No Bake Hemp Protein Bites (V, GF)

5 from 1 vote

No Bake Hemp Protein Bites (V, GF)

Overcome the afternoon slump with these delicious and easy-to-make no bake hemp protein bites! The bites are vegan, oil-free, grain-free (no oats!), simple to prepare, and so tasty!

Prep Time15

Total Time15

Course: WFPB Snacks & Appetizers

Cuisine: American

Keyword: 4 ingredients, beans, coconut flour, energy balls, no oats, oat-free energy balls, peanut butter, peanut butter balls without oats, vegan protein, vegan protein balls, wfpb, wfpbno, wfpbno snack

Servings: protein balls

Author: Camilla

Ingredients

2 cups packed pitted dates
1 cup roasted, lightly salted sunflower seed kernels (or the nuts or seeds of your choice; see notes below)
1/2 cup smooth sunflower seed butter (or the nut butter or seed butter of your choice; see options below)
1/2 cup hemp protein powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (see notes of options)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Place the dates in a medium mixing bowl. Cover with boiling water to cover. Let stand for 10 minutes, Drain the dates, discarding all but 1/4 cup of the soaking water.
In a food processor, process the sunflower seed kernels until (mostly) finely chopped, leaving some irregular pieces for texture.
Add the drained dates, sunflower seed butter, hemp protein powder and cinnamon to the food processor. Blend, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl several times, until the mixture resemble a cohesive dough (add a few tablespoons of the reserved soaking water, as needed, if the mixture appears too dry).
Use a small cookie scoop or heaping tablespoon to portion the dough and roll into balls.
Enjoy right away, or store (see notes below).

Notes

Storage: Store the hemp protein bites in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or the freezer for up to 6 months. The bites will keep at cool room temperature (e.g., in a lunch bag, backpack, or gym bag) for several hours but will become a little bit softer.

Make Bars Instead of Bites: Line a 9x5 inch (22.5x12.5 cm) loaf pan with parchment paper, wax paper, or plastic wrap. Press the date mixture into the prepared pan, smoothing the top with the bottom of a flat bottom measuring cup. Chill for an hour. Remove from the pan and cut crosswise into 8 bars.

Hemp Protein Alternatives: An equal amount of another plant based protein powder can be used in place of the hemp protein powder.

Sunflower Seed Butter Alternatives:You can substitute an equal amount of smooth natural peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter, pumpkin seed butter, tahini, or coconut butter (not coconut oil) for the sunflower seed butter.

Sunflower Seed Kernel Alternatives: Substitute an equal weight of other nuts or seeds for the sunflower seeds, as you like, For example, cashews, pecans, almonds, walnuts, peanuts, green pumpkin seeds (pepitas) or hazelnuts.

Cinnamon Alternatives: Consider using an equal amount of ground ginger, a combination of ground ginger + ground cardamom, pumpkin pie spice blend, or apple pie spice blend in place of the ground cinnamon.

Nutrition