Paleo Protein Cookie Dough Bites

Chewy, sweet, and surprisingly good for you!  These Paleo Protein Cookie Dough Bites seem too good to be true…

Back to school season has snuck up, once again. With that, the mellow summertime vibes seem to transition into the hustle and bustle of new routines. This shift can make it hard to eat well, especially when things get hectic, which is why I love making grab-and-go snacks like this to have on hand at all times. My Paleo Protein Cookie Dough Bites are sure to please the whole family, and they’re suitable for breakfast, a quick snack, or even a healthy dessert.

There’s just something about cookie dough… it’s such an indulgent treat that I think most of us have some sentimental childhood memory of. I wanted to take the “naughty” factor out of eating cookie dough by creating these wholesome, high-protein bites – no raw eggs to worry about here! Just a few nourishing ingredients like collagen peptides, almond butter, dates, and cashews that happen to complement each other just right. I went supppppeerrrr dark when it came to choosing chocolate for these little guys – I’m talking 100%. The sweetness of the dates is a great contrast to the richness of these dark chips, but if that’s a little too strong for you, by all means, choose another type of dark chocolate chip to use (just choose something high-quality with low-sugar to get the health benefits of cacao).

Why You Should Eat These Paleo Protein Cookie Dough Bites

Because…. cookie dough. But also, because they are a delicious, super-nutrient dense treat. Let’s start with the Vital Nutrients Collagen Peptides powder, which is probably a new ingredient to many of you. This stuff is an amazing source of protein – 9 grams per tiny scoop – hidden in an almost totally flavorless white powder that can be mixed into anything (even coffee!).

Collagen is the glue that makes up our connective tissues, so it benefits your hair, skin, nails, digestive tract, and joints. I often hear from parents that it can be hard to get protein into their little one’s diets – these would be a great way to sneak some in. There are lots of collagen products out there these days, but I highly recommend Vital Proteins because it’s derived from grass-fed cows and they have really impressive quality controls.

This is not a sponsored post, I just really like the Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides for adding a nutritional boost to tons of different recipes. You can buy some for yourself through a link here:

And, if you’re ready to get hard-core about your chocolate intake, these are pure, unsweetened cacao and free from all major allergens:

Just a heads up, as a member of the Amazon Affiliates program I do get a small percentage of products sold through my links, but there’s no extra cost for you and it’s a helpful way for me to fund my blog!

Speaking of dates, I use them a lot in sticky, ball-or-bar-like recipes when I want some sweetness without adding sugar. Check out my Chocolate Raspberry Energy Bites recipe if you like that sort of thing.  Dates are a wonderful source of minerals, like potassium, copper, and manganese, which are necessary for blood pressure regulation, red blood cells, and enzymatic antioxidant activity. While they do contain naturally occurring sugars and carbohydrates they also pack a bunch of fiber, which helps to balance their own blood sugar effect, fill you up, and keep your digestion moving along smoothly. I prefer Medjool dates since they are plumper and a little gooier than other kinds of dates.

How You Can Make These Paleo Protein Cookie Dough Bites

Are you ready for this?! I hope you’re as excited as I am because these are freaking delicious. It’s important to blend up the walnuts and cashews in the food processor first, in order to get a nice fine powder that mixes well with everything else.

Then, add your chopped dates (pits removed), sea salt, almond butter, and collagen peptides and pulse a few times, before switching to a full blend. Once your cookie dough is all yummy, sticky, and crumbly, add in your chocolate chips. Just pulse these in there a few times, to lightly chop them, and you’re now ready to roll…. literally… I’m sorry, I couldn’t help myself.

Take 2 or 3 tablespoons of cookie dough and slowly form a ball with your hands, then gently roll it around. Do this until all the dough is rolled (and obviously some of it has been rapidly eaten). Keep these in the fridge or freezer and you’ve got an indulgent, healthy, high-protein treat ready for any time of the day!

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Paleo Protein Cookie Dough Bites

Prep 10 mins

Total 10 mins

Author Ailsa @ Food to Feel Good

Yield 14-16 bites

These soft, chewy, naturally sweet cookie dough balls are sooo good!  They're surprisingly packed with protein and full of vitamins and minerals.

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp almond butter (without added sugar/oil)
• 6 Tbsp Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides powder*
• 1/3 cup Pascha Dark Chocolate Chips
• 1/2 cup raw cashews
• 3/4 cup chopped Medjool dates, pits removed
• 1 cup raw walnuts
• 1/4 + 1/8 tsp fine sea salt

Instructions

1. Blend walnuts and cashews in a food processor, until a fine flour forms.
2. Add chopped dates, sea salt, almond butter, and collagen peptides.  Pulse several times, then switch to full speed until dough is sticky and crumbly.
3. Gather 2-3 tablespoons of the cookie dough into your hands and gently press together, then gently roll into balls.  Continue with the rest of the dough.
4. Refrigerate or freeze in an airtight container.

Notes

*If you want to make these Vegan, just leave out the collagen powder and add an extra tablespoon each of walnuts and cashews, and almond butter as needed.

Courses Snack, Dessert

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