Birthday Cake Protein Balls
PIN FOR LATER
Meal Prep Gone Sweet
I made these birthday cake energy bites the night before my hubs and I took a road trip to Las Vegas. They really came through in helping us curb our sugar cravings (i.e. we didn’t need to stop for icecream or Sour Patch Kids every 500 miles).
We rolled into St. George around 9pm and decided to book a hotel. It was late enough that I didn’t want to overload my stomach with a full meal, so we ate from our small cooler instead. A couple birthday cake protein bites, a string cheese, and some sparkling water hit the spot right before hitting the hay.
It’s summer ma, and your girl is soaking it ALLUP
Inside These Birthday
Cake Protein Balls
Is a few natural sweeteners and whole food ingredients, woop woop! These birthday cake protein balls are made with almond meal and coconut flour, which sets them up to be extra dense and chewy (my favorite texture in a dessert).
These protein bites are naturally sweetened with honey and vanilla extract. For some extra sweetness, you can use 1-2 scoops of your favorite vanilla protein powder in place of the collagen I chose to use in here.
Why Collagen? Collagen is a flavorless source of protein, so it gives us a nutritional boost without affecting the flavor—unless you’re into that—in which case, you should opt for your favorite vanilla or cake batter flavored protein powder instead of collagen.
Secret ingredient:
Cashew Butter
The secret ingredient in here is definitely cashew butter. Cashew butter has a verrry creamy and mild taste that lends itself well to other flavors. I don’t know if you’ve ever used peanut butter as a recipe binder, but it’s nearly impossible to hide the “peanut buttery” taste. Cashew butter’s a little more subtle! I find that it hides it’s nuttiness pretty well and you mostly get a creamy, velvety taste and texture using it.
If you don’t want to commit to purchasing a whole jar of cashew butter, I recommend using a few packets of Justin’s Cashew Butter. These tend to stay fresh longer since they’re sealed in single-servings.
Top it off!
I kept the icing pretty simple by melting a few blocks of white chocolate, a tsp of coconut oil, and naturally coloring it pink with beetroot powder!
But honestly …beetroot powder, who has that on-hand? The answer is me—but only because I needed it to do some food photography for a client. No need to spend money on beetroot (although look at that rosy-mauve pink it develops, swoon!) Feel free to use a couple drops of food coloring instead. You can even enjoy them naked or rolled right into sprinkles!
macros
105 calories per ball | 6g F | 11g C | 2g P
Birthday Cake
bliss balls
(Protein Energy Bites)
Makes about 16 birthday cake balls
Energy Ball Ingredients
1 1/2 cups almond flour
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup cashew butter
1/3 cup honey or preferred sticky sweetener
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2-3 tbsp preferred milk
2 scoops unflavored collagen (see note 1)
Optional fiber source: 1 tbsp chia seeds or 1 tbsp acacia fiber powder
Icing Ingredients
3 tbsp melted white chocolate + 1 tsp coconut oil
Can be colored w/ beetroot powder or food coloring
Sprinkles!
Instructions
In a mixing bowl, combine flours and collagen or protein powder.
In a microwave safe bowl or stovetop, melt cashew butter and sticky sweetener. Whisk in the vanilla extract, then pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture. Combine until fully incorporated. Add the milk last, adding just enough to create a dense batter without any dry parts.
Roll batter into balls and refrigerate until firm (at least 10 minutes).
To make the icing, melt together white chocolate with coconut oil and whisk until incorporated. Add 1/4 tsp beetroot powder or a couple drops of food coloring if desired. Insert a toothpick into each protein ball and dip the top of each ball into the icing. Add sprinkles and refrigerate another 10 minutes until set.
Storage: Birthday cake protein balls can be enjoyed up to 7 days if kept in the fridge. You can also freeze them up to a month.
Notes
Note 1: Collagen powder can be swapped for your favorite protein powder. If you use vanilla or cake batter flavored protein powder, reduce the honey to 1/4 cup.
