Recipe: Peanut Butter Protein Balls

All props go to my husband for discovering this recipe from Men’s Health a number of years ago.  We try to make these on Sunday for a handy snack throughout the week.  Although they are probably intended as an after workout snack, we often throw these babies in our lunches for a filling mid-morning/mid-afternoon snack.  The best part is that these are super easy to make and you likely have most of the ingredients in your pantry right now!  Below is the recipe including a few additional ingredients we like to throw in.

Ingredients:

2 cups crunchy peanut butter (we never have crunchy so we use smooth and then add chopped peanuts)

2 scoops chocolate whey-protein powder

2 very ripe bananas, mashed

2 tablespoons whole flaxseeds (Yay omega 3’s! Apparently you don’t get the benefits of flaxseed unless they are ground, so that is something to consider. I like using whole flaxseeds because they make the balls kind of crunchy.)

Additional add-ins:

-          Hemp hearts (I buy these from Costco. These are FULL of protein, fibre, iron and omega 3’s)

-          Chia seeds (I usually buy these from Bulk Barn, but  they are readily found in the health-food section of the grocery store.  Chia seeds have similar health properties to hemp hearts and flaxseed.)

-          Rolled oats

-          Chopped peanuts

-          Chocolate chips (because everything is better with chocolate!)

Mash the bananas and then combine all the other ingredients.  Use a tablespoon to scoop out the mixture and roll using your hands into approximately 25 balls. Place balls on parchment paper (on a cookie sheet or in a Tupperware container) and place in the freezer.  These taste best frozen to slightly thawed so be sure to keep them stored in your freezer!

I was going to post a picture, but no matter what angle I took the picture from, they just looked like meatballs or turds, haha! Not too appetizing.  Just trust me – they taste better than they look.

Happy snacking!

♥Dion