Ezekiel Protein Bites - a.k.a., Powerballs

I’ve seen a lot of recipes lately for protein- or superfood-based treats and they’ve all wet my appetite. In fact, this morning, I was thinking about how I could come up with a variation on the recipes I’ve seen and as I was eating my Ezekil’s 4:9 Sprouted Whole Grain Cereal, I thought that it might make a good base for a high-energy bite.

I recently posted a blog about my love for the cereal and why I believe it’s a good source of grains. So here we go. Below is my recipe for Ezekiel Protein Bites, or Powerballs as I like to call them.

For me, these would make a perfect snack after an intense workout since they’re providing a healthy mix of carbs, protein, and fats. And if you’re running out the door in the morning, they could even serve as breakfast. Careful though, these balls are calorie dense, with close to 100 calories per ball. As a meal, two or three at the most would do the trick.

Although many recipes use dried fruit for sweetening, I simply used maple syrup and honey, but raisins, currants, or dates would probably work well. I’m guessing that every time I make these, the recipe will change ever so slightly and dried fruit will, for sure, find its way into the batter.

Ezekiel Protein Bites - a.k.a., Powerballs

1 T chia seeds

¼ c almond milk (or other non-dairy milk)

½ t vanilla

1 cup Ezekiel sprouted grains cereal

¼ c protein powder of choice (hemp, rice, whey, etc.)

¼ c nuts (walnuts, pecans, almonds, etc.)

2 T unsweetened cocoa powder

2 T unsweetened, shredded coconut

2 T ground flax seed

1 T spirulina or green powder of choice (optional)

½ t cinnamon

½ t sea or Himalayan salt

1 heaping tablespoon nut butter

1 T unrefined coconut oil

1 T pure maple syrup

1 t honey

Place the chia seeds in a small bowl. Add the almond milk and vanilla and allow to sit for 15 minutes.

In the meantime, combine the next 9 ingredients in a food processor and process until a fine powder forms.

Add the final 4 ingredients and the soaking chia seed mixture and pulse until a thick, moist batter forms.

Roll heaping teaspoons of the batter to form balls. If desired, coat them in shredded coconut, ground nuts, or any other fine powder that will stick. These are ready to eat, or can be refrigerated to chill.