Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Balls
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I don’t know about you, but we’re still in the midst of that post-Halloween buzz. The house is full of all kinds of treats and little snack-sized chocolates, and they’re all just calling out my name. BUT… I’ve been REALLY good at cutting out processed sugar this past month and I don’t want to fall back so I knew I’d need a healthier sweet alternative available that was just as delicious and quick & easy to grab to help satisfy my sweet tooth.
In came the idea of “Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls”. I’ve tried them a few times at health food stores and often wondered ‘how hard would it be to make a batch of my own’? Plus, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are hands down one of my all-time fave treats. That chocolate & peanut butter combo seems to hit the spot each & every time. So I set to work to try to make my own version that would be both delicious and wholesome. I usually have a bunch of healthy ingredients on hand, so I looked through my pantry and came up with this quick & delicious recipe. The main star is the all-natural (icing-free) peanut butter and raw cacao, then I added in some oats, chia seeds, and flax seed along with maple syrup and a few dates to sweeten it up!
These were super easy to make and Asiyah loved getting her hands right in there and helping me make the balls (and also been more than happy to help eat them too!). I promise you, if you love chocolate and peanut butter as much as I do, you will LOVE these. Be sure to give them a try and, as always, tag me in your pics so I can see your creations!
Ingredients:
1 cup, Oats (I used steel cut oats and blended them first)
2 tbsp, Almonds
2 tbsp, Flax Seed
2 tbsp, Cacao Powder
1 cup, All-Natural Peanut Butter (meaning, no added ingredients other than peanuts, esp no icing sugar)
3 tbsp, Maple Syrup
2 Mejdool Dates
2 tbsp, Hemp Seeds
1/2 tsp, Vanilla
pinch of Sea Salt
Coconut Flakes (optional, to coat)
Method:
In a food processor or blender, first grind the oats, almonds and flax seeds until they become similar to a powder-like consistency. Then add in the rest of the ingredients. Blend and pulse to break down and mix all the ingredients together (you might have to stop and scrap down the sides). If you feel the mixture is too thick, add a little water to get the dough mixing (1 tbsp at a time). Scoop out with a spoon and shape into 1-1.5 inch balls.
Feel free to coat the balls in coconut flakes, crushed nuts or keep them as is. Keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week!
Makes 20-25 balls .. if you don’t keep eating them as you go along ;)