Jackie’s Energy Balls (School Survival Balls)

Energy balls. Protein bites. Power balls. Raw cookie dough bites. Breakfast balls. Call them what you like, but another name for these should really be “school survival balls” … because, let’s face it – making school lunches every single day can get a bit… tiresome? dull? repetitive? Downright freaking annoying.

These survival balls can help!!! Here’s how:

1. They are quick to make. Even if you’ve accidentally left lunch prep to the last minute, there’s still time for these balls!
2. They are incredibly adaptable. You can make them with or without nuts, grains, sugar, raisins, coconut – what.ever. AND, once you make the standard ‘base recipe’ you can divide an conquer, making two different flavours in one go – satisfying even the pickiest eaters! (My kids like to each make their own batch as they have different tastes, i.e. one kid doesn’t like chocolate, coconut or dried fruit?!?)
3. They are super nutritious. You can load these balls with all sorts of plant-based super-foods and limit the amount of sugars and processed fillers by using real, whole food ingredients – much healthier than your average granola bar! Plus, they work equally well as a breakfast, dessert or on-the-go snack 🙂
4. They are zero waste. Unlike processed packaged snack foods, these balls can be made with entirely bulk ingredients. Less trash means less trips to the curb, better for the planet, better for the future.
5. They are EASY. My kids have been making these for years. No need for chopping, ovens or adult supervision – just grab a bowl, dump, mix and roll! So simple. When kids make their own snacks, they tend to be more likely to eat them. Plus? Less work for parents 😉

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Ok, on to the recipe!

INGREDIENTS (Basic Recipe)

**Makes approximately 26-30 balls, 1 Tbsp each

• 1 cup nut or seed butter of choice, or a combination, e.g. almond butter, peanut butter, sunflower seed butter, pumpkin seed butter, etc. (For nut-free school balls, we get sunflower seed butter from Bulk Barn, where the only ingredients are sunflower seeds and sunflower oil, no added sugar)
• 1/4 – 1/3 cup honey, maple syrup or sweetener of choice (note that if you use a sweetened nut/seed butter, you may want to reduce the amount of sweetener here)
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• Optional flavourings can include: 1/2 tsp cinnamon / 1 Tbsp cocoa powder / 1 tsp vanilla / 1 Tbsp protein powder / whatever ya like!
• 2 – 2 1/2 cups “dry stuff”, such as:
  • shredded coconut
  • pumpkin seeds
  • ground flax seeds
  • rolled oats
  • hemp hearts
  • almond slices
  • almond flour
  • chocolate chips
  • raisins or other dried fruit
  • crispy puffed cereals (such as rice crispies, or Bulk Barn has a few types of organic puffed cereals in bulk! We buy a gluten-free, organic mix of puffed quinoa/buckwheat/amaranth)
• Typically, we add approximately 7 or 8 of the dry ingredients above, depending on the kids’ preferences, 1/4 cup at a time

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DIRECTIONS

1. In a large bowl, combine nut/seed butter and sweetener of choice; mix until well combined.
2. Add salt and any optional flavours.
3. Mix in “dry stuff”, 1/4 cup at a time, until you reach a good “ball-rolling-consistency” [Note: this highly technical term refers to when you can effectively roll dough into balls without getting completely sticky and messy, but not so dry that balls don’t hold their shape] — this will likely occur at about 2 1/4 cups of dry ingredients; however, it is also dependent on the consistency of your nut/seed butter (some are thick, others are sloppy) and the viscosity of your sweetener.
4. When you reach the desired “ball-rolling-consistency”, begin scooping out dough, 1 Tbsp at a time, and rolling between your palms until well-formed, not crumbly, not too sticky.
5. Place formed balls onto a plate or into a lidded container – no parchment paper or greasing needed.
6. Balls store well in a sealed container in the fridge for a week, and are great to toss into lunch containers throughout the week.

*PRO TIP* If you want to make 2 different flavours, divide the ‘dough’ after step 1 and halve the dry ingredients for each batch (… or simply make a full second batch!)

– Jackie Lane, Pro-baller

That’s it, that’s all. You can make up your own custom balls, or try one of my kids’ favourite combos….

Bryson’s Everything Bites

To the base recipe above (nut/seed butter, sweetener, salt), add:

• [Note: for school, we use 1 cup sunflower seed butter, 1/4 cup maple syrup]
• 1/2 tsp each cinnamon and vanilla
• 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
• 1/4 cup hemp seeds
• 1/4 cup ground flax seeds
• 1/4 cup chocolate chips
• 1/3 cup shredded coconut
• 1/3 cup crispy cereal
• 1/3 cup raisins (literally, his favourite food)

Kyla’s Goji’n’Seed Bites

To the base recipe above (nut/seed butter, sweetener, salt), add:

• [Note: for school, we use 1 cup sunflower butter, 1/4 cup maple syrup]
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 cup gogi berries
• 1/4 cup ground flax seeds
• 1/4 cup hemp seeds
• 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
• 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
• 1/3 cup rolled oats (toasted for 15 minutes in a 350 degree oven)
• 1/4 cup crispy cereal

Need more kid-friendly “School Survival” recipes?? Check out my easy sourdough starter crackers, or dehydrated tomatoes (we use these like crackers or tomato ‘chips’), or root’n’fruit roll ups, or brittle…. Just go to the ‘Search’ bar on the home page and type in what you’re looking for 🙂

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