Sipping on an afternoon espresso, accompanied by a sweet treat, with the crisp autumn weather may be one of my favorite parts of this season. I love my coffee black and don’t like sweetened coffee, but a little something sweet with my coffee…that’s where it’s at! 

While I’m a huge fan of this bitter coffee, sweet treat combo, I’m not a fan of a caffeine/sugar crush after said combo. Enter Pumpkin Macadamia Protein Bites! One of the key ways to avoid a carb crash is to incorporate fats and proteins into your sweet treats. This will aid your body in utilizing carbs while avoiding those unwanted crashes!

Macadamia nuts are high in calcium, iron, and magnesium and we know from the pumpkin cookie recipe a few weeks ago, pumpkin is a powerhouse packed full of vitamins A, K, fiber and copper! Protein bites are fantastic as a sweet treat, post workout fuel, or snack to balance blood sugar between meals. These bites can be made with many different ingredients & flavors but of course we have to keep it warm and cozy with fall notes!

The key to getting the perfect texture is warming up your nut butter so it mixes smoothly, allowing the balls to set. I mix and heat the almond butter and honey together to create the perfect mixing agent. 

Ingredients: 

1 Cup Rolled Oats

2 Scoops Vanilla Protein Powder

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/4 cup honey

1/2 cup almond or peanut butter

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/3 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)

1/3 cup crushed macadamia nuts

Instructions:

Heat nut butter and honey over low heat until combined. Mix in vanilla and pumpkin puree. Next, combine protein powder, oats, and pumpkin pie spice. Pour your pumpkin mixture over oats and stir until fully incorporated. With a spoon, grab a small handful of mixture and form into a ball. Roll into macadamia nuts-must do this while warm so the macadamia nuts stick. Refrigerate for 20 minutes. Store in the refrigerator 7-10 days for best results. 

Enjoy!