Protien Brownie Bites

Need a little sweet something at 4 p.m. to carry you until dinner? Brownie protein bites are here for you. Made with a handful of pantry ingredients plus your favorite protein powder, these simple stir-together protien bites will become as integral to your adult snacking life as their namesake was to your childhood. Here are some tips on how to make them.

The protein powder:These protein bites should work with any standard chocolate protein powder. For best results, choose a protein powder you love the taste of.

The decorating:In testing, I found these bites to be firm enough to dip as soon as they were rolled; however, if for some reason they seem too sticky or loose (which might be the case if your kitchen is warm or your almond butter is a little looser), pop them in the freezer for 15 minutes to firm up before dipping.

Some dipped truffles or cookie dough bites (such as buckeyes) are speared with a toothpick so they can be more easily dipped in chocolate. These bites, on the other hand, are not solid enough for a toothpick to be helpful. Instead, I recommend dropping the balls one at a time into the bowl of melted chocolate, spooning chocolate over them, then using a fork to lift the bites back out and transfer to the baking sheet. Wait a minute or so (depending on how cool your kitchen is) before sprinkling with the rainbow chips. If the chocolate is too warm, they’ll just slide off the top of the bites!

Storage:These bites should keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. You can also freeze them, if you like, for up to 1 month. If you do freeze, I recommend allowing them to thaw in the refrigerator before eating.

Ingredients

1/2 cup (48 g.) almond flour

1/4 cup chocolate protein powder

3 Tbsp. (18 g.) unsweetened regular (NOT Dutch-processed) cocoa powder

3/4 tsp. kosher salt

1/3 cup almond butter

2 Tbsp. almond milk

2 Tbsp. maple syrup

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

6 oz. dark chocolate (60% cacao; good-quality chips or chopped bars)

1 Tbsp. refined coconut oil

2 Tbsp. mini rainbow-colored chocolate chips

Directions

• Step 1 In a large bowl, mix almond flour, protein powder, cocoa powder, and salt. Add almond butter, almond milk, maple syrup, and vanilla and, using a rubber spatula, fold until well combined.

• Step 2 Scoop heaping Tbsp. of dough (about 20 g. each) and roll into balls (you should have 12 total). Arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet. (If balls seem sticky or inclined to slump at this point, freeze for 15 minutes before proceeding.)

• Step 3 In a medium heatproof bowl, microwave dark chocolate and oil in 30-second increments, stirring between each, until melted and smooth, about 90 seconds total.

• Step 4 Working one at a time, drop brownie bites into melted chocolate and spoon chocolate over. Using a fork, lift bite out of chocolate, letting excess drip off, and return to baking sheet. Allow chocolate to set for a few minutes, then sprinkle with rainbow chocolate chips.

• Step 5 Refrigerate bites until chocolate is hardened, at least 30 minutes, then store in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 1 week.