When it comes to cooking I don’t think I can necessarily say whether I’m a “good” cook or not. I can certainly follow a recipe to a T, and I whip up my own meals on the reg. I also sometimes feel pretty creative and mix spices in dishes to create a pretty tolerable (if not, distinguished) flavor.
Do these mark the requirements of a great chef? I really do not know, but at least I can say more for myself than “Well, I’m really good at making toast!” As a matter of fact, sometimes I get especially inventive and throw things in a blender only to find out that the final product actually tastes really, really good.
One of my most recent experiments? Energy balls! As the name implies, instead of energy bars, they are little bites of wholesome ingredients that you can carry around with you as a snack any time of the day. The best part of these is not only that they taste incredible, but can be made with only a few ingredients and in absolutely no time. Seriously, these took me about 5-10 minutes to make.
Ingredients
- 1 Cup of Oats
- 3/4 Cup Almond Butter (Or Peanut Butter, Sunflower Butter, etc.)
- 1/8 Cup (Or More If Desired) Maple Syrup (Or Sweetener Of Choice)
- 3/4 Cup Dates (Or Other Dried Fruit i.e. Raisins, Figs, Goji Berries, etc.)
- 1/4 Cup Raw Cacao Nibs (Or Dark Chocolate Chips)
- 2 Tbsp Chia Seeds
- 1 Tbsp Flax Seeds
- Coconut Flakes Or Shreds (If Desired)
- Cocoa Powder Dusting (If Desired)
Instructions
1. Combine oats, almond butter, maple syrup, dates, chia seeds and flax seeds into food processor. Churn until smoother texture.
2. Pour in cacao nibs and mix in.
3. Form “dough” in small, spherical shapes.
4. Roll protein balls in coconut flakes or cocoa powder, if desired.
5. Enjoy right away or refrigerate, and enjoy!
What would you add or substitute in these protein balls?
