Low Carb Gingerbread Protein Balls
A simple recipe for gingerbread balls that have a super moist cake like texture and are rolled in a low carb powdered sugar.
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Servings: 10 protein balls
Calories: 110kcal
Ingredients
- 3 scoops 93g PEScience Protein Powder, vanilla
- 3/4 C 84g Almond Flour
- 1/4 C 36g Swerve Confectioners, or a powdered sugar substitute
- 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- 1 tsp Ground Allspice
- 1/4 tsp Ground Ginger
- 1/4 tsp Ground Cloves
- 1/4 tsp Ground Nutmeg
- 1/4 C 56g Light Butter, I used Land O' Lakes with canola oil
- 1/4 C 60g Unsweetened Apple Sauce, divided
Powdered Sugar Coating
- 1-2 Tbsp 9-18g Swerve Confectioners
Instructions
- Preheat an oven to 350F and spray a baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray or line it with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Mix the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir until everything is evenly mixed. Be sure to get any clumps of flour or Swerve out before adding the liquid ingredients.
- Add the butter and 2 tablespoons (30g) of apple sauce and stir well.
- Continue stirring the mixture until a dough begins to form. Add the remaining apple sauce slowly, as needed, to hydrate the dough and incorporate any remaining dry ingredients. (Different protein powders may require slightly different amounts of apple sauce to hydrate.)
- Break the dough into 10 pieces. You can weigh the entire ball of dough and divide that by 10 to know how much each piece should weigh.
- Roll the pieces between your palms to smooth. The dough should be easy to work with but if it's on the stickier side, you can spray your hands with cooking spray to prevent sticking.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the bottoms begin to brown slightly. Since there are no food safety concerns like eggs, I like to slightly undercook them (8-10 minutes) so they're gooey inside. Every oven is different but 12 minutes should cook them through.
- Add the extra Swerve to a shallow bowl or plate and roll the baked protein balls in the sugar after they've briefly cooled.
Notes
- Each gingerbread ball has 3 Smart Points.
- Swerve Confectioners is a zero calorie powdered sugar replacement with 9 grams of carbs per tablespoon but 0 net carbs since Swerve does not affect blood sugar. The nutrition facts contain the carbs on Swerve's label, and I recommend tracking it that way. But if you're following a net carbs or keto diet, each protein ball has 110 calories, 9.3 grams of protein, 2.9 grams of carbs, and 7.4 grams of fat.
- You can swap the butter for another fat source gram for gram if you need a dairy free option.
- And as a reminder, you can use a store bought gingerbread spice in place of the five spices.
- If you have modification questions about protein powder, Swerve, almond flour, or gingerbread spice, see the post above.
Nutrition
Serving: 1protein ball | Calories: 110kcal | Carbohydrates: 7.4g | Protein: 9.3g | Fat: 7.4g