High protein, low carb protein balls made with coconut butter and hemp seeds! You’ll love the coconut flavor and the energy boost these coconut protein balls provide. Vegan + gluten-free.
I’ve mentioned before that I’ve been trying to make sure I’m eating enough protein. Most of the time it’s pretty easy for me to get a good amount of protein at breakfast, lunch and dinner, but snacks are a whole other story.
It can be a challenge to find protein-packed snacks that I actually want to eat!Ā Plain Greek yogurt and granola has been my go-to for a while, but recently I was inspired to use protein powder, hemp seeds and coconut butter to make a low-sugar coconut protein ball for snacking.
SEE HOW EASY IT IS TO MAKE THESE COCONUT PROTEIN BALLS:
If you’re unfamiliar with coconut butter, it’s the most amazing thing ever — it’s a spread just like almond or peanut butter but made from coconut! You can find it at most grocery stores or simply follow my simple coconut butter recipe!
I’ve made protein balls with nut butter a bazillion times and finally decided it’s time to make one with coconut butter.
After softening the coconut butter a bit by putting the jar in a mug of hot water (like coconut oil, it becomes solid at temperatures below 70Ā°), I combined the butter with protein powder and hemp seeds (extra protein!!) and added a little maple syrup for sweetness. The end result turned out great and I’m really excited to share the recipe with you.
If you like coconut, you’ll love these balls! They’re perfect if you have a sweet tooth because they taste sweet, but are also super satisfying and filling from the healthy fat and protein. As it turns out, all of these balls are great as a pre or post workout snack, mid-afternoon pick me up or even an after dinner treat. Each ball is about 90 calories and has 6 grams of protein and 3 grams of net carbs!
If you make these coconut protein balls be sure to leave a comment and star rating letting me know how they turned out for you! You reviews are so helpful for the EBF team and other readers.
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High protein, low carb protein balls made with coconut butter and hemp seeds! You’ll love the coconut flavor and the energy boost these vegan coconut protein balls provide.Ā
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup vegan vanilla protein powder*
- 1/4 cup hemp seeds
- 1/4 cupĀ coconut butter
- 1 Tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 Tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Put all ingredients in a mini chopper/processor and pulse a few times to incorporate.
- Give the dough a stir and start to roll the mixture (with your hands) into 1 tbsp sized balls. It should make about 8. If the dough is too crumbly add a few drops of water.
- Eat right away or store in an airtight container at room temp.
Notes
- Use a vegan protein powder to keep these protein balls vegan. Here’s a list of my favoriteĀ plant-based protein powders.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 ball
- Calories: 91
- Sugar: 2g
- Fat: 5g
- Carbohydrates: 6g
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 6g
Keywords: coconut protein balls
VeggieGirl says
March 27, 2011 at 11:31 amOooh, love the flavors!
So sorry I missed your medical news post – I’m praying that all gets better.
Eating Bird Food says
March 27, 2011 at 11:33 amThanks Liz!
Abby says
March 27, 2011 at 11:46 amThese look great! š
Mama Pea says
March 27, 2011 at 11:49 amI must try your version! As soon as I get some coconut butter š
I don’t know if you’ve tried dry-roasted edamame (Sea Point Farms makes a dry roasted and a wasabi flavor) but I love snacking on them while I’m watching TV.
Continued prayers for your back troubles š
Eating Bird Food says
March 27, 2011 at 12:38 pmThank you lady, I really appreciate it.
Angela says
March 27, 2011 at 11:49 amHow many carbs are in the protein balls?
Eating Bird Food says
March 27, 2011 at 12:37 pm5g sis! How many points are they?
Angela says
March 28, 2011 at 10:22 am3 points per ball
lynn @ the actor's diet says
March 27, 2011 at 11:53 amah good – something to do with that giant jar of coconut manna i still i have!!!
Krystina (Organically Me) says
March 27, 2011 at 1:02 pmYour balls look great! (heh heh)
Eugenio says
March 27, 2011 at 1:26 pmThose look like a great snack, cool you created your own version.
J3nn (Jenn's Menu and Lifestyle Blog) says
March 27, 2011 at 1:35 pmI love (snack) balls! Never added protein powder to them, but would love to try. Yummy!
Jess says
March 27, 2011 at 1:53 pmI love sweet hummus, plus I’ll put peanut butter on almost anything!
Have you tried roasting chickpeas? You can give them a cinnamon sugar or honey coating.
Eating Bird Food says
March 27, 2011 at 2:15 pmHi Jess. Great suggestion for roasted chickpeas. I love those as well!
What type of sweet hummus do you make?
Jess says
March 27, 2011 at 5:45 pmI like orange-coconut, cinnamon or honey flavored hummus. I’m sure as my baby blog grows (I’m only a week in!) some hummus recipes will pop up on there š
Eating Bird Food says
March 27, 2011 at 11:50 pmAwesome! I’m excited to check them out.
Alayna @ Thyme Bombe says
March 27, 2011 at 2:20 pmMmm…they all look great. I’ve been meaning to try both of those recipes, I add yours to that list!
Jess @JessCantCook says
March 27, 2011 at 4:51 pmThese look really good, and you know I love anything that is cook-free š
Craig@cspinhealthyc says
March 27, 2011 at 5:09 pmLove this post and can’t wait to try these. Many thanks.
LauraJayne says
March 27, 2011 at 8:10 pmI’ve been assuming that I get enough protein, but I’ve been doing some reading lately, and I’m going to start tracking my nutrition more carefully so I can make sure I’m getting enough! Your recipe looks delicious!
Best of luck for your health-related news. I’m definitely thinking of you and will look forward to an update after you get the second opinion!
BroccoliHut says
March 27, 2011 at 8:49 pmOoh! I am all for any recipe calling for coconut butter:)
natalie @ http://healthybalancingact.blogspot.com/ says
March 28, 2011 at 2:54 amyum yes please!! i shall have to make these
Nicole @ Fresh & Fit says
March 28, 2011 at 8:09 amThese look yummy, I’ve been trying to add protein to my meals to, What a great snack!
janetha @ meals & moves says
March 28, 2011 at 12:24 pmThose are some good lookin balls.
Susi May says
March 28, 2011 at 12:38 pmLove the title! Made me smile and I needed that on a Monday morning!
Eating Bird Food says
March 28, 2011 at 11:13 pmš
Liz @ IHeartVegetables says
March 28, 2011 at 1:23 pmWow, those look really good!!! And pretty protein packed š These would be a great snack on the go!
ChristinaAnne @ RegularGirl{Running} says
March 28, 2011 at 2:15 pmDefinitely going on my ‘must make’ list for this weekend!
I’m totally with you in regards to having trouble finding good and filling snacks (fellow pescaterian, here!), and I’m always shying away from protein bars because of how much sugar they tend to include. Plus, I’m learning to follow the whole ‘no more than 5-6 ingredients’ rule when buying pre-made stuff ….
Also if I can’t pronounce it/have no idea what it is … should I really be eating it? (think riboflavin …. ?!)
Can’t wait to try these!!! š
Eating Bird Food says
March 28, 2011 at 11:13 pmHi ChristinaAnne. I complete agree with eating whole foods and limiting packaged products have a laundry list of ingredients! Although ribolflavin is one ingredient you don’t need to worry about – it’s just vitamin B2. š
elise says
March 28, 2011 at 7:17 pmim so so sorry about your scoliosis š ill keep you in my thoughts, but like you said, a second opinion never hurts.
as for the balls…im definitely going to have to give them a try. im craving coconut in a major way, so your adaptation looks like a winner. i need to get hemp seeds, this is, like, the 100th post ive starred with it as an ingred.
Aggie says
March 28, 2011 at 10:21 pmI’m pescatarian too and get concerned about my protein intake at times too. There are only so many nuts you can snack on right, lol. I do love hummus and greek yogurt so I try to stick to those for snacks, but sometimes I just want something quick and no fuss on hand. I like the sounds of these truffles….have to try them.
Claire @ Live and Love to Eat says
March 29, 2011 at 9:49 amI posted a similar snack a few weeks ago. I only used raisins and almonds in a food processor then rolled in oats. These variations look great!
Lea @ Healthy Coconut says
April 9, 2011 at 1:01 pmI am the same with you that I like to snack on food that have some protein in them, I like adding protein for staying power and keeps me full.
Have you tried Simply Bar protein bars? I’ve tried them and they are great for when you are on the go. But of course, homemade is always better when you can make them because you can control the ingredients.
I want to try these balls. I have some hempseed that I haven’t opened because I don’t know what to do with them.
Thanks for the recipe
Doe says
April 28, 2011 at 9:12 pmLove your blog!
Andrea says
June 8, 2011 at 2:18 amWOW! THIS IS REALLY GREAT! THANKS FOR THE RECIPE AS ALWAYS! I have been buying “nut protein balls” at the health food store for 2$ each. Its nice to have a recipe to make them now.
Nicole says
July 24, 2011 at 6:47 pmHi! I’ve been working out in the eeeeearrrrly a.m. and have been struggling to find something I can eat quickly that is packed with nutrition and doesn’t take long to make. My search led me to your blog, which in turn led me to this recipe… I made them for the first time today and they turned out so delicious! I had to substitute creamed coconut, which – when liquified – didn’t re-solidify as much as I’d like, but the taste is wonderful! I think if I refrigerate them overnight they’ll be just fine and if not, I’ll spread it on seed bread š Thanks for sharing your great ideas with us š
Eating Bird Food says
July 24, 2011 at 8:54 pmHi Nicole and welcome!! I’m so glad you enjoyed the coconut protein balls. š
Anna {Herbivore Triathlete} says
February 24, 2013 at 10:31 amI’ve been looking for some protein ball recipes and these look great, thanks!
Mona says
April 30, 2013 at 7:33 pmNice and informative website.
Courtney says
April 15, 2014 at 5:43 pmI need to make these!! They look amazing!! š
Brittany Mullins says
April 16, 2014 at 7:03 amLet me know how they turn out if you do! š
Dana says
September 5, 2018 at 1:04 pmWANT! Love this recipe, lady! SO easy, and they look so tasty! xoxo
Brittany Audra @ Audra's Appetite says
September 5, 2018 at 4:25 pmThat is an impressive amount of protein for each ball! I’m the same; I’ve used nut butters in SO many energy ball recipes, I’m excited to try something new!
Kelsey says
September 6, 2018 at 6:36 pmAny suggestion for a substitution for hemp seeds?
Jorge says
September 16, 2018 at 5:25 pmI love simple and straight forward recipes like this! There’s no way I can mess this up AND they look delicious!!
Sam says
January 3, 2019 at 6:52 pmHi, Iām wondering if these can be stored and eaten from freezer.
If not how long do they last in airtight container.
Brittany Mullins says
January 4, 2019 at 8:38 amGreat question. You can 100% store them in the freezer, but they’ll probably be too hard to eat frozen, so I’d recommend transferring them from the freezer to the fridge to thaw a couple hours before you want to eat them. For storage, they should last 1-2 weeks in an airtight container in the fridge.