Cookie Dough Protein Balls Recipe
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This is a really wholesome way to indulge in a treat after dinner, or it’s a really indulgent way to eat something wholesome for brekky. (Yes, you can now enjoy cookie dough for breakfast!) Either way, a win-win. Make them. You won’t regret it.
You will need
Makes 20
- 270g (+/- 10g) medjool dates, pitted
- 1 1/2 cups (160g) rolled or quick oats
- 3/4 cup (90g) vegan vanilla protein powder (we love the brand Raw)
- 1/4 cup (60g) smooth almond butter
- 1/4 cup (65g) tahini*
- 1/2 cup (125g) almond milk
- 1/4 cup (45g) dairy-free dark choc chips
Recipe: Maggie
Photography: Rainbow Nourishments
Directions
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Step 1
Place the dates in a heat-safe bowl and cover them with boiling or hot water. Leave to soak for at least an hour, but not necessarily overnight as it can make them a bit too soggy.
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Step 2
Blitz the oats in a blender or food processor for a few seconds until they’re ground into oat flour, then set aside flour in a bowl. (You can skip this step if you want; it just creates a smoother, more dough-like end result, but it’s not critical.)
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Step 3
Add dates to the bowl of your food processor and blitz until a paste forms, probably 30–60 seconds. You’ll need to scrape down the sides of the bowl a few times to get it all blended smoothly.
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Step 4
Add almond butter, tahini, and almond milk to the date paste and process until evenly combined.
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Step 5
Add the oat flour (or oats if you skipped Step 2) and protein powder to the date mixture and process (you may want to start it on a lower speed) until it all combines to form a doughy texture. For softer cookie dough balls, add a dash of almond milk and process again. Or for firmer cookie dough balls, add more protein powder and process again.
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Step 6
Move your ‘dough’ from the food processor to a large mixing bowl. Add in chocolate chips (but if the dough has heated up from the processing, let it cool for a few minutes first) and mix to combine.
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Step 7
Spoon out 40–50g of the dough and roll it into a ball, then repeat this process with all your dough. Enjoy as a snack or dessert! Pop them in an airtight container in the fridge and they’ll keep for 7–10 days, or even longer if you store some in the freezer and thaw before eating.
Variation
While we like these best in doughy form, you can bake them to make them feel more like an indulgent cookie. Just note they won’t rise without baking powder, so form them into your desired disc shape then pop them in the oven (roughly 15 min at 180*C) and enjoy!
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Hot tip!
*I use hulled tahini, the lighter coloured one; unhulled will yield a slightier nuttier, earthier taste to the finished product.
Recipe: Maggie
Photography: Rainbow Nourishments
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