Cinnamon Bun Paleo Protein Bars + Sugar-Free Cream Cheese Icing

Calling all Cinnabon lovers!

Does anyone else start salivating when they walk past a Cinnabon in the mall?! Cause I sure do. But don’t worry, I got yah. These cinnamon bun protein bars are so freakin’ delicious. They are gluten-free, sugar-free, nut-free, paleo friendly, & can be easily made dairy free!

But first, what the heck is cassava flour?

You may notice that I used a different flour in this recipe, cassava flour! I started testing out a few recipes with this flour lately & I am loving it! It gives a similar texture to my baked goods that is comparable to regular flour. While I love my almond & coconut flours, they can definitely be more challenging to work with.

Cassava isn’t a grain, but rather a root, so it is paleo approved. Although cassava is higher in carbohydrates than some other grain-free flours, it is actually a resistant starch. This means that instead of raising blood glucose levels, as you would expect with a high carbohydrate food source, it travels through the GI tract unabsorbed. When it finally reaches the colon it can serve as food for the good bacteria in your gut & actually benefit your overall gut health! Therefore, it acts as a prebiotic, which is anything that feeds good bacteria. This is a good thing because we want more good bacteria compared to bad in the gut. When the good bacteria are fed, they are able to produce short-chain fatty acids. These short-chain fatty acids have been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties, & may even benefit people with IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), allergies, & auto-immune conditions.

Consuming adequate amounts of fiber is also crucial, as it also acts as a prebiotic for those bacteria, & ensuring they have enough ‘food’ will allow the good guys to proliferate the colon much better.

I do want to note that people with SIBO, dysbiosis (bacterial imbalance), even some cases of IBS or certain digestive issues may have trouble with resistant starches & even some fiber sources. If the bad bacteria in your gut currently outnumber the good, you will subsequently be feeding the bad as well as the good. If you have a relatively healthy gut flora this usually will not cause any significant issues, as the good guys will remain outnumbering the bad. I do suggest working with a health care practitioner if you have severe gut issues, or have trouble consuming fiber or resistant starches, as you could have an underlying gut issue that needs to be addressed before adding these foods into your diet.

I would also suggest starting slow when you decide to add resistant starches or more fiber into your diet if you’re new to this concept, as you may experience gas or bloating while your body gets used to it & the gut microflora alters.

I found some helpful resources touching on the benefits & cautions of adding resistant starches into your diet, which I will link for you here & here if you’re interested in learning more on the topic!

Now for the recipe!

With all that being said this recipe is a great way to add some resistant starch into your life if you think it will be of benefit to you! You can also replace the cassava flour I used in this recipe with your preferred flour of choice. I haven’t tested any others out so I can’t say how it will differ from the original, but almond flour or my favourite gluten-free flour would be my best recommendations!

For a dairy-free ‘cream cheese’ icing you need to try my vegan one here! You can also find the monk-fruit based sweetener I use here.

Print Recipe

Cinnamon Bun Paleo Protein Bars + Sugar-Free Cream Cheese Icing

Gluten, grain, nut & sugar-free, these protein bars will fill you up & help fuel you through your day! With no sugar added, they will not spike your blood sugar levels, helping you maintain balanced energy throughout the day. They can easily be made with my vegan 'cream cheese' icing & with coconut oil instead of butter to be 100% dairy free as well.

Keyword

cinnamon bun protein bars

Prep Time

10 Minutes

Cook Time

20 Minutes

Servings

Bars

Ingredients

Cinnamon Protein Bars

• 1/3 cup Grass-Fed Butter Can sub ghee or coconut oil
• 2/3 cup Vanilla Protein Powder I used bone broth protein, but you can use your favourite
• 1/3 cup Golden Lakanto Or your preferred sweetener of choice
• 5 tbs Cassava Flour
• 1 Egg You can try subbing a flax or chia egg here but I haven't tried this yet
• 1 tsp Baking powder
• 1 tsp Coconut vinegar Or apple cider vinegar
• 1-2 Pinches Pink or Celtic Sea Salt
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract
• 1 tsp Cinnamon
• 2 tbs Nut milk of choice I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 3 tbs Sunflower seed butter Or nut/seed butter of choice- to keep it nut free you want to make sure to use a seed butter

Sugar-free Cream Cheese Icing

• 1/4 cup Grass-Fed Butter Softened
• 1/2 cup Cream cheese This is half of an 8oz package
• 2 tbs Nut milk Or any milk of choice
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup Powdered Lakanto Or preferred powdered sweetener or choice

Keyword cinnamon bun protein bars Prep Time 10 Minutes Cook Time 20 Minutes Servings Bars Ingredients Cinnamon Protein Bars 1/3 cup Grass-Fed Butter Can sub ghee or coconut oil 2/3 cup Vanilla Protein Powder I used bone broth protein, but you can use your favourite 1/3 cup Golden Lakanto Or your preferred sweetener of choice 5 tbs Cassava Flour 1 Egg You can try subbing a flax or chia egg here but I haven't tried this yet 1 tsp Baking powder 1 tsp Coconut vinegar Or apple cider vinegar 1-2 Pinches Pink or Celtic Sea Salt 1 tsp Vanilla extract 1 tsp Cinnamon 2 tbs Nut milk of choice I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk 3 tbs Sunflower seed butter Or nut/seed butter of choice- to keep it nut free you want to make sure to use a seed butter Sugar-free Cream Cheese Icing 1/4 cup Grass-Fed Butter Softened 1/2 cup Cream cheese This is half of an 8oz package 2 tbs Nut milk Or any milk of choice 1 tsp Vanilla extract 1/2 cup Powdered Lakanto Or preferred powdered sweetener or choice

Instructions

Cinnamon Protein Bars

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F & line a square baking pan or dish with parchment paper.
2. Cream together the butter, sugar & vanilla with a mixer, until smooth & creamy.
3. Add in the egg & nut milk next. Then add in the remaining ingredients & beat gently until thoroughly mixed.
4. Spread the batter evenly into the pan & place in the oven for about 20-30 minutes. In my opinion these are best slightly under-baked as they get super fudgey & delicious when they cool. So keep a close eye on them & when they look like they could still use a couple more minutes but the top has slightly browned, they should be done!
5. Remove from the oven & let cool before icing.

Sugar-Free Cream Cheese Icing

1. Beat the butter, cream cheese, & vanilla together until smooth. Add in the nut milk & sweetener, beating until light & fluffy. Top on your cooled cinnamon bun bars & enjoy!