I live with a man (my hubby) that grew up like most kids, on pb&J, pizza, pasta, mac & cheese, etc (as did I). I have been with him 20 years now, we met very, VERY young 😉! For most of our lives together, he could put away a Papa John's pizza like no one's business. His mom was even impressed once when he ate a ham sandwich! As his wife, and supporter, and all the healthy food I would cook, he just didn't like it or didn't care to try. By far, he is my most challenging client! I am not disclosing any secrets here or anything he wouldn't freely admit. He was young and invisible, right?
The body, at a cellular level, will work so incredibly hard for us, until breakdown begins. It's not always noticeable at first, aches and pains, subtle weight gain, feelings of fatigue, digestion may start to alter. These are not necessarily just signs of aging. Unfortunately for some, symptoms get worse, and worse and one chronic condition leads to medication, leads to another condition, leads to more medication, you get the idea. Sorry, this is really a downer and you must be wondering about the balls! Getting there!
Breaking point hits and September of 2017 diet commitment began, finally!! He gave in and would eat just about anything I made that was free of sugar, gluten, dairy and I was loading his plate with delicious, nutrient dense proteins, fats and vegetables. You would think a shift would occur, but to no avail. Joint pain only worsened as he relied more and more on the medications. It's a total up-hill battle to heal the gut among the understandable and necessary drugs. Less than a month ago, he took it a step further and committed to the Autoimmune Protocol. The hard part about this one was the elimination of nuts, seeds and legumes. He is a snacker and there is not a bar that exists (other than something like and Epic bar) that I could have at his fingertips. In roll the balls!
At first I was buying pricing power balls by Paleo Angel. He loved them and it was a good solution, but I knew I could make my own and save a little too. After a little bit of searching, I came across the website ourfoodfix.com. I love this site for its wonderful recipes all labeled according to needs, for example AIP, Keto, Vegan, Paleo, Whole30, Low histamine, etc. Easy to navigate and recipes you could trust would be worth your time to explore. This is where I found the snack that both my husband and son LOVE and would actually make a wonderful addition to a holiday dessert.
The main ingredients are coconut based, including coconut butter and coconut oil, providing a good dose of the saturated fat, lauric acid (a medium chain triglyceride - MCT). It's boost of energy for the boys and highly satiating when paired up with the collagen pepties added in. I seem to make a double batch per week now, and no one has missed the store-bought bars that would endlessly fill up our cart and empty our wallet! Plus, once you have the ingredients on hand, they take about 10 minutes to make!
COOKIE DOUGH PROTEIN BITES - 3 WAYS (AIP, KETO, VEGAN) Serves10-14 balls
Recipe by Dawn at ourfoodfix.com
INGREDIENTS:
Cookie Dough Base
1/2 cup softened coconut butter (measured warm), or nut/seed butter of choice
4 tablespoons maple syrup or raw honey (I only used 2 tablespoons of manuka honey and we thought they were sweet enough)
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or 2 teaspoons vanilla bean powder
1/4 cup Cassava or fine-ground almond flour
1/4 cup Collagen Peptides or Vegan protein powder
2 tablespoons shredded unsweetened coconut
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup dairy-free/allergy friendly chocolate chips (if tolerated)
Chocolate Cherry
Cookie Dough Base, plus
2 tablespoons unsweetened unsulfured dried cherries
1 1/2 tablespoons carob or cacao powder
1-2 tablespoons coconut oil (adjust based on desired consistency)
1 teaspoon maple syrup
Chocolate Mint
Cookie Dough Base, plus
3 tablespoons carob or cacao powder
1-2 tablespoons coconut oil (adjust based on desired consistency)
1 teaspoon maple syrup
3/4 teaspoon peppermint extract (optional)
1 teaspoon chopped fresh mint (optional)
1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut, for rolling
Pumpkin Spice
Cookie Dough Base, plus
4 tablespoons unsweetened plain pumpkin puree
1 tablespoon Cassava or fine-ground almond flour
1 teaspoon maple syrup
2 tablespoons shredded unsweetened coconut
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, OR
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground mace
1/4 cup coconut sugar + 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, for rolling
INSTRUCTIONS:
In a medium bowl add coconut or nut butter, maple syrup or honey, coconut oil and vanilla. Mix together until completely combined.
Add dry ingredients and stir again until combined. Dough will be thick and sticky, so I find smashing it together with the back of a spoon works best. Mix in chocolate chips or additional flavorings.
Roll dough into bite sized balls, then roll in topping if desired. Transfer to a container or tray lined with parchment paper.
Enjoy them at room temperature for a raw dough consistency, or serve them chilled for a firmer dough. We cool ours in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to get a more chewy consistency.
Covered in an air-tight container, dough bites will keep in the refrigerator for one week.
Notes *If you don't have the specific ingredients on hand, feel free to make substitutions. Sub out different mix-ins, use a different butter, or a different extract. **These bites also freeze well and will keep for a month or longer. Defrost in the refrigerator before enjoying.