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!
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!
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?
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!
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.
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!
Lemon Poppy Seed Energy Bites
Ingredients
- 3 scoops (90g) PlantFusion vanilla bean protein powder (see Notes!)
- ½ cup (50g) old-fashioned rolled oats (gluten-free, if necessary)
- 1 tbsp (9g) poppy seeds
- ½ tbsp (7g) Truvia
- 1 tsp freshly grated lemon zest (about one medium)
- 6 tbsp (90mL) freshly squeezed lemon juice (about two medium)
- 6 tbsp (90mL) water
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
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!
These look amazing! I’m hoping to make them soon… can I use any kind of vanilla protein powder or would it mess with the consistency? Thank you!
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe, Sonya! I’ve actually covered this in detail in the Notes section of the recipe (located directly underneath the Instructions!), as well as my Protein Powder FAQ Page. There’s a link to that FAQ Page in the Notes section too. I know it can be easy to miss though! 😉 I’d love to hear what you think of these energy bites if you try making them!
Trivia and other artificial sweeteners give me migraines. What would you suggest as an alternative?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe, Angela! I’ve already touched upon this in the Notes section of the recipe (located directly underneath the Instructions!). I know it can be easy to miss though! 😉 I’d love to hear what you think of these energy bites if you try making them!
Any thoughts on making these with an unflavored protein powder? Maybe adding a tiny bit more sweetener and some vanilla extract? I have a plain plant based protein powder and are worried these won’t taste very good without that extra vanilla flavor and sweetness the flavored powders provide
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe, Marisa!
If your protein powder is unflavored, then yes — I’d definitely recommend adding more sweetener. The protein powder that I used has a fairly sweet taste, so you’d probably need the equivalent of a few more tablespoons of Truvia to compensate.
The vanilla flavor from the protein powder isn’t too strong compared to the flavor from the lemons, but you could easily add a bit of vanilla extract if you’d like!
I’d also recommend reviewing my Protein Powder FAQ Page before beginning (if you haven’t already!), just because all protein powders tend to behave differently in recipes like this. There’s a link to that FAQ Page in the bottom of this recipe’s Notes section! 🙂
I’d love to hear how your energy bites turn out if you do end up making them!
I used collagen peptide protein powder (90g) and it didn’t set at all. I ended up adding all purpose g/f flour and baked it in the oven haha. Any thoughts as to why they didn’t set? I saw you also said whey protein wouldn’t set and I’m pretty new to baking so I’m just curious.. what makes the whey protein (and likely the collagen) unable to set in this?
Oh jeez I just realized you have a whole protein powder FAQ section. I’m on it! 🙂
It means a lot that you tried my recipe, Miranda! Collagen-based protein powders behave more like whey-based powders than plant-based ones, so that substitution would be why your energy bites didn’t set. However, you already have a great baker’s intuition — popping the mixture in the oven is what I would’ve suggested to do! 😉 I hope you at least enjoyed their flavor!
I made these last night for my family and they are SO GOOD. Both my husband and my kids loved them. I will definitely be making these again.
Thank you!
I’m so happy to hear you loved these energy bites, Sonya! Thanks for taking the time to let us know. It really means a lot! 🙂
Would they still come out if you happen to use honey or maple syrup instead of the truvia?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe, Tammy! I’ve actually covered how to do this in the Notes section of the recipe (located directly underneath the Instructions). I know it can be easy to miss though! 😉 Just decrease the water by the same amount of honey or maple syrup that you add, like the Notes section says, and your energy bites should have a similar consistency. I’m excited to hear what you think of them!
Just wanted to drop a quick note to say thank you for this fabulous recipe! Your lemon poppy seed energy bites are an absolute game-changer for my snack routine. Not only are they bursting with zesty lemon flavor, but they also provide the perfect boost of energy to power through my busy days. I love how simple they are to make and how convenient they are to grab on the go.
I’m so happy you like these energy bites, Manu! These really are the best snacks to have on hand! Thanks so much for taking the time to share! 🙂
I am trying to understand what I must have done wrong because if this made 28 balls they would have to be the size of a dime.
It means a lot that you tried our recipe, Julie! That sounds disappointing and not the expected size of these energy bites! I’d love to help you troubleshoot to find out why you might not be able to get the same serving size as the recipe suggests. In order to do so, we have a few questions for you!
Have you watched the video included on this page? That might give you a good idea of size reference for how big these energy bites are when we have made them!
Did you make any substitutions or modifications to the recipe, including those listed in the Notes section?
Did you use the same protein powder that we did? If not, what’s the exact one (brand + product name!) that you substituted?
If you used a different protein powder, did you measure it by scoops or grams?
Did you use a kitchen scale or measuring cups/spoons for the rest of the ingredients?
Can you describe the consistency of the mixture before rolling it into balls? Was it fluffy and sticky? Wet and runny? Something else?
The energy bites should be around ¾” in diameter — bigger than a dime but smaller than a bouncy ball (or the gumball or jawbreaker candies often found in arcades!).
I know I just asked a LOT of questions, but we’ll have a much better idea of the culprit once we know your answers to all of them!
I would luv to try these lemon poppyseed bites but without protein powder , any suggestions, I luv the idea of lemon and poppyseed.
We really appreciate your interest in this recipe, Lois! I love lemon and poppy seed together, too…such a great combination!
This energy bites recipe was specifically designed for protein powder. Since we haven’t personally tried omitting the protein powder and/or replacing it with any substitutions would turn out, I can’t really say how it would turn out and wouldn’t want to lead you astray.
If you’re just looking for a recipe with the lemon and poppy seed flavor, we have several options that don’t require protein powder that you can find here. I’d love to hear if you decide to try any of these recipes!
Just wondering if they can be frozen
We really appreciate your interest in this recipe, Jennifer! We haven’t personally tried freezing these so I’m not sure and wouldn’t want to lead you astray. If you’re worried about not consuming them quick enough, you can definitely halve the recipe. It’s easy to do and works really well for these energy bites!
If you do decide to try making a full batch (or multiple batches) and freezing some, we would be very eager to hear how it works!