Chocolate Chip Cashew Cookie Dough Protein Bites

That’s quite the mouthful of a recipe name, isn’t it? Trust me – this is a gooooood one.

I know what you’re thinking.

“Whaaat?!” A Sunday post? Ange never posts on Sundays!”

I know, I know! But if we’re friends on Instagram, you’ve probably seen me post smoothies and snacks every Sunday for a looooong time, so I figured, “why not give those delicious recipes their own blog posts?” And thus, this little feature came to be.

I always love to ask you guys what kind of recipes you’re looking for, and one of the recent requests was for some protein balls that could be treated as a snack or dessert. You know, a sweet tooth satisfier that totally tastes decadent and dreamy, but isn’t full of rubbish that you know isn’t going to make you feel good? That’s what we’ve got here – healthy dessert, 100% real food goodness, and a process that’s SO ridiculously easy.

On Friday I did a quick poll to find out which of three flavours appealed to my Insta friends most. The choices:

Poll time! I’ve been experimenting with some new protein ball/energy bite flavours and I’m wondering… if you had to pick one, which would it be? 1️⃣ coconut carrot cake ? 2️⃣ chocolate chip cashew cookie dough ? 3️⃣ chocolate peanut butter ? All are gluten free + dairy free, in case that affects your decision. ? Annnnnnd GO!

A post shared by Angela Simpson (@eatspinrunrpt) on Jul 13, 2017 at 5:05pm PDT

While one of the most popular answers was “4. All of them!”, the next top choice was Chocolate Chip Cashew Cookie Dough Protein Bites. I figured I should get the recipe for you guys ASAP, so here it is!

Chocolate Chip Cashew Cookie Dough Protein Bites

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• Author: Angela @ Eat Spin Run Repeat
• Total Time: 10 minutes
• Yield: 12 balls 1x

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Description

Dessert? Snack? Breakfast on the go? All of the above! These vegan Chocolate Chip Cashew Cookie Dough Protein Bites are insanely delicious and made of 100% whole food ingredients.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1/2 cup chopped pitted Medjool dates (3 dates), soaked in warm water for about 5 minutes
• 3/4 cup gluten-free rolled oats
• 1 tsp chia seeds
• 1/4 cup vanilla Vega Sport Performance Protein or your fave protein powder
• 1/2 cup soaked raw cashews
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 2 tbsp water
• 1 tbsp sunflower seed butter
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• pinch of sea salt
• 1/4 cup mini dark chocolate chips (dairy-free if vegan), chopped dark chocolate pieces or cacao nibs

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Instructions

• While the dates are soaking, whirl the oats and chia seeds in a food processor until they resemble a flour. Pour it into a large mixing bowl and set aside.
• Pulse the cashews into very small pieces. Add (in this order) the soaked dates, protein powder, maple syrup, water, sunflower seed butter, vanilla and a pinch of sea salt to enhance sweetness. Continue processing until the mixture starts to resemble cookie dough. Add a little water if the mixture seems too dry.
• Pour the contents of the food processor into the bowl of flour and stir until well-combined. If needed, add a tablespoon of water at a time to maintain a dough-like consistency.
• Wrap the dough in a ball and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes, which will make it easier to handle.
• Breaking off a little at a time, roll into 12 balls.

Notes

These can be enjoyed right away, or store in an air-tight container. If you make a double (or triple!) batch, they can also be frozen in sealed bags if needed.

To keep the recipe gluten-free, be sure to choose certified gluten-free oats. I usually use Bob’s Red Mill ones, which I’ve linked above.

If you prefer not to use protein powder, simply increase oats to 1 cup.

• Prep Time: 10 mins (+ chill time)
• Cook Time: 0 mins
• Category: snacks, dairy free, gluten free, vegan, vegetarian, high protein
• Method: no bake

[Tweet “Easy Vegan Chocolate Chip Cashew Cookie Dough Protein Bites #recipe”]

One more thing: for any of you based in Vancouver, I’m giving away a batch of these guys (or your flavour of choice) today over on Instagram. The winner will be chosen on Monday night (July 17th) at 7pm PST and you can check it all out here!

Stay tuned – more protein bite recipes coming soon!