Get a mid-afternoon boost with these chickpea tahini protein balls. I love sneaking beans into no bake snacks for an inexpensive protein source and soft texture. With walnuts, tahini (sesame seed paste), and oats these protein balls will be a filling on-the-go snack.
Packed with protein filled ingredients
Naturally sweetened with dates and a touch of maple syrup
Delicious
Freezer friendly
And so easy to take on-the-go
How To Make Chickpea Tahini Protein Balls
I highly recommend starting by toasting the walnuts for this recipe. I confess, I would always skip this step when I read it in recipes in order to save time. BUT... as soon as I tried toasting nuts I realized why it's often suggested!
Toasting walnuts really boosts their flavour and only adds a few minutes to this recipe so the tasty factor beats out the timely factor for this one!
While the walnuts are toasting, I recommend soaking the dates in very warm water for about 5 minutes to soften them and make them easier to blend. This is another tip that will make the blending of the dough easier and save time in the long run.
With the nuts toasted and the dates soaked you can proceed to adding all the ingredients to a food processor. Pulse to break down the nuts, chickpeas, and dates. Then blend the dough until it starts to form a ball and can stick together between your fingers.
You may need to stop the machine and scrape the sides to encourage all the ingredients to blend. Depending on the hydration of your chickpeas and the runnines of your tahini you may need to add a bit more liquid to the dough. The reserved water the dates soaked in, extra tahini, or extra maple syrup for a bit more sweetness will all work.
How To Roll The Chickpea Tahini Dough
With your dough formed, scoop tablespoons of the dough and roll it between your palms to form a ball. A cookie scoop can help make even sized protein balls.
If desired, roll the formed ball through toasted sesame seeds for a crunchy topping and extra sesame flavour. If your dough is a little too dry for the sesame seeds to stick, you can dampen your palms slightly and get the protein ball slightly wet to help the seeds stay in place.
These chickpea tahini protein balls are also delicious without the sesame topping so feel free to make this recipe extra speedy and skip this step.
Recipe Cost
These protein packed snacks cost us approximately: $3.18 CAN or $0.16 per protein ball. If we purchase protein balls out, they typically cost us upwards of $1 each!
One of my favourite thrifty tips is to cook beans from scratch if you can. Dried beans are more cost effective than canned beans because they typically triple in size when cooked. Take a look at my popular How To Cook Chickpeas From Scratch blog post and video to learn how to save a few bucks and always have cooked beans in the freezer.
Admittedly, the savings aren't massive but if I make this recipe with canned beans our price increases to $4.08 or $0.20 per protein ball. If you cook with beans a lot, have the time to cook them from scratch, and like to save a few dollars then it might be a great option for you.
When I choose to roll these vegan protein balls in toasted sesame seeds, my overall cost increases by $0.80.
Love the idea of sneaking chickpeas into sweeter snacks? Check out my Easy PB & Chickpea Cookie Dough Balls and my chocolate drizzled PB & Chickpea Bars!
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Chickpea Tahini Protein Balls - Quick & Easy Boost
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 20 pieces 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Quick and easy chickpea tahini protein balls can be a healthier snack for a mid-day boost. Less than 10 ingredients & no baking required.
Ingredients
- ½ cup walnuts, toasted
- ½ cup pitted deglet noor dates (about 11)
- 1 cup chickpeas, rinsed & drained (cook from scratch for extra savings)
- 1 cup oats
- ⅓ cup tahini
- 1 ½ tbsp maple syrup
- Pinch of salt
- ¼ cup toasted sesame seeds (optional topping)
*All the ingredients for this recipe are from our pantry and freezer tips!
Instructions
- Start by toasting the walnuts. Spread on a baking sheet and toast at 350 degrees F for 6-8 minutes or until the nuts are fragrant and nicely browned.
- Meanwhile, soften the dates in warm water for 5 minutes so they will be easier to blend.
- When the nuts are cooled, remove the dates from the water and add them to the bowl of a food processor (the reserved soaking water can be used later if your mixture is too dry). *See notes if using a blender.
- Add the remaining ingredients, minus the sesame seeds, to the food processor and pulse to break down the nuts and chickpeas. Then blend the dough until it comes together and starts to form a ball in the food processor. You may have to stop your machine periodically to scrape the sides and ensure even blending. You should be able to pinch the dough between your fingers and have it stick together. *If the dough is too dry, add little splashes of the water the dates soaked in to help it blend (or use extra maple syrup or tahini if desired). Too much liquid will make the dough too sticky and difficult to handle so go slow. *If your dough is too sticky, add more oats to soak up some of the moisture.
- Scoop tablespoons of the dough and roll the dough between your palms to create a ball. Roll the ball in toasted sesame seeds for a crunchy topping and more sesame taste if desired. Continue with the remaining dough. *See notes for instructions on how to toast the seeds.
- Store finished protein balls in the fridge or freezer in an airtight container. These will last well in the fridge for up to 1 week and 1-2 months in the freezer.
Notes
Approximate Cost: CAD $3.18 ($0.16/each) using chickpeas cooked from scratch and $4.08 ($0.20/each) using canned chickpeas. The sesame seed topping adds roughly $0.80. Protein balls tend to cost us upwards of $1 each when purchased out.
Depending on the hydration of your chickpeas and the runinness of your tahini your dough may be more dry or wet. The instructions in the recipe card will help you get the right consistency.
Using a blender for this recipe will likely be a bit more difficult than using a food processor. I would recommend pulsing the nuts, chickpeas, and dates first to break them into smaller pieces. Then add the wet ingredients and blend until you get as smooth a texture as you can. You will likely have to stop the blender and push the ingredients around a bit. Add a bit more liquid as needed to get a sticky dough but be careful to not add too much.
To toast sesame seeds at home, place the seeds in a frying pan over low heat on your stovetop. Shake the pan periodically to move the seeds around. After a couple minutes the seeds will start to brown. Use a spatula to move the seeds around and encourage even browning. Once most seeds have a light golden colour, remove them from the hot pan so they don’t burn.
- Category: Snacks
- Method: Food Processor
- Cuisine: American, Canadian
Conni
I'm on a strict protein diet. My Fitness Pal calculates this recipe to be 2.3g of protein per serving (1 ball). Is that considered a high protein snack? I'm so new to this.
Kathryn Alexandre
Interesting. I use the free app "Cronometer" and it estimates 3.5 grams of protein per serving (20 servings). These are typically called protein or energy balls and the chickpeas plus the nuts and seed butter do provide a good amount of protein. These also have 7.7g fat and 8.2 g carbs according to my app. It depends on how strict your diet is and how many carbs you are able to consume as well. These probably have more protein than a lot of snack options but I'm sure there are other options that could be higher in protein and wouldn't include the fat and carb content. It will depend on how strict your diet is but if you wanted to try tracking your macros with "cronometer" I know it can be really helpful. I've never used My Fitness Pal so I'm not sure how that compares in helping you track and understand your diet.
Nina
I have made many of your energy ball recipes (they are all great), but this one is such an interesting flavor. It gives me hummus with sweet and salty notes, which I love! This totally hits the spot for a late afternoon snack.
Kathryn Alexandre
Oh awesome! It's so great to know you've been loving all of the energy ball recipes and this one hits the spot in a new and interesting way! Thank you so much for taking the time to write a 5 star review Nina. This means so much to us!