Faaaarking Good Peanut Butter Fudge Protein Balls

Peanut butter + chocolate. Name a more drool worthy, utterly fucking delightful duo, I’ll wait. And I have kids that take three years to get in the car, my waiting game is strong.

But wait, believe it or not, it gets better, because when you turn that winning combo into chewy, fudgey protein balls, well sweet baby Chocolate Cheesus that’s a delightful little mouthful right there my friends that ranks 11/10 on the fuck yeah snack scale. (Unless of course you’re deathly allergic to peanuts, in which case this may not be the snack for you, and please allow me to offer my sincerest condolences).

If however, death by snacks is not a limiting factor these balls are where it’s at. And look, to be honest if I died choking on a PB fudge ball I’d probably die happy. Rather unattractively I imagine, but happy. 

I used defatted peanut butter powder to make these a legit lighter option for nut butter sluts like me. Don't get me wrong, real deal PB will always be my one true love but I'm the kinda girl who could quite cheerfully demolish a jar of nut butter with a spoon. And although that's delicious and very fucking enjoyable, it's perhaps not always the most sensible option, particularly if I also want to still fit pants. 

The result is balls that taste like a satisfyingly indulgent treat but are lower in fat, packed full of goodness and heartily approved by me, Chief Nut Butter slut and self-appointed authority on all things PB related. 

And with that prestigious title I also managed to secure a discount code from my pals at Proganics for my fab friends out there so you can score some of their damn fine PB Powder, or any of their fare in fact for 10% off. Just click hereto shop and save using code Katie10 at checkout. 

Get this stuff

For the balls

1 C Proganics peanut butter powder

1 C ATP Science vanilla caramel Noway collagen protein
(Or your protein powder of choice. You could totally up the ante on the choc-PB vibe and use chocolate flavour)

2 TBL melted coconut oil

1 TBL coconut flour

Optional 1-2 TBL sweetener of choice to taste

Up to 4 TBL water

For the chocolate coating

2 TBL coconut oil OR 1 TBL coconut + 1 TBL smooth, runny peanut butter

1 TBL cocoa

1 TBL runny sweetener of choice - rice malt syrup, honey, maple syrup. You can also use granulated stevia if you prefer but it can be a bit of a prick to dissolve properly which could result in a slightly gritty texture.

OR

Save fucking about, do it the easy way and just melt ready made good quality dark chocolate - I like Lindt or Green and Blacks 85 % or 90% cacao.

Do this with it

Fudge Balls

Throw all the dry ingredients into a bowl and mix to combine. Add the coconut oil and sweetener if you're using it mix gently then add the water gradually 1 tablespoon at a time to form a thick dough.

Don’t go nuts with the water or you’ll end up with uber-sticky gloop which is delicious for licking off spoons and fingers but a real pain in the arse if you want to roll it into balls.

Pop the mixture into the fridge for at least 10-15 minutes to allow it to firm up a bit and make it easier to handle. Roll into teaspoon-ish sized balls and put them in the freezer to set faster and make the chocolate coating easier - the colder your balls when you dip them the faster the chocolate will set rather than dripping off.

Chocolate Coating

Throw all the ingredients in a bowl and microwave on medium heat in 20-30 second blasts mixing in between until you have a runny, well incorporated and very bloody luscious liquid chocolate.

Dip the chilled balls in one at a time and get a good all over coating on then place them on a tray lined with nonstick paper and whack them in the freezer to set quickly.

Using the coconut oil + PB only recipe will give you a thicker chocolate that should only need one coat. If you go for the coconut oil only option your chocolate will be slightly thinner and runnier. If you find the coating is a bit sparse and want a more generous layer (and lets be honest, who wouldn't?!) just leave the balls for about 10 minutes in the freezer to set then give them a second dunking to really raise the hot damn delish factor.

NOTE: The chocolate coating is optional and they’re actually bloody tasty without it if you want something a little more virtuous. But let’s be real here, Chocolate + PB is the language of love, and shouldn’t everything you make be made with love (and maybe a little bit of gluttony in my case).