Fuel your day with these double chocolate banana protein energy bites! Packed with protein, healthy fats and tons of fiber, these energy bites will give you the flavors you crave without any of the junk! Vegan, gluten free, allergy friendly.
Dave and I recently moved cross county from Austin, TX to Wilmington, NC. We had just made a similar trip a year ago and knew how hard it was going to be to travel 20+ hours with a dog and 2 cats in the car with us. Add to that the fact that Dave has some serious food allergies and I’m picky about where I get my food.
So that meant we needed to pack healthy food for the road instead. I knew I wanted to make energy bites and had a bag of freeze dried bananas that were calling my name. In the process of making these double chocolate banana protein energy bites, I was constantly tasting the recipe to make sure it was going to turn out correctly. I finished rolling out the energy bites when I finally decided that the recipe was perfect and there were only 12-13 energy bites. I had eaten so much of the mixture I had to make a second batch!
The combination of dates, cacao, protein powder and those little freeze dried bananas is addicting to say the least. I had to really control my urge to eat them all every time I went into the fridge on the days leading up to our trip.
It was really important to me that these energy bites not only be delicious but also packed with nutrition. The sunflower seeds provide a healthy fat, the dates provide a good carbohydrate source that is quick to be utilized by the body but is also filled with vitamins, minerals and fiber. The protein powder was absolutely a must since I wanted to be sure these were going to be filling, satisfying but also help us get our protein in for the day. I hate when I find a protein bar at Whole Foods and the protein content is like 2. Talk about a major sugar crash waiting to happen.
Compared to store bought protein bars, I highly suggest making your own energy bites instead. Some of my favorites are carrot cake energy bites and red velvet protein bites. This way you get to control the ingredients, the flavors, and the portion size! These double chocolate protein energy bites are a little bit decadent with the addition of mini chocolate chips (I use the Enjoy Life brand) but you could also add roasted cacao nibs to keep the added sugar to a minimum.
These double chocolate banana protein energy bites are perfect for a post workout snack or an afternoon pick me up. Much better than anything you will get out of the office vending machine! And they are chocolate and super rich, so you will feel like you are having a pretty indulging snack (that just happens to be healthy).
I use a vegan protein powder in this recipe. It’s allergy friendly and tastes amazing. If you have never tried vegan protein powder, it tends to be a little more dense than whey and is great to bake with since it doesn’t dry out the recipe like whey tends to. However, if you decide to make this with a whey protein or collagen peptides, you could also add in 2-3 tbs. of coconut flour to offset the dense quality of the vegan protein powder.
Double Chocolate Banana Protein Energy Bites
Ingredients
- 1 cup roasted sunflower seeds
- 6-7 medjool dates pits removed
- ½ cup water
- 1 tbs. chia seeds
- 2 scoop chocolate protein powder
- 2 tbs. raw cacao
- ¼ cup enjoy life mini chocolate chips
- ¼ cup freeze dried banana chopped
Instructions
- In the food processor combine the sunflower seeds and pitted dates. Process until sunflower seeds resemble coarse sand (1 minute)
- Add water and chia seeds and process again, 10 seconds to combine.
- Add protein powder and raw cacao and process until completely incorporated.
- Remove from food processor and add to a large bowl. Stir in chocolate chips and chopped dehydrated banana slices.
- Roll into balls, about 2 tbs. each. Store in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 5 days.
Nutrition
Donna @ Modern on Monticello
These would be a great snack to fuel up during a long day at work. Thanks for sharing at #HomeMattersParty
Theresa
I need to make a batch of these. Thanks for sharing at the Inspiration Spotlight party. Pinned & sharing.
Helen at the Lazy Gastronome
This is the kind of thing I like in the afternoons – a great, healthy pick me up! Thanks for sharing at the What’s for Dinner party!
Miz Helen
Your Protein Energy Bites look awesome! Thanks so much for sharing with us at Full Plate Thursday,we are so happy to have you join us. Have a wonderful week and come back to see us real soon!
Miz Helen
Jodie
Looking YUMMY!
Hope you join us at Reader tip Tuesday (open & growing all week)
http://www.jodiefitz.com/2017/09/12/reader-tip-tuesday-weeks-craft-recipe-party-3/
Annmarie
Did someone say double chocolate?! YUM and yes please 🙂