A super yummy, nourishing snack you can prep and pack in your work/school bag to help keep you ticking with energy.
I absolutely love citrus flavours (partly due to lemon drizzle being my all time favourite cake when I was little – it’s still a hard one to beat!) These chewy protein balls are just divine – indulgent but nutritious, naturally sweetened from fruit, plus plenty of fibre and minerals such as magnesium and zinc.
I’ve used pumpkin seed protein – rich in omega 3 + 6 fatty acids and gives a soft nutty flavour. You could use vanilla/plain protein powder as a sub if you’ve not got this though, no problem!
These are so simple to put together with minimal ingredients and keep well in the fridge for around 1 week.
Ingredients (makes 8-10 balls) double recipe for bigger batch:
1/3 cup walnuts or pecans
1/3rd cup pitted dates
1/3 cup oats
1 tbsp chia seeds or flaxseed
1/2 lemon (juice)
1 tsp natural lemon extract
1.5 tbsp protein powder (I used pumpkin seed protein)
1 dessert spn coconut oil, melted
desiccated coconut (enough to coat the outside)
Method:
Pop the dates into a small dish and cover with hot water. Let soften for 5-10 mins whilst you get going with the next step.
In a food processor, blitz the nuts into a ‘finely chopped’ consistency then transfer to a mixing bowl and mix with the other dry ingredients.
Drain the water from the dates and blend with 1.5 tbsp water to make a paste – it doesn’t have to be perfectly smooth, a few chewy bits add to the texture.
Add the date paste and other wet ingredients into the dry, and mix until a round dough forms.
Break sections away from the dough and shape into balls. Roll the balls in a little desiccated coconut and pop them in the fridge to set for around 1 hour.