Best Bites: Peanut Butter Protein Energy Balls
By Donna Erickson
Get a Boost With No-Bake Peanut Butter Protein Energy Balls
Kids just know how to have fun, especially on those mornings when they wake up to news of school closing due to extreme weather conditions. A day without a rushed agenda is completely theirs to create, play, read and cook!
On a recent subzero snow day, sisters Mary and Izzy Toth discovered the magical time of a free day by building a basement fort over tables and furniture and reading stories with flashlights in their cozy spaces. When time came to crawl out of their imaginative "far away" world for a snack upstairs, they decided to create their own treat.
PHOTO CREDIT: Donna Erickson
With Grandma Mary on the sidelines, they rummaged through her kitchen and scooped uncooked oatmeal into a bowl, stirred in peanut butter until it was at a "just right consistency," added a dash of cinnamon spice, then rolled the concoction into bite-sized balls. After chilling them for a few minutes to firm them up, the girls poked toothpicks in each one and arranged them with mandarin oranges on plates. "They came up with a pretty healthy snack without any coaching from me," said Mary.
As the girls discovered, when good peanut butter is the base, the options are endless for no-bake snacks that come together in minutes. Here's a more complex, yet easy-to-make combination of ingredients for protein energy balls with peanut butter that my friend Mary Clapp, certified nutrition coach and personal trainer, came up with for on-the-go snacking and an extra boost during her day.
I make mine with natural or vanilla whey protein powder and add unsweetened cocoa powder. She uses natural, chocolate-flavored whey protein powder. Either way, after you mix and roll them in coconut, you'll discover a tasty cookie-like treat that is full of energy-boosting ingredients.
NO-BAKE PEANUT BUTTER PROTEIN ENERGY BALLS
Makes 20-22 energy balls
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter or almond butter
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup uncooked steel cut oats
3/4 cup natural or vanilla whey protein powder
2 tablespoons natural unsweetened cocoa powder
3 tablespoons unsweetened shredded coconut
Mix all ingredients except the coconut in a bowl. Spoon coconut in a separate bowl.
Scoop a tablespoon of the mixture and roll it into a ball with your hands. Gently roll the ball in the coconut and set in a storage container. Refrigerate for 15 minutes, then serve.
Store in refrigerator. Freezes well.
Alternative Idea: Use 3/4 cup chocolate-flavored whey protein powder in lieu of plain or vanilla and omit cocoa powder.
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Donna Erickson creates relationships and community through food and fun. Find more to nourish and delight you at www.donnaerickson.com.
(c) 2024 Donna Erickson
Distributed by King Features Synd.