Energy Balls Versus Choc. Chip Cookies
Why the heck is the energy ball all the rage now, from Keto diets to Weight Watchers? I’ll tell you why! While we all crave chocolate chip cookies, chocolate cake, and brownies, the energy ball – with far less fat and calories – can stop the craving. Not to brag, but my low fodmap, gluten free, cocoa energy balls fill the bill nicely.
Yesterday, after scrolling through a myriad of energy ball recipes that contained ingredients my IBS gut would not appreciate, I went to my pantry to see what I could come up with. That’s when I realized I could crush different kinds of GF cereal and use it like oatmeal; I could substitute different syrups for fodmap-filled honey or molasses; I could use any or all of the following:
- GF chocolate chips, M&Ms, broken low fodmap cookies, or butterscotch chips
- roll my bites in safe, low fodmap chopped nuts, coconut or add anything else I like that is fodmap free and IBS safe.
- use some kind of low fodmap liquid and syrup to bind the other ingredients, so the batter will hold together. Maybe even a bit of alternative or lactose free milk, although I have not tried this. If it works, let me know. lol.
The best part? I can adjust the amounts until the batter is the consistency I want it to be. (Here is some info on low fodmaps)
What’s the Benefit of the Ball?
The added benefit of energy balls for IBS folk is the no-cook method that allows for safe substitutions without affecting the quality of the recipe. I switch out raw oatmeal (the fiber of raw oats causes tummy distress) for GF crushed corn Chex. You could also use cornflakes or rice crispies or all three. Works fine.
I don’t need melted fat, milk, or eggs to hold my energy balls together. Instead, I use maple syrup (real not fake) or regular corn syrup (honey and molasses contain fodmaps).
I then add the rest of the ingredients and mix them together until they are almost like a cookie dough. If the mixture is not holding together, add more syrup until it does. Then I place the mixture, covered with plastic wrap or foil, in the fridge for an hour. This chilling brings the mixture together, making it easier to scoop and roll into balls.
When mixed up, energy ball batter is almost like cookie dough. You can scoop it up, shape it into lovely chocolate balls and roll them in grated coconut or chopped nuts just like truffle balls, but with far fewer calories. You can even dip them in melted chocolate to make them look like a chocolate covered cookie.
Better yet, you don’t have to bake them. Just roll them up, drop them onto a parchment lined cookie sheet and pop into the freezer until they solidify enough to eat. I always roll mine in grated coconut, cocoa or melted chocolate first. Roll them in anything you want that will stick to the balls, such as crushed Oreo cookies, melted chips, chocolate jimmies, sprinkles etc.
My recipe here is just an example of what you could use and I just chose random amounts of everything. Do what you want and use what you want. It’s hard to mess up these easy-peasy yummy chocolate morsels. As long as you stick with low fodmap and IBS safe ingredients, you too can have a death by chocolate experience.
INGREDIENTS:
3 cups corn Chex, crushed fine
3 Tbsp. Peanut Butter Powder (I use PB2)
1/4 cup (85g) Maple syrup
2 Tbsp. Corn Syrup (NOT High Fructose Corn Syrup)
1/8 cup (20g) Mini Chocolate Chips (vegan or GF is also fine)
3 Tbsp. (14.7g) Cocoa Powder ( I use Hershey’s or Ghirardelli)
2 Tbsp. coconut, sweetened or unsweetened (optional)
small piles of dried sweetened coconut, confectioners sugar, cocoa, sprinkles or whatever you want to roll your energy ball mixture in.
DIRECTIONS:
•In a large bowl place the crushed cereal, cocoa, chocolate chips , peanut butter powder, and optional coconut. (I crush my cereal by putting it in a zip lock plastic bag and rolling it with a rolling pin until it is like breadcrumbs or even finer.) Stir together well using a big wooden spoon.
• Stir in the maple syrup and corn syrup until the mixture is moist and well mixed. If mixture seems too dry, add more maple or corn syrup.
• Chill the mixture for an hour. Chilling helps the mixture roll better and you want to roll it into marble size balls after chilling.
• Place a cup of warm water near the mixing bowl. Place a sheet of parchment paper over a cookie sheet or sheet pan and place near the mixing bowl. Place your dishes nearby of coconut flakes, cocoa or whatever else you want to use for rolling your balls in.
•Dip your fingers into the water but don’t have them too wet. Using a small cookie scoop, scoop the mixture and press it in until the mixture is level to the top of the scoop. Dispense the ball mixture into your wet palm and squeeze mixture into a ball firm enough to hold its shape.
Roll the mixture in the palm of your hand until it is round and the size of a large marble or ping pong ball. Then, roll it around in your coconut or cocoa or whatever you want on that particular ball. As you finish forming each ball, place it on the parchment paper.
•Place the sheet pan in the freezer until balls are nicely chilled.
•You should get about 15 balls.
• Once frozen, place them in a plastic container divided into layers by sheets of waxed paper. Keep them in the freezer. They are much easier to eat while frozen – not too hard and not too cold.
•You can double or triple this recipe. It is very forgiving and hard to mess up.
(69 calories per energy ball.) (Not including the small amount of Cal. added by rolling the balls in the extras.)
Energy Balls
Equipment
- 1 small cookie scoop
Ingredients
- 2 cups (53g) corn Chex, or other GF dry cereal such as rice crispies, finely crushed
- 1/4 cup (85g) maple syrup or other safe syrup
- 1/4 cup (60g) Skippy reduced fat creamy peanut butter or use whatever peanut butter you like
- 2 Tbsp. peanut butter powder INSTEAD OF the higher calorie regular peanut butter)
- 3 tbsp. (14.7g) Hershey's cocoa, unsweetened
- 2 tbsp (20g) semisweet GF mini chocolate chips
- 1/8 cup grated coconut, dried and sweetened (or not)
- 2 Tbsp. corn syrup or other syrup, but not molasses or honey which have fodmaps
Instructions
- •In a large bowl place the crushed cereal, (I crush my cereal by putting it in a zip lock plastic bag and rolling it with a rolling pin until it is like breadcrumbs or even finer), the cocoa, chocolate chips and peanut butter OR the peanut butter powder. Stir these dry ingredients until they are mixed together.Then stir in the rest of the ingredients. Stir until mixture seems well mixed and almost like cookie dough. If mixture does not hold together at all, add more syrup.Place bowl in fridge, covered with foil or plastic, and chill for 1 hour or more. Mixture comes together even better after chilling.•Place a cup of warm water near the mixing bowl. Place a sheet of parchment paper over a cookie sheet or sheet pan and place near the mixing bowl.•Dip your fingers into the water but don't have them too wet. Using a small cookie scoop, scoop the mixture and level it to the top of the scoop. Dispense mixture into your damp palm and form into a round marble or ping pong sized ball. As you finish forming each ball, place it on the parchment paper.•You should get about 15 balls. Place the cookie sheet with the energy balls into the freezer until frozen.•Once frozen, place them in a plastic container divided into layers by sheets of waxed paper. Keep them in the freezer. They are much easier to eat while frozen - not too hard and not too cold.•You can double or triple this recipe. It is very forgiving and hard to mess up.I always roll my balls in conf. sugar or cocoa or coconut or melted chocolate and mini chips before freezing them. They look very pretty that way.(Cal per energy ball is 66 Cal.)
