Beetroot chocolate protein balls are healthy, have veg in them and they’re easy-to-make and easy-to-eat. The protein balls are filled with goodness courtesy of oats and protein-rich peanut butter and for the vegetable in this recipe I’ve added beets – always a delicious bedfellow for chocolate. Roll them in coconut, cacao, linseeds, anything you have to hand.
I’ll admit it: I’ve hit the chocolate pretty hard this Christmas. And my mum’s brandy-soaked Christmas cake kept me evenly hammered over the Yuletide season. But I can’t just pass up the remnants of the Quality Street tin cold turkey (boom boom), so I’ll need a small healthy hit of chocolate every day to get back to my usual relatively good diet. Exit the toffee pennies, enter the protein ball.
My little ones need a bit of a detox as well. I need to put an end to the wild-eyed pleading for another chocolate penny as they rabidly run about, high on sugar, paper-tearing euphoria and the off-gassing of new toys and leftover sprouts.
These easy-to-make, easy-to-eat protein balls are filled with goodness courtesy of oats and protein-rich peanut butter and for the vegetable in this recipe I’ve added beets – always a delicious bedfellow for chocolate. I prefer mine rolled in milled linseeds for a bit of extra goodness, but also try cocoa powder, coconut or chopped nuts. Store them in the fridge or freezer for a quick treat for both adults and kids.
The protein balls have a subtle earthy taste from the beets, which go beautifully with the chocolate – just like in beetroot chocolate cake, beet chococlate truffles and beet chocolate milkshake!
Happy New Year x
- 75g (2/3 cup) rolled oats
- 1 cooked, cooled beetroot (about 75g)
- 125g (1/2 cup) peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon agave nectar or honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon skimmed milk powder or protein powder
- Coconut, cocoa powder, milled linseeds etc… for rolling
- In a food processor, whiz the oats until they are fine. Add all other ingredients and combine. Roll into teaspoon-sized balls, roll in coconut, cocoa etc… and store in the refrigerator or freezer.
Milled linseeds
Cocoa Powder
Coconut
Chopped nuts
I made this recipe in my amazing Froothie Optimum 9400 high-speed blender. I’m an ambassador for the brand, so if you mention Veggie Desserts when you order, you’ll get two years free warranty.
They look fantastic Kate, oats..who would have thought it x
Thanks, Deena!
A healthy chocolate treat, perfect. #recipeoftheweek.
Thanks, Julie!
What a fab entry, healthy chocolate whats not to like. Thanks for linking up 🙂
Thanks for running it!
After all the holiday binging, excess of cookies and ridiculous amounts of pie, it’s nice to have a healthful option to snack on!
My thoughts as well. I’m definitely weaning myself off of holiday excess!
Beautiful!! I need these for my healthy start. Will grab the ingredients 🙂 Thanks very much for joining in with #recipeoftheweek. I’ve Pinned and tweeted this post and there’s a fresh linky live now. Please do join in! 😀
Thanks for running #recipeoftheweek, Emily! And having such a fab blog, too. 🙂
Wow from Boulder, Colorado! I just discovered your site through Taste Spotting, I love making these, but never considered using beets! Beautiful photography!
Thanks so much, Cecilia! 🙂
Ooh, I have never thought to add beets to my protein balls. What a great idea! 🙂
I hope you like them, Janet!
Love the addition of beetroot into these. They sound really good and look pretty too with the different coatings. Thanks for entering them into We Should Cocoa.
Thank you! And thanks for running We Should Cocoa x
Those absolutely look TOOOOO good to be healthy!! Must have some, NOW!!
Ha ha! Yup, they’re goood!
They are so pretty!! Love it!
Thanks Michaela, healthy and pretty – my favourite!
They look fabulous! Healthy chocolate treats – can’t argue with that idea! 🙂
Thanks Vohn. They’re fab treats!
Hi there,
I am having some trouble getting them into balls as they are really sticky. What should I do?
Hi Emily. I’d just add some more milk/protein powder or oats to get a rollable consistency. I hope that works 🙂
Pinned these to try later one Kate.
I had to figure out how to use up some beets I was gifted, and beets definitely were not in my arsenal for cooking or baking. Great recipe! I didn’t roll the balls in anything – I just increased the protein powder from one tablespoon to one scoop of the powder so it wouldn’t stick to anything.
I’m so glad that you liked it! Great substitution 🙂