Most of my days start with an early morning workout.
That means I’m out the door somewhere between 5:30 and 6:30 am.
Though I’m wide awake and ready for my day to begin, I’m not usually ready for a big breakfast… The kind of breakfast I absolutely relish with eggs and tons of veggies, fresh seasonal fruit and a giant mug of steaming green tea.
Yum!
That’s what I call “The Breakfast of Champions” and it’s what I generally enjoy after my workout.
For the most part I hit the gym without any food in my stomach.
There are plenty of studies that show that an early morning workout on an empty stomach increases your fat burn for the day. I believe this is an interesting concept worth exploring further but in my case I simply don’t enjoy working out on a full stomach. I also do not feel I am negatively impacted by lack of fuel in any ways and I appreciate my big breakfast all the more when I get home 🙂
On days when I hit the trails for an extended run, however, I like to fuel up before I leave and generally need a little pick me up when I’m done so I don’t crash on my way home.
On these days I love a simple, balanced treat to provide me with that much needed quick release energy as I get started followed by the slower release that will sustain me for the duration of my effort.
As you know I’m always playing in the kitchen, coming up with all sorts of scrumptious recipes for every occasion and these dark chocolate peanut butter balls are my latest creation 🙂
[Tweet “Dark Chocolate Peanut Balls – Perfect pre and post workout treat! #feelamazingeveryday”]
I recently received a tub of Amazing Grass Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Superfood to review through my partnership with Sweatpink, and decided it makes the perfect base for this healthy treat.
Amazing Grass Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Superfood has a balanced nutritional profile with 7 grams of fat, 11 grams of carbohydrates and 20 grams of protein per serving. But even more exciting, each serving of this superfood contains seven alkalizing greens and two servings of fruits and vegetables. Nice no?
I added some dates and rolled oats for quick energy, dark chocolate because it’s rich in antioxidants and healthy fats for that sustained energy, and a generous amount of cinnamon to round out the flavors beautifully.
These have been quite a hit with my family… I’ve been caught sneaking one or two myself just because 😉
Enjoy!
How to Make Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Energy Bites
(Scroll to the bottom of this post if you’re anxious to try these right away)
To make these scrumptious protein balls gather all your ingredients.
Place dates, oats, Amazing Grass Chocolate Peanut Butter Superfood and cinnamon in the bowl of your food processor and pulse, adding water one tablespoon at a time until you obtain a coarse paste. Stop and scrape the edges frequently and be careful not to add too much water or you’ll have a mushy paste.
Using your hands roll paste into 1 inch balls.
Melt the remaining dark chocolate, adding a tablespoon or two of water to thin out your chocolate sauce just a little.
Dip as much of the balls into the melted chocolate as you’d like. I decided half was just fine.
Place the chocolate covered balls on a cookie sheet or plate lined with wax paper and place in the freezer to set.
Store these in the refrigerator or freezer if you don’t plan on using them right away.
Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Energy Balls
Ingredients
For the paste
- 1 cup pitted mejdoul dates about 12
- 2 scoops Amazing Grass Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Superfood
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 3/4 dark chocolate chunks
- 3 to 4 tbsp filtered water
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
For the Chocolate coating
- 2 oz dark chocolate chunks
- 2-3 tbsp filtered water
Instructions
Making the energy balls
- Place dates and Amazing Grass Superfood in the bowl of a food processor and pulse for 1 minute to form a paste.
- Add oats, dark chocolate chunks and cinnamon.
- Pulse for 1 minute to blend all ingredients.
- Slowly add water until you obtain a coarse but somewhat crumbly paste. Do not add too much water or your energy balls will be pasty.
- Using your hands, roll paste into 1 inch balls.
- Melt additional dark chocolate in a double boiler.
- Remove from heat and slowly add up to 2 tablespoons of water to obtain a thinner chocolate.
- Dip balls into chocolate and place on a cookie sheet or plate line with wax paper.
- Freeze for half an hour or until chocolate coating has solidified.
- Store in the refrigerator.
A Special Treat Just for You!
If you’d like to stock up on Amazing Grass products, you’ll enjoy a 40% discount on the Amazing Grass website with coupon code 40SWEATPINK1. This offer is only valid through Saturday July 1st so get shopping now!!
Two of my favorite flavors – in a way that is good for me. These look really good. Sometimes you just want a bite of something to keep you going.
Amen Patty! They’d be a great way to keep you and your hubby going as you are making that fabulous pond of yours or chasing after the goats 😉
Those little babies look delicious! SUCH a great snack!
Thanks Sara! They have been quite a hit around here for sure!
I’ve started using Amazing Grass for my green smoothies. I love this recipe for energy balls. I need to make these soon!
The greens powder were my introduction to the company years ago Jocelyn! I used them in my smoothies as well and loved adding a scoop or two of their chocolate greens or acai greens to the girls’ breakfast smoothie. I knew they were getting all the nutrition they needed to perform at their best in school and stay focused rather than suffer from the notorious sugar crash too many kids experience as soon as they settle in class. I hope you enjoy these as much as we do 🙂
My kids would be super excited for a snack like this. I really appreciate that these are no bake treats too.
No bake and ready in no time Marcie 🙂 Which is a good thing because I keep having to make more of these all the time. The most time consuming part is the dipping in the melted dark chocolate, but it’s also the most fun part and one kids are eager to help with. It leads to a lot of finger licking which is always the best 🙂
Those look SO good! I love dates and have never mixed them with dark chocolate, that sounds like a great combo.
Dates and dark chocolate are a scrumptious duo Shell 😉 I use dates as my base for so many home made treats, especially energy bars or other on-the-go foods. They are a fabulous natural sugar that provides great quick energy but without overpowering the other ingredients or being overly sweet. And dark chocolate is… well… Scrumptious no matter what! Enjoy!
These dark chocolate peanut butter balls look so good and would be perfect for our get together this weekend. I have never heard of the Protein SuperFoods products before but I will have to get some. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
The Protein Superfood is a brand new product for Amazing Grass Rebecca. I’ve loved their products since I first discovered this company in 2008 and this new line is just as scrumptious as all the other ones I’ve come to enjoy over the past few years. I’m sure you are going to love them! I’d love to get your feedback when you try their Protein Superfood 🙂
YUM!!!! These look amazing!!! …and now I’m hungry 🙂
Thank Portia!! I just made a fresh batch for the holiday weekend 😉 The best thing about them is that once you have all your ingredients together they only take a few minutes to make 🙂
Peanut butter and chocolate are two of my favorite things!! I will absolutely be making these!!
Yay Alison! Dark chocolate and peanut butter is a pretty irresistible combination isn’t it? Enjoy!
These are my fav thing ever! My family eats them up
Yay! I’m so thrilled you love them so Arica!
These look wonderful–thanks for the recipe!
You are most welcome Kara. Enjoy!
This would be perfect to have since mornings with my toddler mean late breakfast for me.
Oh yes Katie! You could make a batch when he’s napping in the afternoon or after you put him to sleep and enjoy a few as soon as you are up. I started making smoothies and other grab and go types of goodies when my girls were little. Their school is a solid half hour drive from home but I never wanted to compromise on a healthy breakfast that would keep us all happy and prepare them for a powerful day at school.
I can see where these are a balanced pick me up snack and will have to try these. I like keeping healthy snacks around for times when I’m in a rush and don’t take time to eat. These would be perfect.
Thanks Christy! I am a huge fan of keeping healthy snacks readily available and try to keep a good stock of them on hand at all times myself. It’s the only I know to support my family in making healthy choices and properly fueling our day 🙂 Enjoy!
These look so good I copied the recipe.
Awesome Terry! I hope you enjoy then as much as we do 🙂
This is a delicious recipe and I want to try to make it soon.
Thanks Jo-Ann. Let me know how they turn out.
This sounds pretty good. I’m not a huge fan of dates but I hear they are good for sweetening but do the balls taste like dates?
I love dates Barrie, because they are an amazing natural sweetener but don’t impart a bold date flavor when used in this way. They are also such a wonderful source of potassium which is essential for healthy and prompt muscle recovery which is one of the reasons I often use dates for my workout treats. I’d love to know how you feel once you try this recipe and if you agree that these balls don’t really taste like dates.
Yum! They look awesome.
Thanks Judy, enjoy!
These look absolutely delicious and easy to make! Not to mention healthy and very quick to make at home if I’m having guests over. I’ll be sure to definitely try these out!
So glad you like these Syn! Enjoy!
These look terrific and sound like the perfect little after school snack for my boys.
They are a fabulous after school snack Christy and I hope your little guys will love them as much as my girls do. 🙂
This looks sooo delicious! I must give this recipe a try, and soon! 🙂
You may want to double up when you do Nikolina… I can’t make enough of these. My hubby and girls just gobble them up!
Great treat….Reeses has been making a fortune forever on a lesser treat
Yep Ronald.. They did figure out that magic combo — Peanut butter and chocolate… I love being able to make a healthy version we can all enjoy guilt free 😉
I have some Amazing Grass and haven’t been using it, as I didn’t know what to do with it. I’m excited to try these, I love the idea of dipping the balls in chocolate, too.
I love Amazing Grass Rosie but the good old smoothie does get old after a while no matter how tasty the product is. I had a lot of fun making these and dipping them in dark chocolate was my favorite part! I love that they taste like a decadent treat and yet are super healthy. Enjoy!
Yummy! I love dark chocolate! i bet these are very tasty!
They are totally decadent Alicia and I can never make enough 😉
oh yum!, peanut butter & chocolate, thanks for this yummy recipe
You are most welcome Theresa. Enjoy!
Well, you had me at ‘dark chocolate’ and my family loves peanut butter w/ anything. Super recipe!
Yay Margaret! Enjoy! I can never make enough of these. They disappear the minute they are ready 🙂
Oh–these look wonderful! I love using dates in healthy desserts! Dates are underrated!
Dates are my go-to natural sweetener Christina! I just LOVE them! I often have a date or two as a pre-workout treat. Great natural energy with the right amount of potassium so I don’t get sore 🙂
I would love to taste this recipe of yours ma’am… I used to make munchkins way back high school and college and sell it for me to have savings for my project at school…I bet this has a good taste.. God bless 🙂
You sound like quite the entrepreneur Cathy! I love that you would make healthy snacks to sell as a way to support your education! Kudos to you. Enjoy this recipe and feel free to share one of your favorites with me. I would love that 🙂
20 more days until I’m home and have you making me all these yummy treats! <3
I can’t wait to have you home and spoil you my love !!! <3 <3 <3
Oh!!! These sound amazing! I have some dates that I really need to use and just couldn’t think of what else to utilize them for so I am so happy I came across this recipe. Thanks!
You are most welcome Paula! I always have dates on hand and they are often the base of scrumptious creations like this one. Enjoy!
These sound great. I am going to give them a try. Thank you
You are most welcome Tammy… Be careful they are a little addictive 😉
Oh my goodness! I love dark chocolate, I love peanut butter, and I love that this is super easy to make!
Yay!!! Bonnie these are super fun and easy to make … and just as easy to gobble up 😉
These sound really good and easy to make, thanks.
I love dark chocolate. These dark chocolate energy bits sound delicious and easy to make. Thank you for sharing, I am definitely going to try this recipe.
Yummo!! These look AMAZING!! I really need to make them!! I adore chocolate and peanut butter!!
looks delish
I love any type of balls for snacking on so these would be great.
They are a favorite in my home Kristi. Enjoy!
These dark chocolate peanut butter balls sound real good, I defiantly will be making these!
They are pretty addictive Lisa. My family begs me to make them pretty regularly 🙂 Enjoy!
Looks awesome! AND tasty!!
Looks and sounds yummy!