No-Bake Carrot Cake Protein Balls (fitsugar)

Have your (carrot) cake and eat it too, but without all the calories and fat found in a traditional sugary slice. These no-bake protein balls are sweet, nutty, and soft, and they're cake-like without a drop of flour. Made with raw cashews, pecans, dates, raw carrot, rolled oats, and unsweetened coconut, each 88-calorie snack offers 3.3 grams of protein.

These vegan and gluten-free bites are a cinch to whip up in your food processor. Even without the cream cheese frosting, their warm flavor will satisfy your sweet tooth while filling your belly and offering your body the energy it needs to exercise or get through that late-afternoon meeting.

From Jenny Sugar, POPSUGAR Fitness

Carrot Cake Protein Balls

INGREDIENTS

1 cup raw cashews

3/4 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup dates

4 ounces unsweetened applesauce

1 serving vanilla plant-based protein powder (about 35 grams)

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon cloves

1 carrot, grated

1/2 cup pecans (or walnuts)

1/3 cup rolled in unsweetened coconut

DIRECTIONS

1. Add the cashews, oats, dates, applesauce, protein powder, and spices to the food processor. Turn on until a choppy dough forms, several minutes.
2. Add the grated carrot and pecans until thoroughly mixed. The dough will appear slightly sticky.
3. Pour unsweetened shredded coconut into a bowl.
4. Roll dough into balls, roll each one in the coconut, and place on a clean cookie sheet.
5. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to set. Store uneaten balls in an airtight container in the fridge.