Blanco Energy Balls
Introducing the Blanco energy ball. Yes, it’s name was inspired by the beloved blanco pizza (a white sauce base) but this version of blanco contains an all natural energy fix you may need without the carb overload of a pizza. So what makes these protein balls different and more delicious than all the others?
Let’s talk making energy balls to begin with. What makes a good energy ball and how does it come together into it’s circular shape? I guess what makes a good energy ball is very personal but it does need to have a protein form, often as protein powdered, a main base ingredient that forms much of the “batter” as you will, in this case it’s raw rolled oats. A few other important things are adding raw nuts, nutritious seeds /grains like chia, flax and sunflower as well as spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamon. My favorite little extra touch is of course a sprinkle of sea salt with helps blend all these separate flavors into one and really enhance the more subtle ingredients.
Unlike with other energy balls, these ones don’t have the messy coating of chocolate or shredded coconut which is often a final step after rolling. This means more mess to clean up and often the coating doesn’t even stay on. With these, you pulse, roll and refrigerate then enjoy. Easily wrapped up for an on-the-go snack or bitten into at midnight when you crave a sweet treat. The best part, these completely fulfill any sugar craving you may have without actually consuming processed sugar in the form of an unhealthy snack.
To bind these together, I like to use a combination of coconut oil, which is a solidified solid oil, and another flavorless oil such as canola or vegetable. The coconut oil gives a nice complimentary flavor to the shredded coconut as well as supplying a thick agent to emulsify the ingredients together. The other oil dampens the mix so it can stick a little easier. You can for sure just use coconut oil but you end up using double the coconut oil to give the same effect as canola oil. I just prefer the mixture and coconut oil can be very expensive after all.
Blanco? It maybe obvious, but these babies are a beautiful shade of white which rarely happens when making energy balls (they often include chocolate, chocolate powder or other dark ingredients). I love the lighter less dense version. They aren’t so heavy and chocolatey but they are still able to provide you with a healthy treat that will give you a quick boost no matter the time of day.
That’s all from me. Stay tuned on my Instagram reels for a video of the simple steps in creating these delicious babies. Don’t forget to tag me if you do get kitchen creating with one of my recipes
Instagram Handle; @cecilevadas
Blanco Energy Balls
Ingredients
1/2 cup raw rolled oats
2 tbsp sunflower seeds
2 tbsp protein powder (I used cinnamon buns from EBS Whey Protein)
1/4 cup shredded coconut
2 tbsp white chia seeds
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tbsp honey (or maple syrup for vegans)
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 1/2 tbsp canola oil (or any flavourless oil)
Method
Place your oats, sunflower seeds, protein powder, coconut, chia seeds and cinnamon in a high powered blender and pulse until a coarse powder forms (no large chunks left but still textural).
Add your vanilla, honey, coconut oil and canola oil and pulse again until incorporated, you should result in a slightly wet sand texture and appearance. To test this, press with two fingers into the mixture and if it clumps together, it’s perfect. If it doesn’t add a little more oil and pulse again.
To form the balls, scoop around 1-1.5 tablespoons of mixture into clean hands and press until it forms into a ball. Roll around, using the palms, to smooth it out. Place on a clean plate. Repeat with remaining mixture. Place into the fridge for a minimum of 15 minutes to rest. Then enjoy.
