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Lemon Coconut Protein Balls

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lemon coconut protein balls

1/4 C vanilla protein powder
1/2 C coconut flakes
2 Tbl lemon juice
lemon zest from 1 lemon
2 Tbl honey (or other sweetener).

Mix it all together, roll into (about) 6 balls, eat.

Notes:
Why balls instead of bars? They're a fun change, and you don’t have to commit to a whole serving all at once. And they’re great for kids (my nieces accept them as “dessert” and eating 5-6 of something feels like a treat). You can make double or triple the recipe – they store well in the fridge for a few days.

I use whey protein isolate powder. For those into hemp, I could see rolling in some hemp hearts to get a little more protein and crunch…

Once I only had very large coconut flakes on hand and, although I thought they would just crush up, they didn’t so much so I added a little bit of coconut flour to help hold everything together. Also – I go out of my way to buy UN-sweetened coconut flakes (just dried shaved coconut). If someone was using sweetened coconut, which is what is commonly available in grocery stores, I’d recommend tasting before adding any additional sweetener.

I often buy dried lemon zest in bulk from Healthy Living as I don’t always have fresh lemons on hand and I love lemon. I use about 1 Tbl of the dried zest, but this really can be added “to taste”.

I use honey and I add it to taste. I find 1 Tbl is plenty, but that can vary depending on the type of honey. I had some nice dark orange blossom honey and I added less than a tsp because it has such a strong flavor. But I guess it depends on how sweet people are used to having things. I find I like things a lot less sweet than others. And it will also depend on if people are using a protein powder than is pre-sweetened or not (I know a lot have stevia or some other sweeteners already in the powder). So I’d recommend tasting the mix before adding any sweetener. But depending on if or how little you use, you might need to add extra liquid to get the consistency right.

The amount of protein will vary with the product used – what I use is 17 grams per 1/4 cup.

I also make a version of this with chocolate whey protein powder and coconut – omitting the lemon and using a few Tbl of water (or cold coffee or milk or milk substitute) instead of lemon juice. Once I used peanut butter and coconut flour with chocolate protein powder (but I’m guessing almond butter would be healthier…). The peanut butter ones came out a bit stickier, so I wonder about adding oats or some other something – maybe just more coconut (or almond) flour, but I haven’t made them again. They tasted good, but definitely not something to snack on while at a computer!

And once you get a feel for the consistency, anything could be used really. As I type this I’m thinking a dash of nutmeg in the chocolate ones might be nice, or chili pepper for those who like spicy chocolate. Maybe some chopped up dried tart cherries and toasted almond slivers, or dried raspberries, orange instead of lemon, mmm – lime instead of orange… I could go on all day. I think I’ll make some this afternoon and try out some different flavors.

If you try them, let us know what you think!