Energy Protein Bites
These energy protein bites are my favorite, because there really is no limit on creativity here. Once the base is established, you really can add in any flavors or additions you can dream up. The only trick here is making them last longer than a day.
Ingredients (Base):
1 cup oat flour
1/2 cup protein powder (I used vanilla)
1/2 cup brown rice syrup, agave, or maple
1tsp vanilla
Flavorings:
1/2 cup sweetener (think apple cider, almond butter, pureed bananas, pumpkin, or a little bit of each!)
1 tsp spices (cinnamon, ginger, turmeric, spirulina, acai, supergreens)
Add ins:
Non-dairy chocolate chips
Goji berries
Shredded carrots
Sesame
Nuts
Toppings:
Hemp seeds
Brown sugar
Shredded coconut
Granola
Dry spices
I do like to plan my flavors in advance, prior to embarking on this exercise. It keeps things way more organized as the process gets underway and it also determines how much base I'll be making. For example, the base measurements yield about 16 bites, so I'll limit that to one flavor and quadruple it if I want to make four flavors, dedicating a separate bowl for each. Here, I will actually share five of my favorites: turmeric-sesame-ginger, carrot cake, acai-goji berry, chocolate chip and spirulina.
The sweeteners can be quite thick to work with, so I like to heat them up ever so slightly along with my liquid flavorings prior to adding it in to my dry ingredients. Here is what I use for each one:
Turmeric-Sesame Ginger:
1/4 cup BRS or agave
1/4 cup tbsp maple syrup
1/2 cup almond butter
1 tsp. vanilla
Carrot Cake:
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup apple cider
1/4 cup almond butter
1 tsp. vanilla
Acai- Goji Berry:
1/2 BRS or agave
1/2 cup tart cherry juice
1 tsp. vanilla
Chocolate Chip:
1/2 cup BRS or agave
1/2 cup non-dairy vanilla almond creamer
1 tsp. vanilla
Spirulina:
1/2 cup BRS or agave
1/2 cup non-dairy vanilla almond creamer
1 tsp vanilla
Heat the liquids in the microwave for no longer than 15 to 20 seconds. The objective is merely to soften the syrups, not to make them hot. Incorporate the liquid ingredients into the dry. *Note: this recipe can be unpredictable, so I've overestimated the amount of liquid ingredients you will need. My rule of thumb is 1 cup total: 1/2 cup sweetener, 1/2 cup flavoring(s) of choice. You likely won't need this much, but I tend to require a different amount every time I make these; anywhere between 1/2 cup and 1 cup total, so start with half of the batch and add more in by tablespoon until you get the consistency you are looking for (see above). It should be malleable, but firm (but not to where the mixture is crumbling or breaking apart). From here, add your spices and your additions to taste. My rule of thumb for this is 1 tsp. total and then add more to taste (don't forget to add a pinch of salt to finish!). Incorporate the add-ins in a quantity of your preference:
Turmeric-Sesame Ginger:
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1/2 tsp. ginger
sesame seeds (to taste)
Carrot Cake:
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. pumpkin spice
shredded carrot (to taste)
Acai- Goji Berry:
1/2 tsp. acai powder
1/2 tsp. supergreens, berry flavored
goji berries (to taste)
Chocolate Chip:
1 tsp. cinnamon
non-dairy chocolate chips (to taste)
Spirulina:
1 tsp. spirulina
chopped pistachios (to taste)
Once your flavors meet your approval, it is time to prepare your bites. I use flat baking sheets covered in parchment as my stage and a melon baller to create the bites. This is the most tedious part of the process, but consuming a casualty here and there makes the time pass much, much quicker.
After you have exhausted all of the dough, you are free to dress them up as you see fit. I like to gently dredge the turmeric bites with more turmeric and ginger, to mimic a truffle-like appearance. The carrot cake bites are finished with shredded coconut. The spirulina bites are covered with hemp seeds and the rest have been left "au naturale". Totally up to you to put your unique spin on yours.
The finished product can be transferred straight to their storage containers in the fridge to chill and set. Warning: they may not all make it to this stage, as I curiously find several of each mysteriously missing, each and every time. Such a riddle.
Enjoy!