Earth Fed Protein Frosting

Using Earth Fed Muscle products in our daily life has changed the way my family eats.

‘Chocolate milk’ is now a healthy snack.

Cereal is now an occasional reasonable breakfast, with collagen mixed into the milk (it doesn’t change the flavor or texture - totally unnoticeable!).

Our kids know I'm strict about food and that candy is likely to disappear in our house. However, we still enjoy a variety of foods and treats, and especially enjoy upgrading them as much as possible.

Even celebration foods can be enjoyed guilt-free. Really. One of the things that have always driven me crazy is seeing kids on a complete sugar high at birthday parties. I know, it’s a rite of passage and a normal childhood occurrence. But does it have to be?

Do we have to see our kids complain of a stomach ache or headache and get in epic fights on the way home?

I don’t think so.

Often the cake and ice cream are dessert, after candy snacks, soda drinks, and the main course of pretzels and grapes (if they’re lucky). I don’t want to spoil anyone’s fun though. I’m all for delicious treats, especially homemade. Especially homemade with thoughtful care to ingredients. We eat gluten free in our home and use unrefined natural sugars in baking. These are simple swaps.

I’ve come to think of Earth Fed Muscle supplements and mixes as just another ingredient; as I would use baking powder, or butter, which are processed yet natural and necessary ingredients.

With that in mind, we love to experiment in our kitchen to make things delicious AND nutritious. Sneaking in superfoods is sometimes challenging with picky eaters who can detect any hidden flax seed or a pureed bit of spinach. But you know what is easy? Sneaking in healthy protein.

Our latest invention is Protein Frosting. We don’t call it that of course, we just call it frosting. My kids don’t really notice a difference between using almond flour or regular flour, and they don’t think anything is weird about putting whey in the frosting :) 

Related articles: Peanut Butter Brownies, Peanut Butter Donuts, Protein Blueberry Muffins, Strawberry Protein Donuts

These cupcakes were made with one of our favorite chocolate cake recipes, simply substituting almond flour for regular flour and coconut sugar for regular sugar. For the frosting, we blended cream cheese and butter as usual, but added only a bit of organic confectioners sugar. It was a hit!

Creamy, smooth, sweet, scrape-the-bowl-worthy, and totally pipeable.

My Better Homes and Gardens cookbook recipe for Cream Cheese Frosting calls for 1 8oz package of cream cheese and 1 stick of butter combined with 6 cups of powdered sugar!!!! That is about 49 grams of sugar per serving, not including the cake (or soda and chips that are still digesting!)

Here’s an Earth Fed version:

• Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting
• For 12 cupcakes
• 1 8 oz package of cream cheese
• ¼ cup butter (1 stick)
• Pinch of salt
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• 3 scoops of vanilla whey (or more, to taste)
• ½ cup organic confectioner’s sugar 

(Note: Make sure to refrigerate the icing for optimal texture!)

I let Brooks try these with no words of clarifying what was in them. When I told him the secret, he was stunned and immediately got up to have another. He said that would be the only problem, the belief that they are healthy making you unable to stop eating them.

My son said, “Mom, would you be offended if I said I don’t like them?”

Me: “Of course not.”

Son: “I don’t like them... I LOVE THEM!”

So there you go, healthy-ish, healthiER, and super delicious frosted cupcakes.

And my final and most important observation and judgment on this experiment: my own eating of one. I have sensitive blood sugar. I often bake things with and for the kids, even with healthier ingredients, and never even taste it. I don’t lick the batter or eat a piece of cake because I will get a headache or feel shaky later if I do.

But I did my duty and immensely enjoyed one of these cupcakes after a balanced lunch. I felt energetic and “normal” all afternoon, no mood swings, no crashes. Success- you can make your cake and eat it too!

Anna Santini

More recipes: Peanut Butter and Jelly Bars, Pumpkin Protein Truffles