Cinnamon Almond Butter Protein Balls

Almond butter protein balls with cinnamon sound like a sweet and spicy dream come true. Full of protein and a great snack with no gluten and little sugar.

Energy balls, protein balls, whatever you want to call them, they're a bite-sized solution to hunger and cravings for sweets. They also happen to be a great way to boost your protein intake if that's what you're going for. Because we all know that adequate protein is so key to building and repairing muscles and keeping our blood sugar stable, and all sorts of other vital processes. And when you can boost your protein intake without resorting to eating a piece of chicken in the middle of the afternoon, so much the better.

We used some of our favorite flavors for these almond butter protein balls: cinnamon, almond butter, and chocolate chips (dark, naturally), along with some shredded coconut and a bit of honey. There's absolutely no oven required, no baking or cooking. This is a straight-up assembly job.

Cinnamon Almond Butter Protein Balls Ingredients

• 1 cup quick oats
• ½ cup almond slivers
• ½ cup shredded coconut
• ½ cup dark chocolate chips
• ½ cup cinnamon almond butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp honey

How to Make Cinnamon Almond Butter Protein Balls

Oh, we love snacks like this. They are made with ingredients you're likely to have on hand and come together fast. The most time-consuming thing? Waiting for the "dough" to chill once you bring it together, and then waiting for again to eat them AFTER you've rolled them into little balls. (It's not going to kill you if you're impatient and eat one beforehand; they just might not stay together as easily!)

Ok, preamble aside, here's how it goes. Combine the oats, almond slivers, shredded coconut, chocolate chips, almond butter, vanilla extract, and honey in a large bowl. A word about the almond butter: we've specified one that has cinnamon in it already, but you can use regular almond butter. Once everything is combined, chill the bowl in the fridge. And then take the bowl out about a half an hour later, and roll the dough into balls about the size of a golf ball.

How to Store and Serve Cinnamon Almond Butter Protein Balls

These are easy to keep. Just pop them into an airtight container in the fridge and they're good for at least a week. If you want to keep them longer, they can be frozen easily, too. Freeze them individually first by placing them on a rimmed baking sheet lined with wax paper. Then, once they are frozen, transfer them to a zip-close freezer bag or a freezer-safe container. They can stay there for at least 3 months but you probably won't let them go that long!

Substitutions and Alterations

You might not be able to find this speciality almond butter we're using in this recipe, because it has cinnamon in it. No worries. Feel free to use regular almond butter or add ¼ teaspoon to the mix of ingredients when you're putting these protein balls together. Alternately, ginger, nutmeg, or cardamom would also taste great. Or skip it entirely!

Substitute with other nut butters if you like, whether it's peanut or cashew or seed butter such as sunflower seed butter. You can also use regular old-fashioned oats if you need to. Swap out maple syrup for the honey if you'd rather use that, or even agave nectar.

MORE ENERGY BALL AND PROTEIN BALL RECIPES!

• Mint Chocolate Energy Bites
• Sugar Free Coconut Balls (Fat Bombs)
• Protein Peanut Butter Energy Bites
• Cinnamon Apple Protein Bites