My Protein Ball recipe: Sea Salt Caramel

One of the things I find that does help me feel better is not going off the sweets deep end, even when my IIH/EDS forces me on the couch and I have nothing better to do.

I started making these for David, who y'all will learn is the love of my life. (I'll share our story at some point.) He's one of those people who was just born with willpower and getting him to even eat sweets is impossible. Plus, he is always reminding me how important it is to get enough protein. It really does make a difference in how I feel.

He's tweaked them a little bit throughout the years as well, so I guess I will give him a little credit and say this is our recipe. We do eyeball it, but this is my best guess on exact measurements. Honestly, just keep tweaking it until you get it where you like it!

• Oats (We have used both regular and quick)

• Chocolate Chips (For the sea salt flavor, I use Lily's Caramel Chips. Or, I have made YUMMY Peanut Butter Balls with the Lily's Peanut Butter Chips, too. (< That is actually a great deal for three of them. When they are on sale at Harris Teeter, I grab a bunch!)

• Peanut Butter (We use creamy)

• Honey (You can use any kind, but this is usually the one I get.)

• Your favorite protein powder (Here's my favorite, and David's favorite.)

• Unsweetened coconut flakes (I just get whatever store brand I am shopping at)

• Splash of almond milk

Grab a big mixing bowl and throw in about 3 cups of oats, maybe 1/2 cup of coconut, and a half cup of the chocolate chips. I always add more chocolate chips as I mix, so I would guess we probably add 3/4 cup of them total. Squeeze honey over the top in zigzags. This you can really eyeball. I would guess it is about 1/4 cup total. Then add 2-3 scoops of the protein powder. I would suggest just 2 for your first batch to see how you like the flavor. Then, work up to 3 scoops.

Now, it is time to get a little sticky! David uses gloves for this part. Add about a cup of peanut butter and get your hands in there to mix it up! If you are working solo, splash a little almond milk in first. As you are mixing, splash in more in small amounts. Mix it up and get it to a good consistency to make into balls. It helps to have someone splash some in as your hands will be sticky! Once it is mixed up very well, start rolling into balls. You can make little bite-sized balls, or slightly larger balls make a great late night sweets snack!

Tweak the amounts to your liking! You can also get creative with other flavors of chips and some add-on ingredients. Just remember to consider the amount of sugar in any add-ons. I have added graham crackers and mini marshmallows for sm'ores balls, peppermint and chocolate protein powder for holidays balls, and sooooo many other combinations. I'll share some others soon! Also, I love hearing other people's protein/low-sugar snacks. Give me some recipes in the comments!

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