Balls...Protein Power Balls That Is!

PROTEIN POWER BALLS

These little guys are small, but pack some power! Great to have around anytime you need a little faux sweet treat without cheating on the bad stuff! My good friend Lisa Root, who is an awesome Pastry Chef in Toronto, shared this recipe with me to try out. It was a hit with the Canucks, so here it is kids! These balls are gluten and dairy free, but not nut free. Don't want to spend $$ on all the ingredients, best bet is to go to Bulk Barn - they have everything you need and you only have to buy what you are going to use! Plus it is fun in there - they have such a good range of gluten-free products that you can use to cook or bake with.

Ingredients:

1 Cup Nut Butter (I used Almond Butter, but you can use whatever kind you prefer)
1/4 Cup Coconut Oil
1/4 Cup Chia Seeds
1/4 Cup Hemp Seeds
3 Tbsp Raw Honey (Not the Billy Bee stuff!!)
1/4 Cup Cacao Nibs
2 Scoops Protein Powder (I used the single serving packet of Vanilla Recovery Progenex that I picked up from Canuck)
2 Cups Mixed Dried Fruits, chopped to help the blending process (I used Dates and Apricots, but you can try adding soaked Raisins to add a bit more moisture)
1-1/2 Cups Oats (Make sure they are the guaranteed Gluten-free kind and have not come into contact with Barley or Rye Wheat Grains)
Shredded Coconut
Ground Almonds
Cinnamon
Sesame Seeds
Flax Seeds (optional)

Method:

1. In a food processor, or a super deluxe killer blender, pulse all the ingredients together (EXCEPT for the last 5 ingredients from Shredded Coconut to Flax Seeds) until well blended. Should be soft with lots of texture - basically it should stick together and not crumble when formed. If it does, just add in a little more coconut oil to the mixture.
2. Use your hands to form and roll each ball separately, they should be about 1" in circumference. To make them uniform in size, use a small 1 oz. ice cream scoop if you have it.
3. Once the balls are formed, coat them in a mixture of shredded coconut, ground almonds, cinnamon, sesame seeds and/or flax seeds.
4. Enjoy the balls!! Any leftovers, store them in a tupperware container and save for after your next WOD, or before, or frankly whenever you want to eat them :)

Makes Approximately 36 Balls