary with your brands and portions.
· ✦ ·
She fed us to keep us close. This just keeps me close a little longer.
I don't know if my mother ever thought about macros a day in her life — she just knew a stovetop full of oats and cocoa meant the kids would come running. I still make that same sound happen in my kitchen, just with a food processor instead of a saucepan, and a body that's asking for something different than it used to. She'd have found that funny. She'd have eaten three anyway.
From Her Hands
She riseth also while it is yet night,
and giveth meat to her household,
and a portion to her maidens.
"She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens." — Proverbs 31:15 (KJV)
and giveth meat to her household,
and a portion to her maidens.
"She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens." — Proverbs 31:15 (KJV)