Last weekend, it felt as if an entire ocean’s worth of water fell from the sky. Rain steadily poured down for hours on end with no sign of stopping, and partway through the afternoon, my mom and I decided to brave the weather to drive to a town half an hour away so I could buy new workout shoes.
(Did you see that on my @AmyBakesHealthy Snapchat? So many brands and colors and options… It makes life really difficult for an indecisive person like me!)
After an hour of trying on different shoes and finally realizing I’d have to order my favorite pair online (that’s typically what happens when you have such small feet!), we hopped back on the freeway, windshield wipers swishing back and forth so fast they nearly threatened to fly off, slowly inching our way towards home along with all of the other cars.
As we eased off the exit ramp, the raindrops slowed to a drizzle, and I commented to my mom that those grays skies and light sprinkle brought back memories from our family vacation to England… And that reminded me of Harry Potter!
Yes, I’m a huge fan… Yes, I’ve read all of the books and seen all of the movies too many times to count… Yes, I think there’s such a thing as “Harry Potter weather…” But surely I can’t be the only one??
We decided to watch the 6th Harry Potter movie later that evening, but Target, Walmart, and Best Buy nearly foiled our plan—none of those stores had the DVD in stock! Netflix lacked it too, so we settled on paying to stream it from Amazon. Although we hit a snag with internet issues during the first few minutes—our Wi-Fi always seems to flicker a lot during storms!—it quickly resolved, and we enjoyed the next two and a half hours of magic spells and British accents.
We sort of forgot how long the movie lasted… So much for going to bed early the night before Daylight Savings time started!
The next morning, we all woke up a little groggy and somewhat sleepy, but these Brownie Batter Energy Bites made it much easier to get through the day! They taste just like my favorite fudgy dark chocolate brownies (have you tried my slow cooker version yet??), but they take much less time to make… And they’re packed with more than 13g of protein!
That’s my kind of snack!
The rich chocolaty flavor comes from unsweetened cocoa powder. Yes, that’s it! Just regular ol’ cocoa powder. No need to buy Dutched or special dark! Because you’ll add a full 6 tablespoons, the bites already have a really rich dark chocolate flavor without using those two special types.
This healthy snack gets its big protein boost from one of my favorite protein powders, Bob’s Red Mill soy protein isolate. (I make this smoothie with it every morning!) I love it because it only contains one ingredient (soy protein), unlike many other protein powders out there that also have added artificial flavors or sweeteners. That soy protein is also virtually flavorless, so it’s the perfect backdrop and really lets the dark chocolate flavor shine!
You’ll also use a little coconut flour to help hold the bites together. Coconut flour is about three times as absorbent as any other flour, so you won’t use very much… But it’s incredibly important to measure it correctly, using either the spoon and level method or a kitchen scale. I highly recommend the latter, and this is the inexpensive one that I own and use every day. Too much coconut flour will make the mixture very dry and crumbly instead decadently fudgy. And we’re definitely aiming for the latter!
To sweeten these bites, you’ll use my new favorite ingredient: vanilla crème stevia. Stevia is a plant-based, no-calorie sweetener that’s clean eating friendly, and it’s very concentrated. A little goes a long way! I buy this brand, which comes in a small bottle with an eyedropper, because I love its warm vanilla flavor. You can find it at many health-oriented grocery stores, as well as online. (And you’ll use it in all of these recipes of mine too!)
Who’s ready to eat? And when you do, be sure to snap a picture of your energy bites and share them with me on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking. I’d love to see them!
| Brownie Batter Energy Bites | | Print |
- ½ cup (40g) soy protein isolate (measured like this)
- 6 tbsp (30g) unsweetened cocoa powder (measured like this)
- 3 tbsp (21g) coconut flour (measured like this)
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¾ cup + 1 tbsp (195mL) unsweetened cashew milk
- 1 tsp vanilla crème stevia, or to taste
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the soy protein isolate, cocoa powder, coconut flour, and salt. Make a well in the center. Pour in the cashew milk and vanilla crème stevia, and stir until just incorporated.
- Carefully shape the mixture into spheres, and place them onto the prepared baking sheet. Transfer to an airtight container, and refrigerate.
Any milk may be substituted for the cashew milk.
Any sweetener may be substituted in place of the vanilla crème stevia. However, you may need to adjust the amount of coconut flour or soy protein if the dough is too wet OR more milk if the dough is too dry. You’ll need the equivalent of ½ cup of granulated sugar.
If you prefer to make bars instead of bites, line a 9x5” loaf pan with parchment paper (see the photos in this blog post). After Step 2, press the mixture into the lined pan, and chill for at least 3 hours before slicing into 6 bars.
For more tips and answers to all other questions, including substitutions, see my Protein Powder Recipes: Tips & FAQ page.
{gluten-free, vegan, clean eating, low fat, low calorie, high protein, sugar-free}
Because my feet are so small too I often have to buy stuff online. I posted a similar recipe recently, energy bites are so versatile, I love it how you can customise with your favourite flavours.
I’m so glad I’m not the only one with small feet issues Mariana! It can be so frustrating to go shoe shopping at regular brick-and-mortar stores… 😉
I have some good dark chocolate protein powder. It is mostly soy. I wonder if it would be possible to use it in this recipe, and add more in place of the cocoa powder, or adjust liquid? (I have a sensitivity to cocoa powder…) Thanks. These look delicious.
Note: I have successfully used this protein powder in your chocolate chip cookie dough bars. I love those!
If it’s mostly soy and doesn’t contain whey, and if you’ve been able to use it in my chocolate chip cookie dough bars, then I think it should work just fine here! You may need to adjust the liquid, as you mentioned, but it should only be a minor tweak. I’d love to hear what you try and how the energy bites turn out Shawna! 🙂
I was wondering if it’s possible to use a whey protein instead? I have thyroid issues and soy is a no no. Thank you!
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe, Pam! I’ve actually covered this already in the Notes section of the recipe located directly under the Instructions, as well as my Protein Powder FAQ Page (it’s also linked to in the Notes section!). It can be easy to miss! 😉 I’d love to hear what you think if you try these energy bites!
OMG! I just made these, and they are quite possibly the richest, most chocolate-y things I have ever eaten – and they’re healthy, too! I used plant based vanilla protein powder, white whole wheat flour, only 3/4 cup milk, and 1/2 cup granulated sugar. Thank you so much for this AMAZING recipe! I will definitely be trying out some of your other energy bite recipes soon!
I’m so glad you loved these energy bites Lauren! I’m definitely a big fan of healthy + extra chocolaty recipes! 😉 That means so much to me that you’d consider trying my other energy bite recipes too. I’m really honored! 🙂
Hi so are the calories the amount per serving size or per 1 ball?? Is it 83 calories for 5 balls or 1 ball
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Cassie! The full nutrition information, which answers your question, is actually included directly underneath the recipe. I know it can be really easy to miss that! 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think of these energy bites if you try making them!