Lemon Poppy Seed 'Perfect' Protein Balls
If you know me at all, you know Perfect Bars used to be one of my very favorite things. They still are, but I cut back on buying them because of how expensive they are. They also tend to be pretty high in fat and sugar, which is of course okay sometimes, just not necessarily at the rate I was eating them.
This is why I eventually decided to figure out how to make a copy cat recipe at home, and I did! Over the years I feel like I've perfected this recipe. I'm convinced if you did a blind taste test, you would not know the difference between these, and a real Perfect Bar. I know there are plenty of different versions of the homemade Perfect Bar floating around the internet, but mine has the shortest ingredient list, so that's a win in my book!
One thing I love about this recipe is how versatile it is. I use the same base formula for every different flavor/version that I make. I just tweak the ingredients based on the flavor I'm trying to achieve. In this case, lemon poppyseed!
Lemon Poppyseed is newer to the Perfect Bar family. I just spotted it for the first time at Target last week! I bought it so that I could really make sure mine tasted like the real deal, and it does! Lemon has always been my mom's favorite so this recipe is specifically for her! :)
What You'll Need
peanut butter or cashew butter, whichever you prefer
lemon zest
lemon juice
honey
protein powder (I use IheartMacros, code: KALE20)
A Note about protein powder
The protein powder you use in a protein ball recipe is actually really, really important. Trust me when I say, I’ve tried them all and they are not all created equally.
Some get extremely clumpy and/or gritty when you combine them with other ingredients. Some don’t combine seamlessly with the peanut butter, some are chunky, etc. There are a lot of reasons certain protein powders don’t work; not all protein powders are great for baking, but IHM is!
The vanilla protein powder I use for all of my recipes is the best protein powder I’ve ever used. It works well in any recipe I’ve ever tried it in, it doesn’t dry things out, and the flavor is amazing. I could go on, just trust me. I have taken the guess work out of trying tons of powders and brands, because once you try IheartMacros, you’ll never go back.
This powder was created for people who have a hard time digesting protein (many people have a whey protein intolerance without even knowing it) so it’s super easy on your stomach if you’ve ever had issues with that! I have yet to have a single person tell me they didn’t love this protein and that is rare when it comes to protein powders!
You can find it here, and my code is KALE20 which will get you 20% off your purchase! Note – this code cannot be used on subscriptions/reoccurring purchases, so if it pulls up as “invalid”, make sure you’re not choosing that option!
When Should I eat these?
These protein balls can be enjoyed any time of day! That’s what I love about them. Protein balls are the perfect treat, pick me up, pre workout snack, post workout, etc. Any time of day!
mid morning snack
mid afternoon snack
post lunch dessert
post dinner dessert
late night sweet treat
on the go
pre workout snack
post workout snack
FAQs
There are a few common questions I get asked every time I share protein balls. I figured I would answer them here to clear up any confusion if you happen to have any of the same questions.
WHAT KIND OF PEANUT BUTTER SHOULD I USE?
The kind of peanut butter you use really doesn’t matter. The only thing that matters is that you use creamy. Chunky doesn’t work as well, and you have to really adjust the other ingredients in the recipe to make it come together as well as it does with creamy. The brand is totally up to you, I think I’ve tried every peanut butter under the sun and they all work just fine!
CAN I USE POWDERED PEANUT BUTTER
I get this question a lot. I get it. If you’re a macro counter, using powdered peanut butter saves you a lot of fat macros. However, for the sake of this recipe, use the real deal. Powdered peanut butter is so much less sticky than regular peanut butter, and it really takes a ton of trial and error to get the measurements right when it comes to imitating real peanut butter’s consistency. Consistency is key in this recipe coming together, so I just don’t recommend it. To me, it’s not worth the couple of grams of fat you’d save by using it, and it also increases the carb count substantially.
IF I DON’T HAVE IHEARTMACROS, CAN I USE ANY OTHER PROTEIN POWDER?
I’m going to be honest, after years of trial and erroring my way through protein powders, I just recommend purchasing IHM. Especially if you’re going to be making more than one of my protein ball recipes, because they all call for that specific protein powder. I don’t say that just because I love it, but trust me when I say, no protein powder I’ve ever tried works as well in as many recipes as IHM does. It’s not worth wasting time and effort with using another protein powder, just for the recipe to not turn out right. All that to say, you can try another protein powder, I just can’t promise it will turn out nearly as well as it would with IHM!
HOW DO YOU GET THE BALLS TO COME OUT SO EVENLY?
Another common question! I know a lot of people like to hand roll their protein balls, but to me it’s a huge waste of time. It may look more aesthetically pleasing, but let’s be honest, all the protein balls are going to the same place. Your belly doesn’t care what shape or form they’re in, so save yourself the time and effort and use a cookie dough scoop! Using a cookie dough scoop ensures all the protein balls come out evenly, and it takes the effort out of rolling! I’m linking the cookie dough scoop I use here.
SHOULD I KEEP THESE IN THE REFRIGERATOR OR AT ROOM TEMP?
I keep mine in the refrigerator! They’ll likely go bad pretty quickly if you leave them out, and they’re not going to be nearly as firm as they will be if they set up and stay cold in the fridge.
Recipe:
Lemon Poppyseed Protein Balls
The newest and freshest twist on a homemade Perfect Bar. So dang close to the real deal you won't even be able to tell it's not a Perfect Bar. These guys are a lot cheaper, and contain a whole lot less sugar too! Just a few simple ingredients and you'll have a batch of 16 protein balls bursting with lemony fresh flavor!
1 cup creamy peanut butter or cashew butter
2 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp lemon zest
1 juice of one whole lemon
1 Tbsp poppyseeds
2 scoops vanilla protein powder (50g)
Combine peanut butter and honey, and melt in the microwave for 1 minute.
Whisk in lemon juice, zest, poppyseeds, and protein powder. Do this step quickly, the quicker you get them combined, the better the protein powder will dissolve in the warm batter.
Use a cookie dough scoop to evenly form 16-18 protein balls.
Refrigerate until you're ready to eat!
Macros for 1 of 16 balls
124 calories
8.8g fat
6.7g carbs
6.8g protein
