Healthy & adorable Chocolate protein bites with a little bit of glamour! Makes the perfect Valentine’s Day (or any day) snack.
When you need a quick fix after your workout or in the middle of the day, then look no more. These vegan chocolateΒ proteinΒ bites are loaded with protein, healthy carbs, a little bit of healthy fat and some low glycemic sweetener to help with maintaining energy.
This post was originally posted in 2013 but has since been refreshed with new images.
Made with chocolate vegan protein powder (I used Arbonne chocolate powder), these little guys are free from dairy and eggs making them safe for anyone with those food allergies. They are also nut free which is an extra bonus, although you can totally substitute almond butter in place of the sunbutter if that is not an issue. AND, these are also gluten free! So basically these chocolate protein bites are your new best friend, or as my child would say, your new BESTIE!
Feel free to mix and match ingredients along the way to make them yours.
- Don’t have Arbonne powder? That’s ok, any plant-based chocolate powder will work (OwynΒ is also another great, allergy-friendly favorite of mine)
- Wanna try another nut/seed butter? Sure, why not.
- Don’t have any Brown Rice Syrup on hand either? Try using agave nectar OR Grade B Maple Syrup this time THEN order some Brown Rice Syrup for next time (you’ll thank me later)
- Want more chocolate flavor? So do I! Add in a 1-2 TB of cacoa powder, throw in some cacao nibs or maybe some Enjoy Life chocolate chips just because you can.
- Sprinkles????? Well, those are optional but don’t they look more fun? I added some pretty pink sprinkles this time which makes them a sweet Valentine’s treat but you can use whatever color you’d like or even roll in some yummy cacao powder.
Ready to get rolling? These Protein Bites are a breeze to make!
If you give these a try, let me know by leaving a comment and rating the recipe! Itβs super helpful for me. And while youβre at it, take a picture and tag itΒ #allergyliciousΒ on Instagram so we can see! I just love seeing what you come up with.
Vegan Chocolate Protein Bites
Plant-Based protein packed chocolate bites, loaded with protein, carbs and healthy fat making this an easy fix after your workout or as a needed snack.
Ingredients
- 2 Scoops Vegan Chocolate Powder
- 2/3 C. Sunbutter
- 2/3 C. Coconut, shredded and unsweetened
- 1/4 C. Cacao Powder
- 1/2 C. Brown Rice syrup
- 1 1/2 TB. Vanilla extract
- 2 tsp. Cinnamon, ground
- 1 tsp. Sea salt
- 1/2 C. Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips (optional) OR Cacao Nibs
- Sprinkles (optional)
Instructions
- In a food processor or blender, pulse protein powder, Sunbutter, coconut & cacao powder until well mixed and starts to clump.
- Add brown rice syrup, vanilla, cinnamon and sea salt. Pulse until combined. Scrape sides if needed. Add chocolate chips and/or nibs and pulse again to incorporate chips into mixture.
- Drop dough onto counter and pull off pieces to make into ping pong sized balls. Roll onto parchment-lined sheet. Decorate with sprinkles if desired.
- Refrigerate until ready to eat.
I love the new photos! These look so tasty – and perfect for Valentine’s Day!
Thanks Dianne! When I saw the pink, I just couldn’t resist.
I totally want to treat myself to these!
Treat away!!!
The colors are beautiful! Ping pong ball sized chocolate yumminess!
Thank you K.C. Feel free to make these whatever size you need.
These are super duper pretty. And love all the ingredients. Yum!
Thanks Kelly. I love the simple ingredients as well….and it’s hard to pass up snack that sparkles π
I’ve never use rice syrup. Does it have a different consistency than agave?
Hey Kortney, brown rice syrup is thicker than agave. It’s very sticky, syrup-y so typically I like to use real maple syrup in its place but you could also use honey (I just don’t since it’s not vegan).
Yay for a vegan allergy friendly treat that looks so pretty! Perfect for Valentines for my sweets (who is gf/nut free)
Thank you Sam! These would be perfect for your gf/nf sweets for sure!
These are perfect for Valentine’s day! I love how pretty they are while still giving me the energy I need to thrive throughout the day.
I cannot get over the SPARKLY PINK – these are so pretty!
I know! It’s a little more pink than I’ve ever done but I guess the older I get, the more girlie I get π
I am blown away by the color! So pretty!
Nicole, your photos are always SO beautiful. Those sprinkles are so delicate – what are they? I’ll look at other comments, maybe you’ve answered!
Thank you Dreena. The pink sprinkles are vegan sugar crystals but you could even use dried strawberry powder or even cacao if you want to make them even healthier and still keep them looking pretty.
Now this is the way to show someone how much you love them! A sweet treat that is also good for you. I need to make these!
I love these photos! My protein balls never turn out so pretty! I can’t wait to try this recipe!
Roll anything in sparkles, and all the flaws will be hidden π
I just love the ingredients you used to make these! When you say 2 scoops of protein powder, do you mean about 1/2 cup? I noticed that the scoop sizes can vary quite a bit with brands, but the one I have is about 1/4 cup per scoop.
Hey Alisa, You are correct, the scoop sizes do vary. Mine is also like yours and 1 scoop = 1/4 cup. So 1/2 cup total. Thanks for asking that! I’ll clarify in the directions.
These look so yummy! Perfect for a grab and go breakfast!
Which I’ve done quite a few times π
I just love that they’re pink! Makes them even more fun to eat! Great recipe Nicole!
Thanks Jereann! I loved all the pink too.
I have never worked with brown rice syrup…isn’t that crazy? I really need to try it!
I think you’ll really like it! I learned of it when I was in nutrition school and finding substitutes for honey. It’s delicious.
Love little bites that I can keep around for a quick snack. And I’m with Megan – I’ve never used brown rice syrup either.
Let me know when you do try it! It’s thicker than agave and more similar to real maple syrup and SO tasty.
Arbonne’s protein powder is so good! These are the perfect post workout snack.
Oh yes, we just love the taste of their protein and you’ll love these bites too.
So I made half a batch of this and it was great! I used a 1/4 cup of Agave Nectar instead of the Brown Rice Sirup , next time I will use less than that because it came out a little too sweet for me, even after I rolled it in Unsweetened Cocoa Powder instead of sprinkles/sugar. Thanks for the recipe!
Maria thanks for sharing. I find agave to be sweeter than BRS, so good call on halving the amount. It also depends on if you add protein powder and if that is sweetened.