PROTEIN BLISS BALLS (3 DIFFERENT WAYS)

If you're anything like me, you never quite feel like your meal is over until you've had some sort of sweet treat. I have always had a sweet tooth and I don't see that changing anytime soon. For probably about the first 18 years of my life, I requested chocolate cake with chocolate icing for every single birthday. It wasn't until maybe I turned 20, that I discovered the gem that is cheesecake and that quickly became my birthday cake request, but anyways, I digress. You get the point, I love desserts.

While I used to try to fight the cravings and opt for an apple instead, I quickly recognized the important of treating yourself and more importantly, I recognized how vital it is to not feel like you're being restricted. I don't believe in diets or cutting out certain food groups entirely (unless your body reacts negatively to something in particular). Everything for me comes down to balance. While I could probably have more discipline and train myself to not need that piece of chocolate after lunch or dinner, I like chocolate so I'm going to eat chocolate.

However, that being said, its all about balance. For me, I don't often have processed foods or decadent, sugary treats because it doesn't make me feel like my best self. I feel bloated, lethargic, and tired. Thats why all the treats I indulge in are made with healthy ingredients and natural sugars.

I decided to give bliss balls a try because they're simple, require minimal ingredients, and you don't need to bake them (which for me is a major plus). The recipes you can find for bliss balls are endless from lemon coconut to chocolate raspberry, and so forth.

I made a batch of bliss balls to have as a snack throughout the week and they are quickly becoming my favorite treat. I decided to try 3 different flavors: vanilla coconut, almond butter, and chocolate peanut butter swirl.

Vanilla Coconut:

• 1 3/4 cups desiccated coconut

• 3 TSP coconut oil

• 3 TBSP honey

• 3 TBSP plain coconut milk

• 1/2 TSP almond extract

• 1 scoop organic plant based vanilla protein powder *

• Dash of cinnamon

Directions:

1. Place the coconut oil and and coconut shreds into a food processor and blend until smooth consistency.

2. Add the rest of the ingredients and pulse

3. Roll into small balls and coat with extra coconut shreds

4. Let sit in freezer overnight

(**protein powder can be any kind you prefer, but the plant based vanilla flavor I use is my all-time favorite. **)

Almond Butter:

• 1/4 cup honey

• 1/4 almond butter

• 1/2 whole wheat flour

• 1 TBSP cinnamon

• Dash of almond extract

• 1/4 cup organic plant based vanilla protein powder *

• 1 TBSP**

Directions:

1. Place all the ingredients into big bowl and mix together. * Add a splash of water as needed if too dry or add half a scoop of protein powder if too wet *

2. Roll into small balls.

3. Coat with cocoa nibs, goji berries, chocolate protein powder, chia, etc. if you want!

4. Place into freeze overnight.

Chocolate peanut butter swirl

• 1/4 cup honey

• 1/4 almond butter * (can use natural peanut butter or any nut butter of choice)

• 1/2 whole wheat flour

• 1 TBSP cinnamon

• Dash of almond extract

• 1/4 cup organic plant based vanilla protein powder *

• 1 TBSP cocoa powder

• 1 TBSP water

Directions:

1. Place all the ingredients into big bowl and mix together. * Add a splash of water as needed if too dry or add half a scoop of protein powder if too wet *

2. Roll into small balls.

3. Place into freeze overnight.

These bliss balls are such a great alternative to those sugary snacks you may be grabbing for after a long day of work. They're also great to nibble on while making dinner because let's be real, we're all guilty of doing that, but now we can take the quilt out of it.

#FOOD