While I was growing up, we didn’t keep a whole lot of chocolate in our household. This wasn’t because my parents were super healthy eaters, but because my mum is allergic to caffeine (and therefore chocolate) and nuts. There were two times of year however, where plenty of chocolate made its way in. These occasions were Easter and Halloween.
Most years, I’d go trick or treating with my sister who is 3 years younger than me. Once we got home, we went through the process of dumping all our treasures out onto the living room floor and sorting into various categories – chocolate, gummies/sour things, licorice (promptly discarded and given to my mum), and trades. The last category was currency for swaps.
Somehow – and perhaps this is because of my older sister superpowers – I always seemed to manage to win the majority of the Reese’s peanut butter cups in these bargaining sessions. It’s always been a favourite, and I know I’m not alone in this. It’s very hard to go wrong with chocolate and peanut butter!
These Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Protein Bites are my lower-maintenance version of Reese’s PB cups. With simple ingredients, they come together in just 10 minutes and are a perfect healthy-ish indulgence to satisfy a craving for something decadent. The recipe makes 12, and I highly recommend storing your leftovers in the freezer because I think you’ll find they’re rather addictive! ?
PrintPeanut Butter Chocolate Chip Protein Bites
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 12 balls 1x
Description
Chocolate and peanut butter: a combination that you just can’t go wrong with! Make these Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Protein Bites next time you need a healthy-ish sweet treat.
Ingredients
- 3 chopped pitted Medjool dates
- 3/4 cup gluten-free rolled oats
- 1/4 cup chocolate Vega Sport Performance Protein (or your fave chocolate protein powder)
- 2 tbsp raw cacao powder
- 2–4 tbsp water, added as needed
- 1/2 cup natural peanut butter
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 cup dairy-free chocolate chips, chopped dark chocolate or cacao nibs
- pinch of sea salt
Instructions
- Chop the dates into small pieces and set them in a bowl of warm water for about 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, whirl the oats and protein powder in a food processor until it resembles a flour. Pour it into a large bowl.
- Discard the water from the dates and place them in the food processor. Pulse/process until they’re as broken down as you can get them.
- Add back to the processor half of the oat flour mixture, plus all remaining ingredients except for the chocolate chips. Process on low, then on high, until a mixture with cookie dough-like consistency forms. Add a tablespoon or two of water as necessary to keep the dough from getting too dry.
- Depending on the size of your food processor, you can either add the remaining flour to the jug and continue processing, or transfer the contents of the jug to your larger bowl and mix until evenly incorporated.
- Fold in the chocolate chips and pinch of sea salt.
- Wrap the dough in a ball and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.
- Roll into 12 balls and enjoy!
Notes
The protein powder type and quantity that you use will affect how much water you’ll want to add to keep the dough moist. As described above, it should have a cookie dough-like consistency and after refrigerating, should be very easy to handle. If the dough gets too wet, simply adjust by adding a little more oat flour. If it’s too dry, add 1 tbsp water at a time. (A little goes a long way!)
- Prep Time: 10 mins (+ chill time)
- Category: snack, dessert, gluten free, dairy free, vegan, vegetarian, high protein, chocolate, nuts, protein powder
- Method: no bake
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So tell me… what’s your favourite chocolate or candy?
Hi Angela, I’m always on the hunt for great protein bites to keep me energized during the day. Thanks for sharing this recipe! These look delicious! I was just wondering if you’ve tried these bites with honey instead of the maple syrup? I sometimes make that substitute, and sometimes it works out, and sometimes not so much 🙂
★★★★★
Hi Kenneth! Great question. Yes, you can absolutely use honey here. I made my second batch using honey and it turned out almost exactly the same consistency-wise. Taste-wise, I didn’t notice much of a difference either as the chocolate and peanut butter flavours definitely dominate (and that’s not a bad thing at all!) I’d love to hear how you get on with these. 🙂