A great feature of making your own protein snack is controlling how much/type sugar you use. These contain sweetness sourced only from the honey and slight amounts from the nut butters and dried cherries. Unlike so many commercially made bars that contain sugar alcohols, syrups, sugar substitutes. Not that all protein bars are evil, but it is important to read the ingredients closely and look for hidden sugars. I use a an extra dark (DeZaan’s – Red Crimson) cocoa powder for these balls – I find the deep, earthy flavor give them just the right amount of chocolate punch, especially since these do not contain the chocolate chips that the first version calls for. A quick tip with the cherries – it helps to refrigerate them first – they chop up a little easier and mix in better since they can be a bit sticky and may clump together in the mixture.
Ingredients
1 Cup Old Fashioned Oats (lightly toasted)
2/3 Cup Shredded Coconut (lightly toasted)
¼ Cup Creamy Peanut Butter
¼ Cup Organic Almond Butter
¼ Cup Ground Flaxseed
¼ Cup Ground Almonds or Almond Meal
¼ Cup Dark Cocoa Powder
½ Cup Chopped Walnuts
¼ Cup Chopped Dried Dark Cherries
1 T Coconut or Olive Oil
1/3 Cup Raw Honey
1 Tbs. Chia Seeds
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
Please buy organic whenever possible!
Preparation
Use a large bowl and mix all ingredients – be sure to give the oats and coconut time to cool off after toasting. Wearing a pair of kitchen prep gloves, mix the batch with your hands until all the ingredients are well incorporated. It takes about 2 solid minutes (for a double batch) to get all the ingredients combined. Roll into 1” balls (compress the mix in one hand nice and firm, then roll with both) and place on a sheet of parchment or light oiled sheet pan – place in fridge for about 1 hour to set. Store in fridge for 2 weeks or freeze for up to 3 months.
For the effort, doubling is recommended :)