Hi friends! Today we’re talking about nuts and balls! 😉
Everyone has their go-to favorite foods that they’re constantly eating, and for me, one of those categories is nuts + nut butters. I usually eat a serving of one on the daily. Healthy fats like nuts keep my belly happy & satisfied.
Almond butter and peanut butter are my all-time favorites, and I was pretty into cashews & cashew butter for awhile there. Somehow I tend to forget that I like pistachios too.
Recently I was about to whip up a batch of energy balls, and instead of using my go-to nuts of choice, I decided to switch it up and break open a bag of pistachios.
These energy bites are made with lots of goodness, including oats and hemp hearts. Plant-based protein powder gives the bites a protein boost, while dried cherries and maple syrup hold the mixture together so that you can easily roll them into balls for a healthy, vegan, gluten free on-the-go snack!
Cherry Pistachio Energy Balls [vegan, gf]
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup dried cherries
- 1/2 cup shelled pistachios
- 2/3 cup old fashioned oats
- 30 g vanilla plant-based protein powder = 1 scoop of mine
- 3 TBSP hemp hearts
- 3 TBSP pure maple syrup
- 1/2 TSP vanilla extract
- Pinch of sea salt
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a food processor, and pulse until mostly smooth. A somewhat sticky dough should form.
- Roll the dough into 12 evenly sized balls.
- Energy balls can be eaten immediately, or stored in a container at room temp or in the fridge.
Notes
Nutrition
Tell me… Almonds, peanuts, pistachios, cashews, etc. – Do you have a favorite nut?
I’m going to be super mature and skip the ball and nut jokes…
Pistachios sound amazing – we picked up two bags from a winery in Paso. Who knew they grew those with grapes?!
You’re balls look really tasty! (Ok, ok… I’m just not that mature.)
I had a whole paragraph of ‘ball’ jokes in my head as I was writing this post hehehe we just cannot help it right?!
We just can’t get enough of energy balls like this and cherry and pistachio is actually one of our favourite combinations.
It’s just such a good combo!
I’m with you – nuts and nut butters happen every day at our house! I LOVE pistachios!! This combo sounds perfect for an energy bite!
Heyyyy girl, fellow nut butter addict! 🙂 My collection of nuts & nut butters is pretty extensive.
I don’t know what I would do without nuts and nut butter. Seriously, it was my lifesaver while I was in Korea. They don’t have a lot of vegetarian food, unfortunately.
Pistachios are one nut that I don’t eat often but I love their flavor. The combo with cherries in these energy balls sounds amazing!
Ugh. I’ve never been to Korea but I had a feeling that it’s not very vegetarian friendly. I’m glad that you at least ate lots of good food on your trip in Thailand!
I eat nut butter every day and would be lost without it! I’m loving these energy bites — the cherry and pistachios sound like one delicious combination!
Thanks, Marcie! I can’t believe that I once only knew of peanut butter… there are so many nut butters out there!
I love energy bites, but haven’t tried one with cherries and pistachios. Can’t believe I haven’t because this is one of my favorite flavor combos 🙂
I hope that you try out the combo in energy bites, Megan! They’re tasty.
Could you just add extra vanilla extra if you only have plain protein powder?
Yes, that would absolutely work!