- 1 cup (90g) uncooked oats (old-fashioned or quick cooking – both work well)
- ¾ cup (198g) creamy peanut butter* (may substitute nut or seed butter of choice)
- ⅓ cup (28g) dried milk powder (may substitute flax meal, almond flour, peanut butter powder, or protein powder**)
- ⅓ cup (106g) honey
- 1 teaspoon (5ml) vanilla extract
Mix & Match Protein Bites
Yield: approximately 2 dozen
Customize these protein-filled treats with a list of tasty add-ins, and then keep a stash on hand for lunch boxes, speedy breakfasts, and anytime snacking.
Base ingredients:
Mix-ins (use a combination, 2 cups total):
- Mini chocolate chips
- Finely chopped nuts like peanuts, pecans, walnuts, cashews, and/or pistachios
- Dried cranberries, raisins, or finely diced dried fruit of choice
- Crushed cookies or graham crackers
- Rice Krispies or other cereal bits (crush lightly if not very small)
- Shredded or flaked coconut, sweetened or unsweetened
- Sunflower or pumpkin seeds
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
Instructions:
- In a mixing bowl stir together the oats, peanut butter, dry milk, honey, and vanilla.
- Using 2 cups total as a maximum guideline, add desired mix-ins. If using chia seeds, limit that add-in to about 1 tablespoon, and aim for no more than ~½ cup of any ingredient.
- Use a spoon to mix all the ingredients. When it becomes difficult to mix, use your clean hands. If the mixture is a bit dry, you can add an extra spoonful of peanut butter and/or a squeeze of honey. If too sticky, sprinkle in more oats. The recipe is very flexible.
- Using your hands or a tablespoon-size cookie scoop, portion/roll the dough into balls about the size of a super ball. Place on a wax paper or parchment-lined baking sheet. They may be eaten right away but will firm up slightly after resting for 15-20 minutes. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. The balls freeze well too.
Notes:
*Does crunchy peanut butter work? We’ve tried, and all the chunks means there’s less of the creamy part, which is needed as a binder. As a result, we had to add several extra spoonfuls. If using this variety, start with about 1 cup. Conversely, you could start with 1½ cups of add-ins.
**If using a flavored protein powder in place of the dried milk powder, the flavor will be somewhat sweeter depending on the brand used. Reducing the honey in turn, however, may reduce the mixture’s ability to stick together.
For a boost of chocolate, add 3 tablespoons of cocoa powder to the base mix along with the peanut butter. This addition will also tone down the sweetness somewhat.
Tip: Peanut butter and honey tend to stick to the measuring cups, but if you lightly coat the cups with cooking spray, they will release more easily.