BakedLean Weekly Issue 001 | I Added Too Much Milk

This week: protein gummies, Fruity Pebbles cake pops, and the next flavor I should test.

Hey Reader!

Welcome to the inaugural issue of the BakedLean Weekly. Each week, I’ll share the recipes, experiments, challenges, and reader ideas helping all of us become more creative and comfortable baking with macros in mind.

Top Recipe

In the Kitchen

Your Turn

Weekly Recipe Highlight

Green Skittles-Flavored Protein Gummy Bars

This might be a contentious claim, but green Skittles are the best Skittles. This recipe uses powdered Skittles drink mix and beef collagen to make gummy bars.

You get that nostalgic tart green-apple flavor, extra protein, and something much more satisfying to chew compared to another drink.

BuT cOlLaGeN iSn'T a CoMpLeTe PrOtEiN!

THE QUICK TAKE: Collagen is an incomplete protein because it lacks tryptophan, but your body can still use those amino acids alongside foods such as dairy, eggs, soy, and chicken.

Even better: Cottage cheese and whey protein are excellent sources of tryptophan, so if you’re baking any of my other recipes, you’re all set!

VIEW THE RECIPE →

What I Experimented With Last Week

Fruity Pebbles Protein Cake Pops

Last week's mission was protein cake pop perfection.

The tricky part of adding protein to cake pops is balancing the added dry ingredients with enough moisture. The zero-sugar mix is already more crumbly than a standard version, so protein powder without another adjustment can leave the cake with too little structure.

What Worked

Doubling the milk made the texture delicate and moist, but it was easy to add too much. Start with an extra 1/4 cup, then add one tablespoon at a time until the mix has the right consistency. It should be firm, like a thick cookie dough.

You've added enough milk when the mix is soft but sturdy and holds its shape.

VIEW THE RECIPE →

Future Follower Spotlight

Flavors, fibrils, and bears, oh my!

There's a ton of sugar-free powdered drink mixes on the market, so there's bound to be something even tastier than the Skittles mix.

YOUR TURN

Reply with your favorite flavor mix or electrolyte powder. Next week, I’ll highlight the most unusual options - or the ones that sound the most delicious in gummy form.

With enough submissions, we'll bake the best of the best and compare them on our quest to craft the perfect protein gummy bar recipe.

We're also comparing molds to find the best option for protein gummies and plan to release a review video soon. Some are gummy-bear shaped - more fiddly than bars, but obviously worth the trouble.

My Favorite Gummy Molds

After testing a few different options, these are the molds I keep reaching for. They create the perfect snack-size gummy bars, release easily, and are much faster to fill and clean than the smaller gummy bear molds.

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Much love and happy baking, Jacob

BakedLean