Something I’ve been missing since I stopped working out in the mornings are the little protein or energy bites that I used to make to eat as I walked on over to the gym. Now I go after work, so I don’t get the chance to eat anything beforehand except a late lunch. Which means no goody-bites. But I have been enjoying the – only! – unsweetened and soy-free chocolate protein shake after work with pretty much makes up for not making any protein bites. But now I want some and I thought I’d add in my cool protein powder. Hope you enjoy these vegan. gluten-free, and sugar-free No-Bake Protein Brownie Bites – Elimination Diet Recipe.

Who in the world doesn’t love little protein or energy bites? I’ve been calling them protein bites instead of protein balls because mine are all bite-size – just pop in your mouth and savor. I love how easy they are to put together and since mine are always frozen, they just seem really decedent. And what else is decedent? Chocolate! Oh wow! I had found some raw chocolate powder at Whole Foods in a bulk bin (love bulk bins!) and knew that I would be making something awesome with that powder, and I figured why not use the protein powder that I found back in August for the first Elimination Diet. It is the only vegan, gluten-fee, sugar-free!, and soy-free chocolate protein powder that I could find! And chocolate being the key word there. Other brands offer those same things but not the chocolate flavor. Gotta have something to make protein drinks bearable! Now – I’m not gonna lie – it’s super expensive. Kind of ridiculous since it’s from one of the only good tasting brands, but there you have it. And I have said it quite often. It is not cheap being vegan.

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Start by draining and rinsing the beans then set aside. In a small food processor puree the walnuts with maple syrup into butter, adding two tablespoons of water while stopping to scrape the sides. Add the beans and puree – you will need to stop and scrape the sides and add two tablespoons of water, a little at a time, to get everything moving –  until smooth. Dump everything into a mixing bowl and mix with a spoon, adding the last of the water a few spoonfuls at a time until it’s all combined. Get your hands wet then spoon small portions of dough and roll into balls then place on a foil- or parchment-lined baking sheet. Your hands will get chocolatey and gooey, but you need to make sure your hands stay wet. Then pop the pan in the freezer and let them harden. I left mine in overnight, but you only need to leave them in until hard. Toss them in a ziplock baggie and keep in the freezer for when you need a little protein pick me up. Enjoy!

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No-Bake Protein Brownie Bites, 31 bites

1/2 C S&W Chickpeas, drained
1/2 C Raw Cocoa Powder
1 Scoop Vega One Nutritional Shake Chocolate Flavored
2 C Oats
1 C Walnuts
1 Tsp Cinnamon
1 1/2 Tbsp 100% Pure Maple Syrup
3/4 C Water

1. Drain and rinse the chickpeas and set aside.
2. Dump the walnuts and maple syrup in a small food processor and process until smooth, adding two tablespoons of water throughout the grinding and scraping the sides of the FP.
3. Dump the chickpeas into the walnut butter and start grinding, adding two tablespoons water – one teaspoon at a time to get things moving.
4. Add everything to a bowl and mix with a spoon adding the last half cup water a few spoonfuls at a time until everything is combined.
5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.
6. Wet hands with water then form dough into rounds and place on baking sheet.
7. Freeze until firm or overnight, then place in a large zip lock bag and pop back in the freezer.
8. Enjoy!