Coconut & Chocolate Protein Balls

These are sweets that actually taste like a bounty (Mound bar In the US), but healthy, which for a husband that loves bounties, is a major win.

In a recent race of his, when he was flagging at 30 miles, I sneaked a bounty bar into his bag on a bottle swap at a checkpoint. Apparently, when found, he reacted like he had actually WON the race. Anyway, enough said, it was time to create a healthy version and an alternative race fuel for my boy.

Luckily, I hit on a pretty much perfect bounty alternative first time. They are the right balance of chocolately goodness and lush coconut filling and provide instant energy, without any nasties.

 

Ingredients

1. 1 cup desiccated coconut
2. ¼ cup melted coconut oil
3. 1 tbsp agave nectar/maple syrup
4. 1 scoop of protein powder, plain or vanilla.
5. 3 tbsp cacao butter or coconut oil melted.
6. 2 ½ tbsps cacao powder
7. 1 tbsp agave nectar/maple syrup

Construction: Put half of the desiccated coconut into your blender and blend for 10-15 minutes until it starts to become very refined or like a butter consistency. Then add in the rest of the ingredients for the balls and combine in the blender, until it becomes a thick consistency that you can roll. If it seems a little runny, add in more of the protein powder. Roll into balls or squish and shape into bars, whatever you fancy. Put in the freezer for 15 minutes until they set. To make the chocolate coating,  slowly and carefully melt the cacao butter or coconut oil in a saucepan. Once melted add in the cacao powder and agave/maple and whisk until it comes together. Dip the cold coconut balls into the chocolate and put into small paper cases or some greaseproof paper to set. The chocolate should set very quickly as the balls are cold. If you can resist the temptation not to eat them all straight away. Pop them in a bag in the freezer and keep until required. They can be eaten straight out of the freezer, but we’ve found that a good hour’s thawing first gives a proper Bounty-like consistency.

These really are worth trying out.