My husband loves protein bars. I, however, do not love them because they are full of junk. So, in an effort to create a healthy protein bar substitute, I came up with this recipe. According to my calculations, each snack ball has approximately 8 grams of protein in it. If you roll them in the almonds and/or chia seeds, that will up the protein by a gram or two, depending on the size.
Almond Butter Protein Snacks
yields 20-24 snacks
12 Medjool dates, pits removed
1 cup almond meal
1 cup creamy almond butter
1/2 cup chia seeds
1/2 cup cocoa nibs
1 tbsp. maple syrup
chia seeds and chopped nuts for rolling (optional)
Soak your dates in warm water until soft. Remove the pits and place in a food processor with all other ingredients. Pulse until the mixture forms a dough, similar to sugar cookie dough. Chill in the fridge for 30-60 minutes. Using a small ice cream scooper, measuring spoon, or your hands, portion out the dough into bite size portions. Roll in your hands until a ball forms and then roll the dough in chopped nuts and/or chia seeds until covered. Refrigerate immediately. If your kitchen is hot, the dough will become soft and difficult to work with, so if that happens, just toss it back in the fridge for a few minutes to harden up again. I store the snack balls in the fridge in a glass container in a single layer. You could also freeze these individually as well.
This post is part of Made From Scratch Tuesday | Tasty Tuesday Party | Healthy Halloween Candy |
Delicious Obsessions was founded by Jessica Espinoza in 2010. Jessica is passionate about real food, natural living, and more. She helps people see how to eat nourishing food, without breaking the bank. Her motto is "baby steps" -- making small, lasting changes, one at a time, is the best way to ensure long-term success. This website contains "affiliate links" where appropriate, on which, I may earn a small commission or referral fee on your purchase. This has no effect on your price. The monies earned help maintain and support this website's hosting, maintenance, and the development of free content. The content shared on this site is for informational and educational purposes only. Statements/products discussed have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and are not intended to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent any disease or illness. Please consult your own health care practitioner before making changes to your current diet or before beginning any herbal or vitamin supplement regimen or exercise program.
yummmmmm!!
Thanks! Hope you enjoy!
what are cocoa nibs?
Hi Sue – Cocoa nibs is the ” the dried and fully fermented fatty seed of Theobroma cacao, from which cocoa solids and cocoa butter are extracted.” They have a strong chocolate flavor, but no sugar. They are crunchy and taste a bit like coffee beans. I use them to add a little bitterness to certain cookies and baked items. I got that quote from this Wiki article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cocoa_bean
Sounds great, Jess. I’m going to make them! Love your blog!
Hi Jennifer! Thank you for stopping by! It’s great to hear from you! I hope you enjoy them!
I need something like this out on the golf course. I’m trying to think of how to keep them cooled enough to last for a 4 hr round. Any suggestions?
Hi Debb – These would be great for something like that! I’d probably pack them in a small container and keep a little ice pack with them. If the weather is not too hot, then you may not even need the ice pack, but if they get to warm, they’d turn into mush. Tasty mush though!
Enjoy!