4-Ingredient Chocolate Protein Balls

Welcome to

The Free Well Recipes.

4-Ingredient Chocolate Protein Balls

Protein balls!  My crew loves a good ball packed with a punch – and we’ve got lots of concoctions to share but first, we’ll start with one of the simplest to make.  These are great for a few reasons:

  • They have protein which will help satisfy you longer than a simple sugar snack (it’s fuel burns slower than simple sugar).
  • They are perfect for a grab-n-go snack!
  • You can freeze these guys for up to 4 months!
  • Fun and yummy for all ages.
  • They are such an awesome thing to make for new moms (or anyone) who need a nutritious grab and go snack.
  • You can dress them up by coating them.
  • They look fancy (but they’re secretly simple).  Put them on a white plate, take them to that gathering (you remember those, right? whenever we can have one again), and watch them go!

So let’s get to it!


INGREDIENTS.

  • 2 cups raw cashews 
  • 1 cup protein powder (We use Bulletproof Brand unflavored collagen protein)
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I love Navitas brand)
  • 18-22 Medjool PITTED dates, soak them for 5 minutes in warm water.  The size of the date will depend on amount – if they’re large do about 18, if they’re on the smaller end then 22ish.
  • 2-4 Tablespoons of water (ok, if you count water as an ingredient than it’s 5 things you need)
  • (optional) Toppings!  You can choose to “coat” your protein ball in something – we often do a little of plain and ones with toppings.  Great toppings could be: chia seeds, cocoa powder, coconut flakes/shreds.

TOOLS/WHAT YOU’LL NEED FROM THE KITCHEN.

  • Baking sheet can line with 1 wax parchment paper to help with sticking/easy clean-up
  • Food processor —  (I have and love this one, and here’s one that’s a tad smaller)
  • Bowl (to soak the dates in)
  • Spatula
  • (optional) Disposable gloves if you don’t want the mixture to stick to you
  • (optional) small bowl with a topping of choice

STEP-BY-STEP HOW.

  1. Soak the dates in warm water for 5 to 10 minutes.
  2. In the food processor bowl add the cashews, protein, and cacao and pulse mix a few times – until nuts are broken down.  Try not to overprocess to the point the nuts become mushy or too small.  Chunks are good!
  3. Drain the dates.
  4. Add the dates into the food processor bowl and combine (may look a little dry).  Then as you are combining add about 1 to 2 Tablespoons of water slowly into the bowl to help it get sticky, but not too much water where it becomes too sticky.  Don’t worry, you can experiment this time and adjust accordingly for next (you can’t mess these guys up!)
  5. Remove the food processor blade and begin scooping mixture and roll into balls.  You can determine the bite-size you’d like – I like to do some smaller and some a little bigger.  You can scoop with your hand (I do) or use a tablespoon.  Gloves are optional.  **next either go to topping step (7 below) OR if no topping then to storage (6).
  6. STORAGE: Place balls on the parchment-lined cookie sheet and put in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to harden. We do this step to let the balls harden a little before we separate and store.  But you can skip it and go directly to placing balls directly into an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, or freezer up to 3-4 months.  I tend to keep about 5-8 out in the fridge at a time and store the rest in a freezer bag.  We take them out as needed (they thaw quickly).
  7. (optional) TOPPING STEP: before placing in the fridge you may want to top the balls with something!  Have a bowl out with your topping of choice (we do coconut shreds/flakes or chia seeds) roll the ball in the mixture then place on a baking sheet or storage container.

I would love to hear if you try them and what you think!  

Free Well, where the things that make our lives uniquely our own intersect with our creativity, our free will, and our wellness!

Affiliate Disclaimer & Chance To Do Some Good:  This section often contains some affiliate links and codes to products that I love, which means at no additional cost to you (in fact you’ll save $$ with the codes) I could receive a commission on purchases made from the links I share. 3% of the net commission $$ I will donate to Farmer’s Footprint. To find out more about this partnership and how your purchases make a difference read here!   So THANK YOU! It’s a small choice to make, but by clicking and using the codes, you are helping to keep this site alive, supporting my little corner of the internet, AND being a part of the food and agriculture change with Farmer’s Footprint. I am sending you a big virtual hug. Thank you, friend! Seriously, thank you!

Medical Disclaimer. The information on this site is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. All content, including text, graphics, images, and information, contained on or available through this web site is for general information purposes only.

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x