These strawberry protein bites are the perfect healthy snack to meal prep for the week. They’re made with simple ingredients like almond flour, protein powder and sweetened with honey.
My lemon bliss balls are such a staple weekday snack of mine, but these strawberry protein bites may just give them a run for their money.
They’re made with simple ingredients like almond flour, protein powder, honey and freeze dried strawberries.
Since they’re sweetened with honey and not dates, there is no fancy equipment needed, just a bowl and a spoon!
They’re great for a post workout snack, healthy dessert, or alongside your morning cup of coffee or golden milk latte if you aren’t a coffee fan! Try my chickpea blondies next!
Why you’ll love this recipe
- 7 grams of protein per serving
- Vegan friendly
- Gluten free & paleo
- Healthy and easy to make
- Freezer friendly
Key ingredients
ALMOND FLOUR. Almond flour will help bulk up these protein bites and add some healthy fats so they’re filling. If you want a nut free option, I’d suggest trying oat flour. Start with 1 cup and adjust as needed.
PROTEIN POWDER. I used a vanilla pea protein powder, but you can use whey if you prefer. I suggest sticking with either vanilla or strawberry flavored protein powder.
FREEZE DRIED STRAWBERRIES. This is where the delicious strawberry flavor will come from! I used freeze dried strawberries that I crushed up with a meat tenderizer, but you can also pulse them in a blender or food processor.
CASHEW BUTTER. Cashew butter works best here because it has a mild flavor, but if you don’t have that, you can try almond butter. For a nut free option, sunflower seed butter is your best bet!
MILK. Just a bit of non-dairy milk will help mix all the ingredients together. You can use regular dairy milk as well! I used vanilla almond milk because thats what I happened to have on hand.
HONEY. Honey will help naturally sweeten up these protein bites. If you want these to be vegan, just swap with maple syrup.
SALT & VANILLA. These help round out the flavors! You can also add in a little bit of almond extract which will give this a bit of a strawberry shortcake flavor.
How to make strawberry protein energy bites
First, crush the freeze dried strawberries. I like to add them to a ziplock bag and beat with a meat tenderizer, but you can also add them to a food processor or blender.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the almond flour, strawberries, protein powder and salt.
Add in all remaining ingredients and mix until smooth. If the dough is too dry, mix in more milk, if it’s too wet, add in a bit more strawberries.
Use 1 – 1 1/2 tablespoons and scoop into balls. Roll in a mix of shredded coconut and more crushed freeze dried strawberries.
Enjoy immediately or set in the fridge to firm up.
How to store and freeze
Once prepared, these strawberry protein bites will keep for about 2 weeks in the fridge. You can store them at room temperature for up to 1 week, but I prefer the texture in the fridge. Plus, they’ll last longer that way!
You can also freeze these protein balls. Just keep in a freezer safe container for up to 2 months. They will obviously get quite firm in the freezer, so just let them sit out at room temperature for about 15 minutes before enjoying.
Can I use collagen instead of protein powder?
My personal preference is to use a stevia sweetened pea protein because it adds a natural sweetness. Collagen powder doesn’t absorb wet ingredients quite the same way protein powder does, but you can definitely use it if you prefer.
I suggest just a plain collagen powder, start with 1/4 cup as usual and add more in if needed to absorb the wet ingredients and thicken the mixture.
Are protein balls healthy?
It totally depends on the ingredients! These strawberry protein bites are sweetened with just honey and have no weird ingredients in them, so I would definitely say they’re healthy.
They have 7 grams of protein and 2 grams of fiber per serving to help keep you full!
More high protein recipes!
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Strawberry Protein Energy Bites
by: claire cary
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cup almond flour
- ¾ cup crushed freeze dried strawberries
- ¼ cup vanilla protein powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ⅓ cup cashew butter
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 tablespoons almond milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Optional: 1-2 tablespoons strawberry jam
Instructions
- First, crush the freeze dried strawberries. I like to add them to a ziplock bag and beat with a meat tenderizer, but you can also add them to a food processor or blender.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the almond flour, strawberries, protein powder and salt.
- Add in all remaining ingredients and mix until smooth.
- If the dough is too dry, mix in more milk, if it's too wet, add in a bit more of the crushed strawberries.
- Taste and if you want a richer and sweeter flavor, add in about 2 tablespoons of strawberry jam.
- Use 1 – 1 1/2 tablespoons and scoop into balls. I like these cookie scoops.
- Roll in a mix of shredded coconut and more crushed freeze dried strawberries.
- Enjoy immediately or set in the fridge to firm up.
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