Cookie Dough Protein Balls

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Quarantine 2020 had me in the kitchen lots 👩🏼‍🍳 and this is one of the recipes I threw together out of boredom and curiousity!

They’re kind of a spin off of my most popular blog recipe: Easy Chickpea Cookie Dough. I’m a really big fan of anything cookie dough 🙂

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These come together in just a couple of minutes, and I suggest letting them chill for at least 30 minutes before eating them… if you can wait!

You can omit the protein powder if you don’t have any, but you’ll need to add extra oats or flax. You can add any “mix-ins” you want; you’re certainly not limited to chocolate! Chopped nuts, coconut, raisins, or anything else that you like.

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What you’ll need:

• 1 can (15-oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed

• 1/4 cup nut butter

• 2 TB ground flax

• 1/4 cup oats or oat flour

• 1 serving vanilla protein powder (this is the one I use)

• 1/4 cup maple syrup

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

• 1/4 tsp sea salt

• 1/2 cup chocolate chips or chunks

Directions:

1. Place drained and rinsed chickpeas into a food processor or high speed blender and pulse until smooth.

2. Place the rest of the ingredients except for the chocolate into the food processor or high speed blender and pulse until smooth and well combined. You may need to scrape down the sides periodically.

3. Transfer the dough into a bowl and fold in the chocolate (and anything else you want to add in).

4. Roll the dough into balls and place on a plate or baking sheet.

   • Note: I like to use about a 2 TB (1/8 cup) scoop when scooping the dough out of the bowl to roll.

5. Allow the balls to chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving for maximum palatability.

6. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer.

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Pumpkin Cookie Dough Hummus

I don’t know about you, but every time fall rolls around, I’m making a recipe like this at least once a week! It’s great any time of the year, but fall means ALL things pumpkin… right?

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This recipe makes a “hummus” texture, but see the recipe below to turn it into pumpkin chickpea cookie dough in one easy step!

In hummus form, spreading it on a mini Western Bagel pumpkin bagel is DREAMY.

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What you’ll need:

• 1 can chickpeas, rinsed & drained

• 1 cup pumpkin purée

• 1/4 cup nut butter

• 3 TB maple syrup

• 1/4 cup nut milk

• splash of vanilla extract

• generous sprinkling of cinnamon

• dash of pumpkin pie spice & sea salt

• optional: 1 scoop collagen peptides**

For a thicker consistency like chickpea cookie dough:

• add up to 1/2 cup of coconut flour and/or ground flax (pictured is the texture without these)

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Directions:

1. Blend everything in a high speed blender or food processor & adjust any liquid, sweetener, thickener, etc. as needed.

2. Stir in chocolate chips or other mix-ins & enjoy! Store in the fridge for up to one week.

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**Adding collagen peptides will not change the flavor or texture at all. It completely dissolves and will only add protein.

I use Further Food collagen; discount code FINDINGBALANCE!

If you’re unsure of what collagen is or does, I wrote a whole blog post about it and the benefits of taking it. READ IT HERE!

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Easy Chickpea Cookie Dough

Certainly one of my most popular recipes on Instagram is chickpea cookie dough. I’ve made countless versions, but this is a pretty simple base recipe that you can use to make a number of different flavor combinations!

It’s super easy, and I always just blend mine up in a high-speed blender.

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I added chocolate chunks, coconut, and crushed pistachios to this batch.

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what you’ll need:

• 1 can of chickpeas, rinsed

• 1/4 cup of nut butter

• 3-4 TB of maple syrup

• 1/2 cup milk of choice

• 1/4 cup of coconut flour (could also use almond flour)

• 1/4 cup of pecans (or cashews or almonds)

• dash of vanilla extract

• lots of cinnamon

• pinch of sea salt

• OPTIONAL: 2 scoops collagen peptides

  • This won’t change the taste or texture at all, it just adds some extra protein— good for your hair, skin, nails, joints, and even your gut.

    • I use Further Food and my discount code is FINDINGBALANCE

additional add-ins

• chocolate chips, chopped nuts, candy pieces, coconut, dried fruit, etc.

Directions:

1. Blend everything together, except for the pecans and additional add-ins, until smooth.

2. Add in the pecans and pulse until incorporated to your liking. (I usually pulse them into very small pieces)

3. Add in whatever extras your heart desires, and enjoy! Store covered in the fridge for up to a week… if it lasts that long :)

Notes: The dough tends to thicken in the fridge. Add more milk if necessary for desired consistency. If too much liquid is added, more flour or ground flaxseed can be used to absorb it. More flour can also be added for more of a “doughy” consistency.

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