These are the best damn balls on the planet. Oatmeal protein balls, that is!
OK, I had to get your attention somehow. And because that’s what my husband and I have been calling them because we’re basically teenagers when it comes to humor.
I wanted to share this recipe with you because they really are freaking delicious. I found the recipe on the Internet a while ago because I was in need of something delicious that would keep me from snacking on candy (Tootsie Rolls are my weakness) and also provide some nutrients.
I found the Smart In the Kitchen blog and oh goodness I am glad I did.
I’ve since tweaked the recipe to my liking. Originally because I didn’t have any flax seeds, but I did have chia seeds! And it just sort of evolved from there.
Grant and I went on a hike over Labor Day weekend with one of his friends. We gave his friend a bag of these things and they disappeared quickly. Several hours later when we were all home, Grant’s friend texted asking for the recipe. I figured since he wanted the recipe, someone else might!
Here’s my version:
Ingredients
• 1 ½ cups oats
• 1/3 cup dried cranberries
• 1/3 cup raisins
• 1/3 cup mini semisweet choc. chips (you can sub for cacao nibs, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, whatever your heart desires!)
• ¼ cup ground chia seeds (I grind these up in a coffee grinder)
• ¼ cup honey
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ cup peanut butter
Instructions
- Line a baking sheet with non-stick tinfoil.
- In a medium-size mixing bowl, stir together the oats, raisins, cranberries, chocolate chips, ground chia seeds and cinnamon.
- Add the peanut butter into a microwave safe bowl and heat in 15-second intervals to melt the peanut butter. Stir in between heating sessions.
- Stir honey and maple syrup in to the peanut butter.
- Pour the peanut butter mixture over the oat mixture and stir until well combined. Try to make sure there aren’t any dry oats still. I made that mistake and had some sad balls. (Sorry, not sorry for the balls jokes!!!)
- Use a cookie scoop or two teaspoons to portion out the energy bites, rolling them between the palms of your hands to form a ball. You might need to press them into a disc before you can roll them. It takes time, so make sure you have it! Repeat until you’ve used up all of the mix. I like to have smaller bites, so I divide the cookie scoops in half or quarters depending on my mood.
- Cover the baking sheet with plastic wrap and refrigerate or freeze depending on how much time you have. Once they’ve firmed up, you can stick them in a freezer bag or storage container.
And there you have it. Delicious, addicting protein balls!
If you decide to make these, let me know in the comments what you think! They definitely don’t last long in this household.
Allison Leora 