CHOCOLATE PB & CREATINE BUZZ BALLS

Scott loves coffee, peanut butter, and creatine. So I’m making these for him to take on his camping trip with the guys. The domestic diva in me is clawing her way out. These balls are not very sweet at all, and in fact, they kind of remind me of the old school protein bars I used to love in college.

I chose to use oatmeal and quinoa flour (instead of one or the other) to amp up the biodiversity. I’ve been really focused on trying to get in as many different foods as possible throughout the week, so I jump on every opportunity to mix things up in my recipes. 

If you love my recipes, check out my cookbook: The Cajun Vegan Cookbook! Classic dishes like jambalaya, étouffée, gumbo, and hushpuppies have gone vegan in this delicious cookbook which blends Louisiana's beloved flavor profiles with plant-forward ingredients that are fresh and sustainable, yet still authentic and delicious.

Stuff you need

½ cup old-fashioned oatmeal

½ cup quinoa flakes (I used “HerbaZest” flakes) You can also sub in more oatmeal here instead

¾ cup dried mission figs (packed), de-stemmed

1 cup natural peanut butter

½ cup strong brewed coffee

2 scoops (66 grams) chocolate vegan protein powder*

3 tablespoons maple syrup

2 tablespoons cane sugar (optional)

1 tablespoon agave syrup

3 teaspoons creatine*

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon salt, or to taste

For topping: ½ cup crushed peanuts, coarse sugar (or regular sugar), cocoa powder, and cinnamon

What to do

1. Pulse oats and quinoa flakes in a food processor until the mixture looks like flour. This will take several minutes. If you prefer a chunkier base, don’t pulse as long--it’s totally up to you. 

2. Add figs, peanut butter, coffee, protein powder, maple syrup, sugar (or skip if not using), agave syrup, creatine, cinnamon and salt. Blend until all ingredients are well combined and the dough can be smooshed into balls.

3. In two small separate shallow plates, lay out your coarse sugar and crushed peanuts. You’ll be using these plates to roll and cover your balls. Don’t worry about the cocoa powder and cinnamon for now.

4. Use your clean hands to ball the dough into bite-sized pieces (about 1 tablespoon each). Roll in crushed peanuts and coarse sugar, then transfer them to a parchment-lined baking sheet.

5. Once all the balls have been shaped, rolled, and transferred to the baking sheet, sprinkle them very lightly with cocoa powder and cinnamon. Move them to the fridge and let them firm up for one hour.

6. Once they’re firm, store in an air-tight container and enjoy as a poppable treat.

*I used “Garden of Life” protein powder and creatine from “Optimum Nutrition.”

Enjoy your Ballz!

Thanks for visiting this recipe! Toby the pup recommends that you now go check out my cookbook, The Cajun Vegan Cookbook. Available on Amazon and most major book retailers (or request a copy from your local independent bookstore!).