Apple Fritter Protein Balls

I almost ate a 450-calorie apple fritter today.

The kids asked me to get them donuts this morning, a treat that we rarely have at our house, and I knew I was in for trouble.

Going into a donut shop is NOT smart for me, since apple fritter donuts are my BIGGEST WEAKNESS. For some reason I can turn down sugar in any other form but put a freshly fried apple fritter in front of me and I morph into a scary, sugar-thirsty monster. 

I needed a healthier alternative to quench my apple fritter craving!

What resulted, after about an hour of messing around in the kitchen, was this incredibly delicious and SUPER HEALTHY recipe for Apple Fritter Protein Balls. My best recipes have always resulted from an intense need to satisfy an unhealthy craving, like this one!

After my craving was quenched and I was able to think clearly again, I did some research and found out that the apple fritter donut that I almost ate contained 450 calories, 17 grams of fat, 63 grams of carbs and 38 grams of sugar! Compare that to the 100 calories, 2 grams of fat, 14 grams of carbs, 16 grams of protein and only 2 grams of sugar found in 2 of these tasty protein balls.

But the numbers aren’t the only reason that this recipe is so exciting. There are two other amazing things happening here… 

1) CONTAINS NO ADDED SWEETENERS! Check out pretty much any other recipe for “protein balls” online and you’ll find they contain copious amounts of honey, agave nectar or dates. While these sweeteners are better for you than the refined sugars found in a donut, it’s still sugar grams what will work against your fitness results.

Instead of sweeteners with sugar-impact, I used some brown swerve, made with 0-sugar erythritol and a fresh apple. 

2) CONTAINS POWDERED GREENS! Yep, you read that correctly. These tasty, donut-replacing protein balls are not only super low in sugar, they also contain powdered super greens. Considering that only 14 percent of adults get adequate amounts of veggies and greens in their diet, we could all benefit from some super greens.

I used our super greens powder that can be mixed into smoothies or plain water and gives you an incredibly healthy dose of vegetables in one scoop. I like to add a scoop to my morning protein shake for a boost of energy and am so thrilled to start incorporating it into more recipes like this! Bonus nutrition! 

Vegetables, especially the super greens, contain many essential nutrients and vitamins to support and maximize your body. They contain high amounts of fiber which helps with your metabolism and your weight loss as well as immunity-boosting antioxidants. Trulean’s Mint Apple Powdered Greens has a unique blend of superfoods to help alkalize and rebalance your toxins too. It has been sold out but was just restocked! 

I hope you use this awesome recipe to save yourself the next time you encounter a tempting, fattening donut. Enjoy!