Almond Butter Protein Balls

When you need a quick snack, these naturally sweetened Almond Butter Protein Balls will help sustain you (or your kids), and they taste great too! And you don’t need any special equipment – just a bowl and a sturdy spoon for stirring.

There a lots of protein powders to choose from, but I avoid soy, dairy, and grains, so I have settled on using a collagen protein powder. It’s also great for joints, skin, hair, and nails, among other things.

I use Great Lakes Collagen Hydrolysate, which I order from Amazon. It does have a gelatin flavor to it, but it’s doesn’t gel when added to liquids. I use it in all my smoothies and often add it to hot tea.

Any kind of nut or seed butter should work in this recipe. I use a natural almond butter such as Once Again brand or one that is lightly sweetened such as MaraNatha brand. Just be aware that using a sweetened nut butter will increase the sweetness of the protein balls.

Yield: 24 balls

Almond Butter Protein Balls

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Ingredients

• 1/2 cup almond butter
• 2 Tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1/4 cup collagen protein powder
• 1/4 cup sunflower seed kernels (whole or chopped)
• 1 Tablespoon melted coconut oil

Instructions

1. In a bowl, stir together the almond butter, honey, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt.
2. Add the coconut, protein powder, and sunflower seeds and stir to combine.
3. Add the melted coconut oil a little at a time using only enough to get the mixture wet enough to hold together well. The amount needed may vary depending on your almond butter, but 1 Tablespoon works well for me.
4. Roll into 1-inch balls. Refrigerate and serve when chilled.

Notes

1. You could try coating the balls in coconut or finely ground nuts.
2. Also consider stirring in some mini chocolate chips.