Dear Caitlin,

I’ve been binge-watching The Olympics lately.  You know how I feel about the Olympics.  Even those sports that I don’t understand even a little (Skeleton?!), it’s inspiring to watch people who have put so much commitment into becoming the best.

I also work out just a little bit harder during Olympic season.  I know.  It’s too late.  If I had some deep athletic talent, it would have emerged by now.  But when I hop on the treadmill for the forty-seventh time this winter, it’s fun to imagine.

If I were training for the Olympics, these would carry me through.  Hearty enough to fuel you, but delicious enough to reward you.

Support Team USA.  Eat a donut.

First, prep your donut pan.  These don’t have to be made in a donut pan.  But they don’t count as donuts if not – don’t try to pull that one.  I already cut the frying, the flour, and the white sugar.  The donut pan is all they’ve got.

Bananas!

Wet ingredients get mixed up.

Then dry.  I know this satisfies your request for coconut flour, while totally ignoring your desire for ingredients that don’t use ground flax seed and protein powder.   I do think you could substitute 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour here, but I haven’t done it myself, so no promises.  (Also – you need to get ground flax seed.  It’s totally worth it.)

PEANUT BUTTER (jelly time?)

Ready for baking.

I ate… several.

Recipe
Once again Modified from Healthful Pursuit’s Carrot Cake Protein Bars.

Ingredients
4 Eggs
1 Cup Mashed Overripe Bananas (from about 2 Medium Bananas)
1/4 cup Honey
2 Tb. Milk or Milk Substitute
1 Tb. Vanilla Extract
1/2 cup Coconut Flour
1/2 cup (unflavored) Protein Powder
1/4 cup Ground Flaxseed
1 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
1/4 tsp. Baking Soda
1/4 tsp. Ground Nutmeg
Dash Salt
3/4 cup Peanut Butter
1/4 cup Raisins

Directions

(1)Combine eggs, apple sauce, milk, and vanilla.

(2) Whisk together coconut flour, protein powder, flaxseed, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt until just combined.

(3) Mix wet and dry ingredients.  You can use a mixer if it makes your life easier (this is a recipe I do by hand.  Because. Less dishes.)

(4) Mix in peanut butter and raisins.  Let sit for two to five minutes to thicken.

(5) Fill greased donut pan capsules about 3/4 full.  The dough is pretty thick, so if you don’t have a donut pan you can mold it into bars.  Use about 1/4 cup of dough in that case.  Admittedly, I can see how a donut pan the most essential of kitchen tools.  And yet I use mine so very often.)

(6) Bake at 375 degrees for about 14-18 minutes.  These guys will burn quickly, so check early and check often.