I’ve been down a bit of a healthy treat making rabbit hole lately and I’m loving it honestly. Always having a nice little sweet treat on hand that’s actually loaded with nutrients (like fibre, protein and healthy fats) is the best. If you love this pistachio number then you should try my Double Chocolate Protein Balls, Choc Hazelnut Protein Balls or these Dubai Chocolate Medjool Dates (seriously yummy!).
Ingredients Notes & Substitutions
These pistachio protein balls are made using simple ingredients, all of which you can find at your local grocery store. I’ve popped everything you will need below, as well as any ingredient notes and possible swaps. You can find the ingredient quantities in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- shelled pistachios – make sure to get shelled, unsalted pistachios. Set about a tablespoon aside for garnish at the end.
- hulled tahini – tahini can be swapped for another nut butter or seed butter like pistachio butter (if you want to go all in on pistachio), sunflower seed butter, almond butter or cashew butter. The first lot of tahini I used wasn’t overly runny compared to the second lot, which did change the texture a bit but they still worked really well. I do think tahini works best here but the options are there in case you need them!
- pure maple syrup – the protein balls are naturally sweetened with pure maple syrup. I prefer maple syrup over honey as it has a less obvious flavour and mixes in really well.
- protein powder – I’ve used unflavoured whey protein powder but you can choose an unflavoured vegan protein powder to keep them dairy free and vegan if preferred.
- rose water – rose water is optional but adds a really lovely flavour. You can swap for vanilla extract if preferred.
- white chocolate – to make these dairy free and vegan, swap the white chocolate for a vegan white chocolate.
How to Make Pistachio Protein Balls
These pistachio protein balls are a seriously easy snack to make and feel a little luxurious. Follow these instructions to get them perfect every time!
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First, set aside about a tablespoon of pistachios and add the remaining pistachios to the drum of a food processor. Blend them until you get a coarse meal like consistency. Then add the rest of the ingredients – the tahini, maple syrup, protein powder and rose water. Blend everything until the mixture sticks together well.
Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper and then roll spoonfuls of the mixture into balls. You want them to be a little smaller than a golf ball. Place each protein ball onto the baking sheet and set aside.
To melt the white chocolate, add it to a heat proof bowl atop a saucepan half filled with water. Bring to a medium heat and stir the chocolate as it melts. If you want the chocolate to be a bit runnier, add a tablespoon or so of coconut oil. Turn off the heat.
Using two spoons, place a protein ball onto once of the spoons and use the second spoon to coat the ball with melted white chocolate. Place the ball back onto the tray and repeat this step until all of the protein balls are coated in white chocolate. I like to sprinkle each ball with finely chopped pistachio for no other reason than it looks really pretty!
Pop the tray of pistachio protein balls into the fridge to chill and once the chocolate is set, transfer them to an airtight container. Store the balls in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Or pop them in the freezer for about 3 months.
Pistachio Protein Balls
Equipment
- Food Processor
- 2 Dessert spoon
- Medium saucepan
- small baking tray
Ingredients
- 130 grams pistachios, shelled
- ¼ cup tahini, or pistachio butter
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons rose water
- ½ cup unflavoured whey protein powder
- 50 grams white chocolate
Instructions
- Line a small baking tray with baking paper and set aside.
- Set aside one tablespoon of the pistachios and add the rest of the pistachios to a food processor. Blend until you get a fine meal like texture.
- To the food processor add the tahini, maple syrup, rose water and protein powder. Blend until well combined and the mixture sticks together well.
- Take a spoonful of the pistachio mixture and roll into a ball a little smaller than a golf ball. Place onto the baking paper lined tray and repeat this step with the remaining mixture.
- Finely chop the reserved pistachios and set aside.
- Add a heat proof bowl to the top of a saucepan half filled with water. Break the white chocolate up and place in the bowl. Bring the saucepan to a medium heat and stir the chocolate as it melts. Once completely melted, remove the bowl from the pan and turn off the heat. If the chocolate is too thick and you would like it thinner, add a small spoonful of coconut oil and stir it through to melt.
- Place a protein ball onto a spoon and use a second spoon to drizzle chocolate over the ball until it is completely coated. Let any excess melted chocolate drip off the ball and then place back onto the tray. Repeat this step with the remaining balls until they have all been coated in melted chocolate. Top the protein balls with the finely chopped pistachios.
- Place the protein balls into the fridge to set. Once the chocolate has set the protein balls are ready to eat.
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