I don’t know about you, but we are only halfway through February and my annual motivation to eat healthier is already falling off the deep end.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m still making other efforts to be more mindful of health and wellness. But I’m tired and want things that taste good and require minimal effort to make happen-preferably something that I can roll out of bed, curse the sun for rising, and eat as I am staggering out the door, or as a snack between classes.
That’s where these fun little protein bites come in. It requires a little forethought, but you could plan with roommates and friends to make a Sunday afternoon out of this and share the grocery bill.
As a note, I used plant-based protein powder at the adamant suggestion of my sister who tried to do this with whey protein. The texture is much gummier with whey than plant-based.
3 Ingredient Berry Balls (Gluten & Dairy Free, Vegan)
What You Need:
- ¼ cup pureed berries of your choice (think Strawberry, Raspberry, Blueberry, etc) *If you want extra texture, add some more berries to chop into small pieces to mix in*
- ⅓ cup coconut flour
- ⅓ cup vanilla protein powder
Do The Thing:
- Mash your finely with a fork, or use a blender
- Mix your dry ingredients in with the puree
- Optional: Mix in the small chopped berries
- If the dough is too wet/sloppy, add more coconut flour. If it’s not fully incorporating the dry ingredients, add a tiny bit of water or honey if you so choose
- When you’re happy with the consistency of your dough, roll into balls (this batch should make 6) and allow to set in the fridge for at least 15 minutes before eating
Black Sesame Balls (Vegan, Gluten free)
What you need:
- ¼ cup vanilla protein powder
- 2 tablespoons of unsweetened applesauce
- 2-3 tablespoons of coconut flour
- 3 tablespoons of ground black sesame seeds, have some extra to top them with
- 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar or sweetener of your choice
- 2 tablespoons of melted white chocolate chips (or almond bark or candy melts)
Do the thing:
- Mix all of your ingredients together in a bowl (add more coconut flour if too wet, tiny amounts of water or applesauce until desired consistency if wet)
- Roll the dough into tablespoon sized balls and set in fridge for at least 15 minutes
- Melt your white chocolate in the microwave, drizzle over the chilled protein balls and top with extra sesame seeds
Sweet Potato Pie Balls (Vegan)
What you need:
- 2 tablespoons vanilla protein powder
- 2 tablespoons coconut flour
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons cooked (mashed) sweet potato
- (optional) ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Do the thing:
- Mix all ingredients together
- If too wet, add more coconut flour, but too dry, add tiny amount of water to get to correct consistency
- Roll into balls, this batch should make 5
- Let set in fridge at least 15 minutes
- Enjoy.
Applesauce Birthday Cake Balls
What you need:
- 1 tablespoon applesauce
- ¼ cup vanilla protein powder
- 2 tablespoons coconut flour
- 1 tablespoon confetti sprinkles
- *If Needed* 1-2 tablespoons oat milk
Do the thing:
- Mix applesauce, protein powder, coconut flour, and sprinkles in a bowl
- Add the oat milk very slowly after the rest is mixed, to get to the desired consistency
- Roll the dough into balls, this batch should make 5
- Let set in fridge at least 15 minutes
- Enjoy.
Raspberry Cheesecake Balls
What you need:
- ¼ cup vanilla protein powder
- 2-3 tablespoons coconut flour
- 3 tablespoons cream cheese of choice (I’m told that the vegan cream cheese works just as well as dairy)
- ¼ cup fresh raspberries
- 2 tablespoons white chocolate chips
Do the thing:
- Roughly chop the raspberries, just so there aren’t huge pieces
- Mix everything *but the white chocolate chips* together in a bowl
- If too wet, add more coconut flour, too dry, tiny amount of water or liquid sweetener of your choice until desired consistency
- Roll into balls, this batch should make 5, let set in the fridge at least 15 minutes
- Microwave white chocolate chips to dip chilled balls in
- Let set another 15 minutes in fridge
- Enjoy