Plain and Simple Protein Bites

Apricots and Almond Butter.  Why didn’t I ever think of this before?  Most often I use dates when I whip up these tasty energizing protein bites, but as I was going through my super food cupboard, I found a surplus of these delicious apricots.  Both dates and apricots are natural sweeteners and they both pair well with almond butter so I decided to play around with my favorite protein bite recipe.

Apricots, like dates, are a natural sweetener and they pair well with almond butter.  If you prefer to use sunflower, cashew or any other nut butter, that would work too.  But apricots and almonds seem to have a nice ring to it don’t you think?  And turns out, these are delicious.

Seriously friends, these easy to make energy balls are a must-have for your freezer stash.  I snuck a couple in my husband’s lunch box today and they were perfect for his afternoon snack.  Such a great way to perk up a Monday!

I happen to love them as a mid-afternoon snack myself with a refreshing glass of Green Matcha Energizing Tea.  They’re the perfect balance of healthy fats, carbs and protein before my afternoon yoga class.  Before a run.  After a run.  So if you’re busy like me and love having nourishing food around, espeically healthy snacks, you’ll want to whip these up.

Just like in my Dark Chocolate Plain & Simple Shake, I used Shaklee’s newest Energizing shake mix.  It’s perfect for making protein snacks because it has no additional sweeteners and therefore you’re only boosting up the protein.  This runner is addicted to these.

SIMPLE PROTEIN ENERGIZING BITES 

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup almond butter
• 4 to 6 dried apricots or medjool dates
• 2 tablespoons of maple syrup or raw honey
• 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1 cup whole rolled gluten free oats
• 1/4 cup of Shaklee Plain & Simple Energizing Protein Shake Mix
• 1/2 dried berry of choice (goji, raisins or cranberries)
• 1/2 cup of hemp seeds (or chia, sesame or sunflower seeds)
• 2 tablespoon of shredded coconut optional
• 2 tablespoons of water
• 1 tablespoon of raw cocoa powder optional

DIRECTIONS:

1. If your dates or apricots are not soft, soak them in hot water for a few minutes.  Reserve the water.  Combine the apricots or dates, almond butter, maple syrup or raw honey, 1 tablespoon of reserved water, and cinnamon in food processor and pulse until everything is combined into a thick paste.  Add more water if it seems too dry.
2. Once combined, add the oats, protein mix, dried berries, seeds and coconut.  Pulse until fully incorporated, but still chunky.
3. Roll into 1-inch balls.
4. Optional: Roll in sesame seeds, shredded coconut, carob or cacao powder.
5. Store balls in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.