Carrot Cake Bites

I am sad to bid adieu to Summer, I could use few more days of warmer weather and rooftop shenanigans. On the other hand, I’m super happy and excited to share these Carrot Cake Protein Bites with y’all. If you love carrot cake or if you have ever had carrot halwa but could not eat it as often as you’d like due to the time, effort needed to make them and also the amount of calories they come with ?, these bites are for you and for everyone out there who has a penchant for healthy lifestyle. They are ready in minutes, require no baking, loaded with chia seeds, hemp hearts, sweetened with raisins, dates and maple syrup and are so delicious.

These bites are vegan, gluten free, nut free and are loaded with proteins, fiber and other nutrients. The dough is slightly moist but totally manageable. We are not looking for perfection in shape anyway (at-least I wasn’t). Instead I rolled the balls into a mix of unsweetened shredded coconut and Hemp Seeds to give some texture and shape them. Also, these can be refrigerated for up to a week or even longer (up to a month) in the freezer.

Ingredients
2 Medium Carrots, peeled and sliced into pieces approx. 1/3 inch
4-5 Medjool Dates, pitted
2 Tablespoons Pure Maple Syrup
1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
3-4 Tablespoons Rolled Oats
1 Teaspoon Chia Seeds
1 Teaspoon Hemp Seeds and more for rolling
1 Tablespoon Unsweetened Shredded Coconut and more for rolling
1 Tablespoon Raisins
1 Tablespoon Nuts, optional
1 Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract

Process

1. Add the carrots to a pan filled with water and bring to a boil on medium high heat. Reduce the heat, and cook the carrots for additional five minutes. Drain the water and let the carrots cool down.
2. Add a mixture of unsweetened coconut and hemp seeds to a small bowl and set aside.
3. Place the oats in a food processor and blend for a minute or until it becomes flour.
4. Now add the dates, raisins, cinnamon, maple syrup and cooled carrots to the food processor and blend until everything is incorporated and the mixture turns into dough (2 – 3 minutes).
5. Transfer the mixture into a plate, add shredded coconut, chia and hemp seeds and mix well. Taste the mixture and add more maple syrup if needed.
6. Divide the mixture into 10-12 equal portions and form into balls. Roll the balls into coconut and hemp seeds mixture and place in the refrigerator for few hours.

Enjoy! 🙂