Chunky Monkey Energy Balls
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During this past week and a half, most of our evenings have been characterized by staying up late to watch the NBA Finals. I remember last year by the time it got to Game 7, I couldn’t sit down while watching because I was so nervous about the outcome! Fast forward back to this year, and it was unsurprisingly amazing to watch the Warriors face off against the Cavs for the 3rd consecutive year. When the Warriors lost Game 4, I was upset, because of 1) the game loss and the Warriors losing the opportunity to make NBA history with an undefeated playoffs record and 2) Alex and I were both scheduled to work during Game 5. Lame. But thankfully we got off work a few hours early, allowing us to watch the Warriors win for the second time in 3 years! Now only a couple more months until football season is back.
With my husband doing his clinical rotations, sometimes being at the hospital for 14 hours at a time, and myself, working as a cardiac nurse, we both need quick, nutritious snacks to keep on hand. For me, my shifts can sometimes be so demanding I do not have time to take a bathroom break, let alone a full meal break. That’s why I love these energy balls because it only takes a minute to run back and eat, providing me with some nutrition and subsiding my hungry stomach.
The inspiration for these energy balls comes from my close friend, Tessa, over at Tropical Tasties. She and I moved to Oahu after we graduated college, because hey, why not? I still get to live vicariously through her as she continues to live that ideal island life. If you haven’t already, go check out her blog Tropical Tasties, where you will find mouth watering recipes comprised of real, clean ingredients! Her recipe for Coconut Fat Balls is a favorite over here at our household.
These chunky monkey energy balls are packed with the classic flavor pairings of banana, peanut butter, and chocolate. The base of these energy balls are dates, which have numerous nutritional and health benefits. These energy balls are even friendly to those with dietary restrictions as they are gluten free, dairy free, and vegan. This recipe is easy to make, as you basically just put everything into a food processor, without compromising any of the flavor. We typically make it during our meal prep day so we have them available for the rest of the week!
CHUNKY MONKEY ENERGY BALLS
Make time: 20 minutes | Makes 12 energy balls
1. Place in a food processor, and blend until smooth:
10 pitted dates
1 ripe banana
1/4 cup oatmeal
1/4 cup chocolate chips
3 Tablespoons natural peanut butter
2 Tablespoons flaxseed
2 Tablespoons almond milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
Pinch of salt
2. Place on a plate:
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
3. The dough is sticky so scoop roughly 1 1/2 Tablespoons worth of dough onto the shredded coconut, then sprinkle the coconut on top of the dough, pushing down on the dough to form it into a ball. Continue rolling the dough in the shredded coconut until it is completely covered.
4. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before eating to help solidify the dough.
5. Store in the refrigerator.
