Well hey there friends! Goodness gracious where to start… So many things I’d like to say, so much anticipation for this day, and now we are finally here! My first blog post. 😀 After these past couple months of craziness–
My big bro got married in USVI… NBD.
photo by: Khalid Ibrahim (Eat Pomegranate) << Seriously this guy is amazing. One of the most lovely people I have ever met, without a doubt!!
…And then I got married three weeks later in the Mitten. We got married in Watervliet at the MillCreek Barns and it was just the best. We couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day.
And then there is just life in general, ya know how that goes…
But now I am finally ready to share my first real recipe with you on the blog! There was a LOT of learning, prepping, and stressing leading up to this moment. So while I get used to this world of blogging, balancing a full-time job, and studying for the NASM CPT exam… let’s just go with the flow, shall we? 🙂
Now, for some of you that have been following my Facebook page, you may be thinking “What the crap?! Where are those banana protein bars she was talking about!?” Don’t worry, I’ll be putting those up soon. I want to share these little balls of energy with you first. Why?
- These balls are pretty awesome.
- Because I’ve made them SEVERAL times and shared with close friends, I feel pretty confident you’ll like them too.
- No food processor needed. #winning
- Making balls=easy, and fun(ny?)
- Because I want you to come back for the banana protein bars. 😉
I took these on a beach trip last year to Ocean City, MD with some girlfriends and they were a hit! It’s hard to stop at one, they are just so tasty. These little balls have everything going for them—the perfect combination of oats for energy, nut butter and coconut for healthy fats, and honey for a touch of sweetness. Oh, and I totally added in some extra protein for you with hemp protein powder! I’m always looking for ways to add extra protein into my snacks, so you can definitely be expecting more of that awesome-ness coming your way. And if you don’t have hemp protein powder, no worries. You can actually just replace with traditional protein powder, milled flaxseed, or almond flour.
If you’ve already scrolled down to the recipe page and taken a look at all of the ingredients, and thought “Ugh, I barely have any of these in my pantry…” I highly recommend either jumping over to Vitacost, Amazon, or running over to your local grocery store. Most grocery stores carry Bob’s Red Mill products like the chia seeds, coconut flour, and unsweetened shredded coconut. I often just end up getting most of my healthy ingredients on Vitacost to save time or money. But all of these ingredients have become such a staple in my pantry. If you don’t get them, well… “YOU CAN’T SIT WITH US”. Just kidding 😉 But I do believe these ingredients should become a part of your kitchen too. There is nothing worse than being all pumped up to make something healthy and homemade, only to realize you don’t have all of the ingredients handy. Seriously, the worst. So for you my friends, to take all the guesswork out, I’ve included the links to most of the ingredients I’ve used, located down in the recipe page. There, now you have no excuse NOT to make them. 🙂
But really, these balls are a perfect pre-workout snack, or great to just get you through that afternoon lull. You know the one that hits you about 2pm after lunch time? And for some reason even though you ate a pretty good meal, you can’t help thinking about a snack a couple hours later….Or is that just me? Hhmmm… Well anyway, these will be sure to help. At just 112 calories per ball, you get a few bites worth of energy coming in at 10 grams of carbs, 7 grams of healthy fats, and 4 grams of protein.
And if you decide to have two (which I often do…) they will be sure to get you through the end of the work day. Or give you a great energy boost before that tough workout you have planned later. 😉
Okay, now go make these balls, ASAP. Then report back and let me know what you think 😉
Feel free to leave a comment below!
Honey Oat Protein Energy Balls
- Yield: 18 1x
- Category: Snacks
Ingredients
- 3 TBS Raw Honey, liquid state
- 1 TBS Grade B Pure Maple Syrup*, room temperature
- 1 TBS Extra Virgin Coconut Oil*, melt in microwave for liquid state.
- 1/2 Cup Nut Butters* (I use a mixture of raw almond butter and pure cashew butter)
- 3/4 Cup Old Fashioned Rolled Oats
- 1/2 Cup Unsweetened Coconut, dessicated (medium shred will work too)
- 2 TBS Chia Seeds
- 3 TBS Coconut Flour (Almond Meal/Flour would work here too)
- 3 TBS Hemp Protein Powder (Milled flaxseed, or protein powder)
Instructions
- In a medium-large bowl, mix together honey, maple syrup, coconut oil, and nut butters.
- Add oats, shredded coconut, chia seeds, coconut flour, and hemp protein powder and mix together well.
- Let mix sit in fridge for about 30 minutes for easier ball making.
- After 30 minutes and energy ball mixture has firmed up, roll into about 1-1.5″ balls.
You should be able to make about 18 balls. - Store in air-tight container in fridge up to 10-12 days.
They can also be stored in the freezer.
Notes
*If you don’t have maple syrup on hand, you can use all honey in place of. I also keep my pure maple syrup in the refrigerator, and let it come to room temperature before mixing with the coconut oil
*If your coconut oil is in a solid state, run jar under warm water, or melt in microwave for about 5 seconds, before mixing with honey and maple syrup.
*If you don’t have hemp protein powder, you may sub with milled flaxseed, almond meal, whey protein powder, or a vegan protein powder. Just make sure mixture comes together at end. If it still feels very gooey before putting in fridge, try adding another tablespoon of coconut flour, or almond meal.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 98
- Sugar: 4
- Sodium: 4mg
- Fat: 6g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 9g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
Rachel @ Athletic avocado says
these look so yummy! Welcome to the blogging world! Nice to have you 🙂
Ashley says
Thanks, Rachel! I’m excited and overwhelmed all at the same time! 🙂
Georgie says
So excited your blog is live! Love the turquoise (it’s one of my favorite colors too)
Congrats on you and your husband’s big day <3 I'm sure it was magical.
Love me a good ball and these ones look fantastic. It's funny, before I started blogging I don't think I would have had many of the ingredients in my pantry, but now they're all staples!
Ashley says
Thanks, Georgie!! I’m seriously turquoise obsessed. It’s everywhere in my house 🙂 and ALL over my kitchen 😉 And yes, these ingredients are definitely a must now!
Drew Walterhose says
It has been a busy past two months, but it has been the best two months of my life! I’m so proud of all of your hard work and continued efforts in everything you are pursuing right now. Good luck my love and I am excited to see what the future has in store for us.
★★★★
Ashley says
You’re too sweet <3 I hope you like the balls 😉
Colette Pollitt says
Just made these this morning! They taste awesome! They are perfect for on the go mornings and afternoons commuting home on the metro! Great recipe! Thanks for sharing love! 🙂
Ashley says
Yay! Thanks so much Colette! So glad you enjoy them 🙂
Jensen says
Check you out!!! Awesome blog… awesome post! Can’t wait to make these!
I LOVE your logo/blog header too!
Subscribing for more already =)
-jensen
★★★★★
Ashley says
Thanks, Jensen!! Let me know how you like em! 🙂
Megan @ Straight From The Jar says
Congrats on your launch! It looks amazing! So do those balls…YUM.
Ashley says
Thank you, Megan! I’m so impressed with your site as well 😉 Seriously, you rock.
Jordan says
Made these last night with soy butter and I split the honey and maple syrup right down the middle. It’s impossible to eat only 1 and they definitely pack a wollop of awesomeness!! Thanks for sharing 🙂
★★★★★
Ashley says
Oh awesome, Jordan! Thanks for letting me know your subs! It’s always helpful to hear other’s renditions, especially for dietary restrictions and/or food allergies! 🙂