A delicious, waste-free, budget-friendly treat for the kid’s lunchboxes.
Making protein balls is an easy way to add some nutrients into your day and get creative in the kitchen, so easy in fact that my daughter Autumn (10yrs) loves to do them herself, it’s also way more cost-effective than buying them for $4 a pop. With so many varieties, it’s an easy snack when I’m on the go or for the kids and knowing that they’re packed full of those healthy fats, fibre, iron and antioxidants it’s a guilt free treat also.
However, one thing I’ve noticed is raw balls are predominately made using nuts. Nuts are an easy and delicious ingredient to add to the mix, creating a nice consistency and taste great alongside the dates, but when it comes to a budget-friendly, nut-free treat for the kid’s lunchboxes, nuts are a big no-no. I also like to keep the kids lunch-boxes as waste-free as possible and so far, we are ticking all the boxes.
This recipe is so easy! throw everything into your blender and job done. Don’t be misled by the ingredients, they may seem costly but when you buy bulk it works out cheaper in the long run and makes for many a protein ball.
You can play with the recipe, add honey or natural maple syrup for extra sweetness but personally I found them sweet enough with the apricots and dates. You can also swap the pumpkin seeds for oats. My daughter is gluten-free so we substituted the oats for pumpkin seeds.
Ingredients
- 1 cup Dates
- ½ cup Apricots
- 1 cup pumpkin seeds (or oats)
- ¼ cup raw cacao
- ½ cup desiccated coconut, leave some aside to coat at the end
- ¼ cup coconut oil
- 2 tbsp chia seeds
- 1 scoop Kissed Earth replenish
Method
- Add the dates, apricots and pumpkin seeds into a blender, pulse until it’s all combined. You might need to scrape down the sides a few times.
- Add the remaining ingredients and mix until all combined. Your mixture should be sticky but hold its shape.
- Scoop out the mixture and roll into balls using your hands. It helps if you wet them with water so the mixture doesn’t stick.
- Roll the balls in the left-over coconut.
- Store in the fridge in an airtight container. You can freeze them also which is great to put straight into the lunch-box on a warm day.
