If there’s oatmeal in Heaven, it probably tastes like these Oatmeal Protein Balls. They taste like oatmeal cookie dough with a hint of maple flavor, yet they’re packed with protein, fiber, and iron.
I love starting my day with a couple of these protein balls. It’s so nice to know I can just fall out of bed, grab something quick and delicious from the fridge, then have the energy I need to do a quick workout or help my kiddos start their day. The oats keep me feeling full and satisfied until I have time to eat breakfast, and the hint of sweetness makes these seem like an indulgent treat.
My favorite part about these protein balls is the maple flavor. That’s kind of ironic, since for the first two decades of my life I didn’t know what maple tasted like.
I was in college when I discovered that the stuff I’d been pouring onto my pancakes for years was not actually maple syrup. What??? Apparently those brown bottles of “pancake syrup” are actually corn syrup, usually with some high fructose corn syrup thrown in to liven things up.
Maple syrup has just one ingredient: the boiled sap of maple trees. No preservatives. No artificial anything. Just natural, woodsy, caramel flavor. Aunt Jemima, you can keep your caramel color and cellulose gum, thank you very much.
In the mood for something that’s both delicious and good for you? Whether you need something to power you up before a workout or get you energized for the day, these Oatmeal Protein Balls have got you covered.
- 1 cup walnuts
- 1¼ cup rolled oats
- ½ cup ground flaxseed meal
- 4 dates, pitted
- ¼ cup unsweetened coconut
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon honey
- a pinch (about 1/16 teaspoon) salt
- ½ cup raisins
- Place 1 cup walnuts in a food processor. Turn the processor on to chop the nuts into tiny bits while you’re getting the other ingredients out. You should end up with approximately ½ cup of chopped walnuts.
- Turn the food processor off, then add everything else except the raisins. Process for about 1 minute, until mixture looks well-mixed and crumbly.
- Add raisins, and pulse a few times so the raisins get mixed in and chopped up a bit.
- Using your hands, form dough into one-inch balls.
- Place in air-tight container and refrigerate until serving.
Recipe adapted from this one at Two Healthy Kitchens.
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