Cake Batter Protein Bars & Zion National Park Part 1[Clean, Vegan, GF]

Try out these tasty 4 ingredient cake batter protein bars that are a breeze to make and perfect for re-fueling during a hike thanks to the protein, fiber and healthy carbs and fats! these bars are clean, vegan and gluten-free, as well! Even better? They only take a matter of minutes to make. 

I know it took me forever to get through telling you about my trip to Belize earlier this year, but now I want to tell you about Zion National Park! I am so excited to share with you everything about this trip because I loved it so much. However, I’m only going to brush some of the surface with a 2 part post instead. Please don’t hesitate to let me know if you want more details, or more information if you are planning a trip here yourself!

I flew into Las Vegas and drove the 2.5 hours up to Zion National Park which is located in Utah. We stayed in the SpringHill Suites there in Zion. Not only was this place gorgeous, it was super close to the park entrance. You could also tell that it was geared for active people. Just look at the complimentary breakfast spread!

I’m not even showing you the scrambled eggs and hot breakfast items with side toppings of spinach, cheese and salsa. Very cool. Outside there was a raging fire (it was still cold in the mornings) that was awesome to eat breakfast by.

To get to the park you can either walk, or drive in. It is 30 dollars per car, or 15 dollars for each pedestrian. At least for the cars, it is good for 7 days and you can enter and exit as many times as you would like during this time period. There are spots to camp, however it is hard to find availability at these. A lot of them are first come first serve as well so keep that in mind if you plan on camping.

As for getting to the hiking, there is the central visitors center (inside the National Park) which you can park at and take the shuttle to each of the various trailheads. I highly recommend picking up a map (I found a great one at our hotel) and do a bit of research on the trails that you want to do.

Each trail has a difficulty level and there may be a chance of getting wet, as well. Therefore, keep this in mind with your shoe wear and clothing if you are doing some of those trails that you can get wet in.

I really packed as many trails in as  I could in the short amount of time I had because I really wanted to see a lot! I did Angel’s Landing, Observation Point, Hidden Canyon, all the Emerald Pools, Weeping Rock, Grotto Trail. We also drove to Outlook point and hiked that, as well.

After you were done for the day the town and neighboring area had plenty of little shops to check out and places to eat if you didn’t just go back, shower and pass out for the night to get ready for your next big day!

I’ll wrap up this trip in Part 2 that will detail my favorite hike! Stay tuned. In the meantime, check out this snack that you can make and bring with you on the trails! Interested in making your own cashew butter? Check out this post here for an oil-free 2 ingredient homemade cashew butter tutorial.

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Cake Batter Protein Bars [Clean, Vegan, GF]

Prep Time 2 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 12 minutes

Servings 4 bars

Author AZ@...And A Dash of Cinnamon

Ingredients

• 2/3 cup old fashioned oatmeal
• few dashes cinnamon
• 1 T cashew butter
• 1/2 scoop protein
• liquid of choice

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

2. Line an 8x8 dish or small baking dish with parchment paper

3. Using a food processor, grind your oatmeal into flour

4. Add the cinnamon, protein powder and cashew butter to the processor and blend. 

5. Add small amounts of your liquid of choice (Tablespoon by tablespoon) until you get a thick, but very soft consistency

6. Using a spatula, pour the batter onto the parchment paper and spread

7. Bake for 10 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean

8. Let cool and then slice into 4 squares

9. Store extras in an airtight container. 

Recipe Notes

This recipe is easily multiplied to get more bars.

I just use water as my liquid of choice. The amount of liquid will vary depending on how absorbent your protein powder is.

These bars are nice and dense, and become more so if you place them into the fridge.

They hold up very well on their own.

I link up with Deborah and Sarah’s, and  the fit foodie mama’s Meatless Monday, #recipeoftheweek,Homestead Blog Hop, glutenfreefridays,  #healthyveganfridays,  What’s for Dinner, Sunday Fitness and Food, GraciousPantry, Kriska Marie