Banana Chocolate Chip Protein Balls

I tried this out for our weekend trip to Pine Creek Gorge and I’m really happy about how it turned out!  We usually like to check out the local eats, but the town of Slate Run sold more food for the fishes than for humans (the fly fishing shops are great when you’re not hungry).

These balls were so dense in protein, carbs, sugar, potassium, and fats that about 2 of these will hold you over for a few hours. Luckily, they’re also small enough that we could carry 16 of them (enough for 3 people over 2 1/2 days)  without sacrificing our load.  We had no issues with storage either: they don’t require any refrigeration, all the ingredients have long shelf life, hold onto their shape, and when packed tight will barely release an odor.

Ingredients 

• 3 Bananas
•  1/2 c. Sunflower Butter (or any nut butter)
• 2-3 scoops Protein Powder (we use ProMix Grass-fed Whey, but you can use any kind)
• Chia seeds (optional)
• Coconut Shreds (optional)
• Crushed Almonds
• Dark Choco Chips (optional)
• Pinch of Salt

The recipe is versatile and most of the ingredients are optional, depending on taste.  I’ve never used any other crushed nuts (I only like almonds), so I wouldn’t know about consistency.  The almonds help absorb the oils from the sunflower butter and holds well.

Mash all the ingredients together, make little balls out of them, plop them on a baking sheet and bake for 15min @ 350F.  Enjoy!

– Good thoughts & Silver linings, Chelsea