Heads up! These ultra-tender, sweet and tangy bites of protein-packed cake yumminess are sponsored by my friends over at NOW Foods!
These easy, low carb lemon poppy seed cake bars are made in the slow cooker! They’re soft, chewy and secretly healthy, gluten and grain free and packed with protein!
This is me not caring.
Like, I don’t even care that we had slow cooker superfood homemade protein bars 2 weeks ago and now I’m (forcefully) suggesting that you whip out the slow cooker A-G-A-I-N.
To make MORE bars.
When tangy-sweet bars burst out of your kitchen with zesty-lemon deliciousness, it don’t matter what the cooking vessel is.
Plus. It’s been like 80 degrees yo’. The oven and I are NOT FEELIN EACHOTHER AT THE MOMENT.
I don’t even need to explain to you why lemon poppy seed. You’ve had paleo lemon poppy seed muffins. It’s just GOOD/TASTY/SUPER YUMMY/INSERT OTHER “MAKES YOU WANNA EAT IT” ADJECTIVE HERE, and can basically do no wrong. If we’re getting into the nitty-gritty and being totally honest with ourselves, lemon can really NEVER DO any wrong.
Unless it’s a paleo lemon bar that you have to work on 11 times to get right. But, that is neither here nor there.
Bassssically, sweet-sour lemon is my BFF of the flavor world.
Which gets taken to a whole different level of obsession and best-food-friends-qualities when you pair it with creamy vanilla flavored protein powder. You all know that protein powder is my best-food-friend of the macro nutrient world. Why limit yourself to being a best friend elitist you know? ALL THE FOOD FRIENDS I SAY.
Whatever that means.
The protein powder in question is something that I am SUPER psyched to tell ya’ll about: Vanilla Creme Eggwhite Protein. It’s made by my friends at NOW foods (remember the immersion I went on with them last year?) and it’s made of EGG WHITES. Like, no dairy is in this bottle of vanilla-scented muscle building nutritiousness. HOLLA.
I typically use whey protein to fuel my workouts, BUT we recently discovered that the Huberoni cannot have lactose. So he has been crying (or whatever the manly equivalent to that is) because he hasn’t been able to make his protein smoothie recipe after he RIPS IT UP at the gym (“rips” is equivalent to “not really rips” because I can’t convince him to EVER work his legs out. But, he doesn’t read this blog. Just keep that our secret. WINK WINK.)
[Tweet “Protein PACKED Lemon Poppy Seed Cake Bars…in the SLOW COOKER! #NOWwellness @NOWfoods”]Ya’ll should have seen his eyeballs LIGHT right up when I told him of the existence of this egg-white-y-dairy-free-protein goodness on this planet we call Earth.
It was like Heaven opened up and rained down super-buff-goals that were ACHEIVELABLE, all over him.
Technically, super buff arms-only goals. But, you get it.
I almost let him create a protein smoothie recipe to post here. You know, to be that good wife who lets their husband get out all of his creative-excitement-energy on the interwebz.
BUT, I am not that wife.
So slow cooker lemon poppy seed cake bars happened. You guys. These cake bars are so tender and chewy, perfectly tangy-sweet and PUMPED up with protein so that you can 110% feel okay about consuming an item that is called “cake” for BREAKFAST. Or snack. Or, really, whenever your hungry mouth demands to be filled with cake.
Umm #always.
#winning.
In other news: stevia.
I don’t use stevia in recipes here very often but we’re talking about NOW foods products that I triple <3 <3 <3 love so, considering I use their stevia in my daily-food-eating-life (coffee, my morning oatmeal recipe, and my nightly high protein snack) it’s just a RLY RLY good time to introduce you to this super-sweet, super-secretly calorie free sweetener.
And I do mean SUPER sweet. Liiiike, you do not need very much to make your taste buds tingle with feels-like-decadent-dessert-yumminess.
I know.
Juuuuuuust how you like it.
BFF’s of the non-food variety?
YES WE ARE.

Ingredients
- 2 Cups Almond flour 7 1/2 oz
- 1/3 Cup NOW Foods Vanilla Creme Egg White Protein Powder
- 1 Tbsp Poppy seeds
- 1/2 tsp Baking powder
- 1/2 tsp Baking soda
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 3/4 tsp NOW Foods Organic Better Stevia
- 1/2 Cup Coconut sugar
- 1/4 Cup Coconut oil melted
- 2 Large eggs
- 1 Egg yolk
- 3 Tbsp Fresh lemon juice about 1 large lemon
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- Zest of one LARGE lemon
For the glaze:
- 1 1/2 Tbsp Coconut oil melted
- 1 1/2 Tbsp NOW Foods Vanilla Creme Egg White Protein Powder
- Pinch of NOW Foods Better Stevia (to taste and if desired)
Instructions
- Line the inside of a 7 quart slow cooker with parchment paper, making sure to leave a little bit extra to use as a handle. I find it helps to rub the inside of the slow cooker with coconut oil first, so the parchment has something to stick to.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond flour, protein powder, poppy seeds, baking powder, baking soda, salt and stevia until well combined. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, using an electric hand mixer, beat together the coconut sugar and coconut oil. Add in the eggs, egg yolk, lemon juice, vanilla and lemon zest and beat until smooth and combined.
- Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir until well combined.
- Spoon the batter into your slow cooker and spread out evenly. Cover and cook until the bars feel set and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 1 hour. Be careful not to over-bake! *
- Turn off the slow cooker and let the bars cool inside for at least 45 minutes. Then, gently lift them out of the slow cooker and slice into bars.
- Whisk together the glaze ingredients until smooth, and drizzle over the bars.
- DEVOUR.
Tips & Notes:
Recipes written and produced on Food Faith Fitness are for informational purposes only.
FOR THIS RECIPE, I RECOMMEND:
THIS POST IS SPONSORED BY MY FRIENDS AT NOW FOODS. THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO CONTINUE CREATING GREAT CONTENT FOR YOU BY SUPPORTING PARTNERSHIPS WITH SUPER-FAB BRANDS THAT FOOD FAITH FITNESS LOVES TO WORK WITH! AS ALWAYS, OPINIONS REMAIN 100% MY OWN!
Stay in touch with NOW Foods on social media for other tasty recipes and health tips:
Facebook / Pinterest / Twitter /Instagram
WEIGHT WATCHERS POINTS PER SERVING: SMARTPOINTS: 7 POINTS+: 5. OLD POINTS: 4
IF YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE, PLEASE REMEMBER TO TAG @FOODFAITHFIT AND #FOODFAITHFITNESS ON INSTAGRAM! I LOVE SEEING YOUR RECIPE RECREATIONS!
Want more slow cooker recipes?
Crockpot Paleo Cookies with Chocolate Chips
Slow Cooker Quinoa Energy Bar Recipe
Blueberry Coconut Slow Cooker Oatmeal
STAY IN DA KNOW ABOUT BEHIND-THE-SCENES INFO GOING ON AT FFF BY KEEPING IN TOUCH ON TWITTER,FACEBOOKAND PINTEREST!
This post may contain affiliate links, but I would only recommend products I love. Thanks for supporting FFF!
Erin@WellPlated says
I will never see my slow cooker the same way again. Life hack!
Taylor Kiser says
Haha totally! Thank you!
Emily says
These look so delicious. I love that they’re made in the slow cooker so they’re easy and ready to go!
Taylor Kiser says
Yes! Perfect for grab and go! Thanks!
amanda- runtothefinish says
LLOOOOVE finding creative ways to use the slow cooker, it’s seriously one of the most underused kitchen tools!! These are totally drool worthy!
Taylor Kiser says
I agree!! Thank you Amanda!
Lauren @ Climbing Grier Mountain says
I need to do more sweet recipes in the slow cooker! Can’t wait to try this one!
Taylor Kiser says
Thank you Lauren!
Alice @ Hip Foodie Mom says
Taylor, you made lemon poppy seed cake in the slow cooker?!!! These look incredible and love that Vanilla Creme Egg White Protein Powder!!!!
Taylor Kiser says
It’s so good isn’t it!? Thanks Alice!
Matt says
Dessert, snack, breakfast, whatever, now I’ve got a reason to bust out the slow cooker!
Taylor Kiser says
Heck yes! Thanks!
Jamie @ Dishing Out Health says
These look DREAMY!! I was just thinking over the weekend that I wanted to try a bar/brownie recipe in the slow cooker and then THESE pieces of heaven caught my attention! DONE 🙂
Taylor Kiser says
DO IT! I do it all the time – it’s amazing! Thanks!
Wendy says
This looks incredible! I love my slow cooker, but never think to use it for desserts. I need to.
Taylor Kiser says
It is so awesome for desserts! Thanks Wendy!
Puja says
Wow!!! what a creative way to use slow cooker. Awesome desserts. 🙂 Pinning
Taylor Kiser says
Thanks for the love and pin!
Megan @ Skinny Fitalicious says
It was 115 in Phoenix this weekend. I am definitely not feeling any cooking right now. These bars look amazeballs!
Taylor Kiser says
It was 95 in Seattle, which is stupid hot for the area, so I get it! Thanks Megan!