These Strawberry Vanilla Protein Bites are a wholesome and satisfying snack option filled with strawberries and vanilla! Make a batch of these easy energy balls to have a convenient snack on hand ready to curb hunger whenever it hits!
It’s hard sometimes to find a tasty, filling snack that’s wholesome. Especially grab-and-go options that travel well.
It seems like most protein bars are hit or miss for us. A “healthy” energy bar can be loaded with over 20 grams of added sugar. Or it can be full of sugar alcohols.
Or it can be full of fat or other processed ingredients. Or it can actually be healthy and taste good, but it costs a lot. You get the picture.
Most of the time we end up making our own. Some of our favorites are these coconut lime protein bites or these apple pie granola bites.
However, I like variety. So, it was time to switch things up!
Enter these Strawberry Vanilla Protein Bites. Delicious, full of good-for-you ingredients, and super easy!
Almond flour, oat flour, cashew butter, and protein powder are the base for these healthy snack bites.
Freeze-dried strawberries and pure vanilla extract give these energy balls their fun color and fruity flavor.
And for a bit of sweetness, we added some honey.
The result is a surprisingly simple and super quick recipe for protein bites that is satisfying, delicious and free of those unwanted ingredients!
How to Make Strawberry Vanilla Protein Balls
These energy bites are super easy to make since your food processor or blender does the work for you!
Start by adding your almond meal, crushed freeze-dried strawberries (I used my food processor to turn the strawberries into a coarse powder.), oat flour, and vanilla protein powder to a food processor or high powered blender.
Process or blend the mixture until the strawberries and protein powder are thoroughly incorporated.
Next, add in the cashew butter, 3 Tablespoons honey, and vanilla extract. Pulse or blend until mixture forms a dough..
If mixture doesn’t hold together when pressed, add an additional Tablespoon of honey or two to get dough to form.
Finally, roll the dough into approximate 1-inch balls. This gives you a nice size for a quick couple of bites.
If you want a more substantial protein bite, feel free to shape to whatever size seems best for you.
Store the bites in an airtight container. For optimal freshness and to keep them lasting the longest, store the protein bites in the refrigerator.
Tips for Success
- Due to the difference in cashew butters, and even protein powders, you may find that your mixture still seems too “wet” or too “dry” after mixing all of the ingredients together.
- If the mixture doesn’t hold together when pressed, add in more honey a tablespoon at a time. If the mixture seems too wet, add more oat flour, a tablespoon at a time, until you reach desired consistency.
- Because natural cashew butter can be quite oily, make sure to thoroughly incorporate the oil before measuring.
- If you don’t have cashew butter, feel free to use almond butter.
- Don’t have oat flour? Use oats instead. Just place them in a food processor or high powered blender, and process or blend until a flour forms.
- The nutrition information will vary based on the type of protein powder used, since protein, sugar, and fat content can vary greatly between brands.
- Feel free to make these protein bites any size you want. The size recommended is just enough for a quick boost!
Optional Add-ins
- Looking for some added sweetness? Try adding 1/2 cup of white chocolate chips.
- Looking for some crunch? Try adding 1/2 cup chopped cashews, almonds, or pecans.
- Looking for some chewiness? Swap out the oat flour for quick cooking or rolled oats.
Looking for more quick bites for snacks? Try these easy energy balls recipe!
Strawberry Vanilla Protein Bites
These Strawberry Vanilla Protein Bites are a wholesome and satisfying snack option filled with strawberries and vanilla! Make a batch of these easy energy balls to have a convenient snack on hand ready to curb hunger whenever it hits!
Ingredients
- 1 Cup almond meal/flour
- 3/4 Cup crushed freeze-dried strawberries (approximately 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 ounces depending on how finely you crush the strawberries)
- 1/4 Cup oat flour
- 4 Tablespoons vanilla protein powder (try to use one with little to no added sugar)
- 1/4 Cup natural cashew butter (make sure that any oil is thoroughly stirred in before measuring)
- 3-5 Tablespoons honey
- 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a high powered blender or a food processor, combine almond flour, freeze-dried strawberries, oat flour, vanilla protein powder. Pulse until freeze-dried strawberries are thoroughly incorporated.
- Add in natural cashew butter, 3 Tablespoons honey, and vanilla extract. Blend or pulse until combined and mixture forms a dough. If mixture is too dry, add an additional Tablespoon of honey.
- Form dough into approximate 1 - inch balls.
- Store in an airtight container. For optimal freshness, store in the refrigerator.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 25 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 59Total Fat: 2.5gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 11mgCarbohydrates: 5.5gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 3g
Nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online calculator and may not always be accurate. Nutrition values can vary greatly based on brand used. It should not be considered a substitute for a medical professional’s advice.