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Lemon Poppy Seed Energy Bites

in Clean Eating· Fruit· Gluten Free· High Protein· Low Carb· Low Fat· Low Sugar· No Bake· Snacks· Sugar-Free· Vegan· Vegetarian· Video

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These no-bake energy bites taste like lemon poppy seed muffins — yet they’re low carb, lower calorie, and absolutely packed with protein! Perfect for snacks, breakfasts, a bright and sunshiny pick-me-up… And they’re really quick and easy to make!

 

no-bake lemon poppy seed energy bites in a small white bowl – easy lemon protein balls recipe – healthy, high protein, sugar free, gluten free, vegan, dairy free, and clean eating – made with vegan protein powder, oats, and no nut butter or honey

 
Guess what, guess what!

No, it isn’t my birthday… No, Santa Claus didn’t fall down my chimney… No, the sky isn’t falling…

In exactly one week, baseball season starts!  

I love baseball as much as baking (maybe even a touch more… shh, don’t tell my recipes that!), so this is my favorite time of the year. The sun shines a little longer, the air feels a little warmer, the grass grows a little taller, and the stadium gates open for the first time since October. Happy days!
 

no-bake lemon poppy seed energy bites sitting on a wooden tabletop surrounded by stray poppy seeds – easy lemon protein balls recipe – healthy, high protein, sugar free, gluten free, vegan, dairy free, and clean eating – made with vegan protein powder, oats, and no nut butter or honey

 
Although my dad and I are just 8 stadiums away from completing our MLB ballpark tour (we started the list when I was 11 as a special father-daughter adventure!), my parents bought season tickets again this year, so nearly every other weekend, you’ll find me in my home-away-from home above the visitor’s dugout, in the dark green stadium seats even with the bag at third base.

Before every game, I stuff my oversized purse with the essentials: sunscreen, water bottles, hair ties, pencils, my scorebook, and snacks. Since Dad and I always arrive at the ballpark extremely early to watch batting practice, the entire outing lasts 6-8 hours, depending on whether the game heads into extra innings, so I pack as much food as I can carry!
 

no-bake lemon poppy seed energy bites sitting on a wooden tabletop surrounded by stray poppy seeds, with one missing a bite to reveal the soft texture inside – easy lemon protein balls recipe – healthy, high protein, sugar free, gluten free, vegan, dairy free, and clean eating – made with vegan protein powder, oats, and no nut butter or honey

 
Even though concession stands circle around the entire stadium on both levels, their healthier options are extremely limited. Dad doesn’t mind chowing down on loaded sausages or BBQ brisket, but me… I prefer fruit, veggies, and leaner protein. These lemon poppy seed energy bites are one of the best homemade ballpark snacks for me!

And not just because they’re yellow-themed, like my home team’s colors. Each serving boasts over 17 grams of protein and less than 150 calories! How’d I do it?
 

no-bake lemon poppy seed energy bites in a small white bowl sitting on top of a pastel blue linen – easy lemon protein balls recipe – healthy, high protein, sugar free, gluten free, vegan, dairy free, and clean eating – made with vegan protein powder, oats, and no nut butter or honey

 

INGREDIENTS TO MAKE LEMON POPPY SEED ENERGY BITES

Simple: my favorite vanilla protein powder from PlantFusion. It’s gluten-free, sugar-free, vegan, and clean-eating friendly — so these lemon energy balls are all of those things too! I haven’t tested the recipe with other protein powders, so you may need to tweak the ingredients if you use another brand. Not all protein powders absorb equally. If the bites seem too wet, add extra protein powder. If they’re too dry, add a touch more water.

Tip: I’ve shared lots more about working with and substituting protein powders on my Protein Powder FAQ page!

While the protein powder makes up the majority of the dry ingredients, you’ll also add some oats to provide a little chew and heartier texture. Use gluten-free oats for gluten-free energy bites, if necessary. And don’t forget the poppy seeds in your dry ingredients either!
 

no-bake lemon poppy seed energy bites sitting on a wooden tabletop with a small white bowl holding more energy bites in the background – easy lemon protein balls recipe – healthy, high protein, sugar free, gluten free, vegan, dairy free, and clean eating – made with vegan protein powder, oats, and no nut butter or honey

 
To add a touch of sweetness, I mixed a small amount of Truvia into these lemon energy balls. It’s a granular zero-calorie sweetener that’s completely sugar-free. This recipe is easily adaptable though, so you’re welcome to try substituting your preferred sweetener! I’ve shared tips about how to do that in the Notes section of the recipe.

The bites are held together with equal amounts of freshly squeezed lemon juice and water. That’s almost too easy, isn’t it? No nut butters, no nuts, no chia seeds, no coconut oil — just lots of lemon juice. It provides some of the bright sunshiny flavor, but the lemon zest adds the majority. Don’t skip it! The zest from one medium lemon goes into the mix, and if you prefer a really tangy taste, go ahead and add the zest from a second one too.
 

no-bake lemon poppy seed energy bites sitting on a wooden tabletop with the ball in front missing a bite to reveal the soft texture inside – easy lemon protein balls recipe – healthy, high protein, sugar free, gluten free, vegan, dairy free, and clean eating – made with vegan protein powder, oats, and no nut butter or honey

 

HOW TO MAKE LEMON POPPY SEED ENERGY BITES

These no-bake lemon energy bites are incredibly easy to make. The “hardest” part is measuring the ingredients — or not sneaking multiple taste tests straight from the bowl!

First, mix together the dry ingredients. Next, pour in the water and lemon juice. Stir everything together until fully combined, gently shape into spheres, and refrigerate until you’re ready to eat. Yup, that’s all there is to it!

Tip: The mixture tends to be a bit sticky and moist, so you may need to lightly “squish” it into a ball-like shape, rather than rolling it between your palms like cookie dough.
 

 
Now just 7 days and 6 recipes to test for my cookbook until I can enjoy these energy bites during long, lazy afternoons at the ballpark!

And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! 🙂 ) I’d love to see your lemon poppy seed energy bites!

These healthy lemon poppy seed energy bites are SO easy to make! They have 17g+ of protein & taste just like muffins! This recipe for healthy no bake protein balls is made with oats, no sugar, and naturally gluten free & vegan. A great low calorie snack — or even breakfast!

Lemon Poppy Seed Energy Bites

© Amy's Healthy Baking
Yields: 28 bites
These energy bites taste like classic lemon poppy seed muffins, but they’re much faster and easier to make! Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 6 days.
5 from 11 votes
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Ingredients 

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, combined the protein powder, oats, poppy seeds, Truvia, and lemon zest. Add in the lemon juice and water, stirring until fully incorporated. Shape the mixture into 28 small spheres, and place into a Tupperware container. Seal and store in the refrigerator until ready to eat.

Notes

IMPORTANT PROTEIN POWDER NOTES – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: This recipe was specifically designed for PlantFusion vanilla bean protein powder. I buy it here. Many protein powders behave differently, especially when it comes to absorbing moisture. If you substitute a different plant-based protein powder, you may need to add more protein powder if the dough is too wet -OR- more water if the dough is too dry.
 
Do NOT substitute whey-based protein powder. The mixture will be too sticky to roll into balls and won't set properly.
 
For more tips, questions, and answers (including substitutions!), see my Protein Powder Recipes: Tips & FAQ Page.
 
OAT ALTERNATIVES: Instant oats (gluten-free, if necessary) may be substituted for the old-fashioned rolled oats. Instant oats are also called "quick-cooking" or "one-minute" oats. Do not substitute steel-cut oats.
 
POPPY SEED NOTE: If you're not a fan, you can easily omit the poppy seeds. No modifications necessary!
 
TRUVIA NOTES + ALTERNATIVES: I use this Truvia. It's a granular zero-calorie sweetener. You can easily adjust the amount to suit your tastes!
 
Any granulated sweetener may be used instead of Truvia.
 
If using liquid sweetener, add it along with the lemon juice and water instead. You may need to decrease the water by a similar amount. (For example, substitute 1 tablespoon of honey for the Truvia, and decrease the water to 5 tablespoons.)
 
LEMON NOTES: For the best results, use lemons that are pure yellow with no green spots. (If you can find Meyer lemons, rather than regular lemons, I highly recommend them!) For a more prominent lemon taste, add the zest from the second lemon as well.
 
Measure the lemon juice using tablespoons or mL — not by "two medium" lemons. Not all medium lemons are the exact same size!
 
EGG-FREE, DAIRY-FREE + VEGAN OPTION: No modifications necessary!
 
GLUTEN-FREE OPTION: Use certified gluten-free old-fashioned rolled oats or certified gluten-free instant oats.
 
HOW TO STORE: Store these energy bites in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They should keep for up to 6 days.
 
{gluten-free, vegan, dairy-free, egg-free, clean eating, low fat, low calorie, low carb, high protein}
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?I'd love to hear what you think of it in a comment below! If you take a picture, tag @amys.healthy.baking on Instagram or use the hashtag #amyshealthybaking.

View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
 
 
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡  Dark Chocolate Strawberry Energy Bites
♡  Oatmeal Raisin Energy Bites
♡  Chocolate Fig Energy Bites
♡  Lemon Poppy Seed Protein Muffins
♡  Lemon Poppy Seed Protein Cookies
♡   …and the rest of Amy’s high protein energy bite recipes!

no-bake lemon poppy seed energy bites – easy lemon protein balls recipe – healthy, high protein, sugar free, gluten free, vegan, dairy free, and clean eating – made with vegan protein powder, oats, and no nut butter or honey
no-bake lemon poppy seed energy bites – easy lemon protein balls recipe – healthy, high protein, sugar free, gluten free, vegan, dairy free, and clean eating – made with vegan protein powder, oats, and no nut butter or honey

 

 

Comments

  1. These sound great! Do you think it would work to substitute chia seeds for poppy seeds? I have a GIANT bag! 🙂

    Reply

    • Thanks Erin! Substituting chia seeds for poppy seeds in this recipe may be slightly tricky. Chia seeds absorb lots of liquid, whereas poppy seeds do not. (Hence why it’s possible to make “chia seed pudding” and not a poppy seed equivalent!) You’d probably need to play around with increasing the amount of water so the bites don’t turn out really dry and crumbly. If you try it with chia seeds, I’d love to hear how the energy bites turn out!

      Reply

    • Wish the note about not being able to substitute the protein powder was higher up! Only read that when I had a bowl of mush that wouldn’t set…

      Reply

      • Some other readers who accidentally used whey-based protein powder added some almond milk and created overnight oats out of theirs! Maybe that would be a good option for you, too. 🙂 If you’re looking for treats to make with your whey-based protein powder, I’d recommend my protein muffins and protein cookies. I also hope you’re able to find plant-based protein powder and retry the energy bites!

        Reply

        • I’m really sorry but I have to say this- with all the ads on your website it makes your page really slow and hard to scroll through…I won’t be coming back.

          Reply

          • I appreciate your interest in my recipes Courtney! The ads are what keep them free for anyone to use. If I didn’t have the ads, I’ve have to charge people a few dollars just to view a single recipe. With over 1,200 recipes on my site, that would get to be quite costly! 😉 I’d much rather continue to keep my recipes free to you to use instead, but I completely understand if you aren’t interested in coming back. Happy baking! 🙂

  2. I love that tradition that you have with your dad 🙂 I’m not really huge on baseball (might be because I’m Canadian!), but me and my dad definitely share a special bond over hockey. And I’m totally with you on needing to pack a -tonne- of food when I leave the house. Nothing worse than getting caught out with nothing to eat!

    Reply

    • Thanks Amanda! Funny enough, my guy and I love hockey too. We don’t travel around to arenas like I do with my dad for baseball, but we love going to see our local team play! 🙂

      Reply

  3. Yep, Just like Erin-I have a giant bag of Chia seeds -too! OK to sub? Or would you need a mixture of both? Or just Poppyseeds only -best?

    Reply

    • Poppy seeds are best for this recipe. Chia seeds absorb lots of liquid, whereas poppy seeds do not. (Hence why it’s possible to make “chia seed pudding” and not a poppy seed equivalent!) You’d probably need to play around with increasing the amount of water so the bites don’t turn out really dry and crumbly. If you try it with chia seeds or a mix of both, I’d love to hear how the energy bites turn out!

      Reply

    • I can guarantee that these keep for a week in the fridge Amy, but I ate all of them during that timeframe and don’t know from personal experience if they’ll last longer! 😉

      Reply

    • All of that is included in the Nutrition Information beneath the recipe Karen! I hope you enjoy the energy bites!

      Reply
5 from 11 votes

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