BANANA BREAD COLLAGEN ENERGY BALLS
Energy balls have been a lifesaver during whole30! Even eating three full meals a day, it’s hard for this prego to get enough calories, so these poppable Banana Bread Collagen Energy Balls come in super handy. They’re made with whole30-approved ingredients, and are Paleo, gluten-free, dairy-free, high-protein, and low-fat with no added sugar! Only the natural sugar from bananas and dates.
Did you know? Collagen supplementation has been proven to increase skin elasticity and moisture, which means they could be helpful in preventing stretch marks during pregnancy! Read my article on collagen to learn more.
Even though collagen is great source of protein for healthy skin and joints, if you don’t have it, you can totally substitute additional coconut flour instead. I would start with one-quarter cup of coconut flour, and add more as needed to get a thick, rollable dough.
This recipe calls for half a cup each of coconut flour and almond flour, both of which are Paleo and Whole30! I tried substituting the coconut flour for more almond flour and had to use almost a cup and a half additional almond flour. You can also substitute the almond flour for blanched almonds, or any other nut or seed you can blend into a meal. I added some pecans towards the end of blending for texture, but you could also add walnuts or leave them out altogether.
The wet ingredients include one medium banana (about half a cup mashed) and half a cup (pressed down) of pitted deglet noor dates. I also added pure vanilla extract, cinnamon, and sea salt for extra flavor (optional)! If you don’t have dates, try adding an additional quarter cup of banana (half one medium).
The dough may seem dry at first, but keep blending or working in your food processor and eventually you’ll get a thick, rollable dough. You may need to add a tablespoon of water if it’s not sticking to itself. Or, add a tablespoon of coconut flour if they are too sticky!
Here’s the printable recipe for these Banana Bread Collagen Energy Balls. I hope you will rate and comment below if you try it 😉
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Banana Bread Collagen Energy Balls (Paleo)
Ingredients
- 2 cups (120g) collagen peptides*
- 1/2 cup (48g) almond flour*
- 1/2 cup (64g) coconut flour*
- 1/2 cup (70g) pitted dates*
- 1/2 cup (120g) banana
- 1/2 cup (63g) pecans optional
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract optional
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon optional
- 1/4 tsp. salt optional
*See blog post above for substitutions.
Instructions
- Add almond flour, dates, banana, and extracts (optional) to a blender. Blend, scraping down the sides intermittently, until smooth.
- Add collagen peptides, coconut flour, cinnamon and salt. Blend again, scraping down the sides intermittently, until you have a thick dough that sticks to itself.
- If your ingredients are completely blended but the mixture seems crumbly, add 1-2 tablespoons of water or non-dairy milk. If your ingredients are completely blended but the mixture seems too sticky or wet, add 1-2 tablespoons of coconut flour.
- If desired, add pecans and pulse until mixed in well.
- By rounded tablespoon, measure out dough and roll into 16 balls, placing on a parchment-lined baking sheet or flat plate.
- Place in the fridge for 15-30 minutes for a firmer texture, or enjoy right away for a more gooey texture!
- Leftovers will keep in the fridge in an airtight container up to one week, or in the freezer up to one month.
Notes
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