Posts
Have you been to a restaurant or cafe lately and noticed cute little protein bites for sale? They're all the rage these days and I know I am a bit behind the times in posting this recipe. What I have noticed in particular is that the price of these protein bites is ridiculous. I am not claiming to never have purchased said bites. But when I have purchased them I have been immediately embarrassed that I paid THAT much for a tiny bite of dried fruit and nuts, especially since I know full well how easy it is to make these things.
The combination I am sharing with you here is the perfect melange of chewy fruit and crunchy nuts, and of course, chocolate. I even threw in some protein powder to make them a perfect post-workout snack. The best part about this recipe is that you throw everything in the food processor and a few minutes later, they're ready.
At the end of this post, I will also give you some ideas for other combinations. It's really easy to fool around with this recipe and get the exact flavour you are craving.
Here is the recipe. I made it up so I don't have to give anyone else any credit at all ;-)
Ingredients
1 cup roasted, unsalted almonds
3 large dates, pitted
1/2 cup dried cherries
1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
2 tsp chia seeds (you can leave these out if you don't like to pick them out of your teeth after eating)
1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
2 tbsp unflavoured protein powder (I use vegan protein powder)
1/4 tsp salt
Method
Place the almonds in the food processor and process until it looks almost like almond butter. This will give you a smoother ball.
Ensure there are no pits in the dates by slicing them open with a sharp knife. If you see a pit, remove it. Toss the dates and the rest of the ingredients into the food processor with the almost almond butter. Turn that sucker on and process for a couple of minutes.
Check the mixture. If you can pinch some together in your fingers and it sticks, it's ready.
I use a 1 tbsp measuring spoon to ensure my bites are all the same size.
Roll the measured mixture into a ball in the palm of your hands.
Keep rolling - my yield is generally 18-20 balls. Today I got 19 (but you don't see the total in this photo because I ate some - quality control!). These are approximately 80 calories each.
Deeeee-licious.
My other fave combo is as follows:
3/4 cup roasted unsalted almonds
1/4 cup walnuts
1 cup pitted dates
1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tbsp chia seeds
2 tbsp shredded unsweetened coconut
1 1/2 tbsp protein powder (unflavoured)
1/4 tsp salt
Use the same method to mix it up. These are approximately 85 calories each.
Some other flavor combos you can try:
1. Dates, coconut, matcha, almond butter
2. Natural peanut butter, oats, coconut, ground flax seeds, dried cherries, raw sunflower seeds, honey, chia seeds, vanilla (tastes like pb&j)
3. Almond butter, hemp hearts, coconut, crispy brown rice, spiraling, mama, maple syrup, sea salt
4. Dates, dried apricots, chia seeds, ground flax, raw pumpkin seeds, cinnamon, white chocolate
Enjoy! And be sure to let me know about your favourite combination.
