Lemon Poppy Seed Protein Balls

​ They call me The Ball Lady... Okay, maybe they don't, but I do. Okay, maybe I don't either. I mean that'd be weird... right? 

​One thing I am 100% certain of is that #Pricethedog calls me The Ball Lady:

(Throw it. Throw it. Throw it!!!)

Seriously though, "they" might call me that, because I get asked preeetttyy frequently for ball advice. Not to toot my own horn (beep beep) but I believe I have mastered the art of ball making. I have made and rolled into spheres... oh I don't know, probably thousands of these little suckers! Some people call them energy balls, protein balls, bliss balls, nut balls, date balls... I can't decide so I just use all the words. I used to make multiple batches of them a day at The Fresh Press and got the whole city (maybe?) hooked on balls! I don't know if this is something I'm proud of or not, but it sure comes in handy when I need a tasty treat made with great ingredients.

My favorite "flavor" to make? Oh boy... I can't choose. They're all so good.

​But TODAY is all about these lemon poppy seed protein balls, which are definitely in my top 3 favorites!

Short story: Date/nut/protein balls are great for pre-workout, post-workout, afternoon crashes, sugar cravings, on-the-go snacks, and they're truly the one thing I recommend to every client I work with. So many people seem to struggle with snacking and sugar cravings, and they're just the perfect thing to have on hand!

They are balanced with fiber, fat, protein, plus beneficial vitamins and minerals, so you won't spike your blood sugar or find yourself going crazy afterwards.

Plus, these lemon poppy seed balls seriously DO THE TRICK if you are a poppy seed muffin lover like me! I actually like them a whole lot better than the huge muffins I used to get from Costco in high school, and I loved those things.

​Lemon Poppy Seed Protein Balls

1 cup cashews 
1/2 cup gluten-free oats (or more cashews or another nut)
1/2 cup almond flour (you can use a whole nut, I just happened to have almond flour)
1 scoop plant-based protein (I use Sunwarrior vanilla)
A pinch of sea salt
1 cup soft medjool dates, pitted 
Zest of 1 lemon 
2 TBSP poppy seeds

In a food processor, grind up the cashews, almond flour, oats, protein, and sea salt. If you like more texture, grind into a rough four, if you like a smoother texture, process it to a grainy flour.

If the dates are too dry, you may need to soak them in warm water for a bit, otherwise, add the dates and process with the nut mixture to process. It will take a minute before you start to see the dates break all the way down and combine with the mixture. It will begin to stick together.

Add the poppy seeds and lemon zest, and keep processing. You'll want to stop the food processor every so often and pinch the mixture until you have created a sticky dough that will form together when pressed.

You can begin to make balls directly from the food processor bowl, but I prefer to dump the mixture out onto a sheet of wax paper and knead it a couple times to make sure it's one big ball. From there, roll the mixture into balls and store in a container, separating each layer of balls with a sheet of parchment or wax paper to prevent hem from sticking to themselves. I used to make them a uniform size, but now I like to make some a little smaller, some a little bigger.

Keep in the fridge or freezer for easy grabbing. 


Make a batch and share a photo of them with me! Also, feel free to share the balls with me too ;)

With love,
The Ball Lady