Delightful bite-sized bombs of healthy fat, protein and fiber, these balls make a great snack with no baking required. A cool tool called a disher makes them a snap to make, but you can use a tablespoon too. See link in post for the disher. This recipe doubles easily.
A cookie scoop/disher #70 sure makes them easier and perfectly portioned (optional).
Ingredients
⅓cupcanned lite coconut milkor full fat
2tablespoonscreamy peanut butter cashew butter, almond butter or tahini
1 ½tablespoonsmaple syrupor monk fruit maple syrup
2teaspoonsvanilla extract or ¾ teaspoon paste
1 ½scoopsprotein powder, unflavored and unsweetened30 grams protein
¾cuprolled oatsgluten-free
⅓cupchocolate chipsI use no sugar added
¼cupfinely shredded unsweetened coconut
3tablespoonsraw hemp seeds aka hemp hearts
3tablespoonsground flax seed
Optional ingredients to roll the balls in
¼cupfinely shredded unsweetened coconut
¼cupdark cocoa powderfor a truffle appearance
Instructions
Combine coconut milk, nut butter, vanilla, and maple syrup in a medium bowl and stir until smooth. Blend in protein powder and stir together, then add the rest of the ingredients, oats, chocolate chips, hemp seeds, coconut, flax seed. Use a flexible silicone spatula as the mix gets sticky. Freeze the dough for 30 minutes to make it easier to handle.
Using a tablespoon or #70 disher (see notes below) or tablespoon, portion out 24 balls on a small baking tray lined with parchment or plastic. To finish, dampen hands with a little water and roll into round balls. You can use disposable food handler gloves. Lastly rolls balls in extra shredded coconut or dark cocoa powder. Store the balls in the refrigerator or freeze.
Notes
Yield will depend on the size of the cookie scoop (ez-disher) you use. The one I use has a diameter of 5/16".
Protein powder
The protein powder I used in this recipe provides 20 grams of protein in 1 scoop. For help in choosing protein powder, read my post on How to Choose a Protein Powder, and if you have questions please comment and I will answer.
Tool tip
A disher is a handy tool I can't live without. They look like an ice cream scooper, available online at this link. I have five sizes! A disher is the fastest and easiest way to portion these no bake protein energy balls. I use a larger size or making meatballs.
Optional add-ins and variations:
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons maca powder (for energy)
Please see the post for lots of substitution and variation ideas.
Nutritional note:
I make mine with the monk fruit maple syrup reducing the sugar by about 18 grams from the overall recipe, and tastes the same. I also use no-sugar-added chocolate chips.