Sweet & salty, chewy as well as UMAMI, these Asian-inspired protein balls made with white miso paste and honey are one of my favorite quick treats to make when I’m tired of the same-old flavors and looking for a boost of instant energy and deliciousness.
WHAT IS MISO?
For those of you who are unfamiliar with this Japanese ingredient, miso is fermented soybean paste. If I had to describe how it tastes like I’d say it tastes salty, earthy, nutty, creamy and slightly sweet? Oh, and there’s the umami. There are lots of umami flavors in miso that comes from the fermentation process.
This article even calls miso a secret ingredient.
There are many uses for miso paste, like making miso soup, using it for marinades for fish (or chicken or pork), or in sauces like pasta sauce. But I’ve also seen Some Japanese restaurants use it for dessert dishes, too. Does vanilla icecream with miso caramel sound amazing or what?
What I love about this recipe
- Easy to make (only 4 ingredients!)
- Gluten-free
- Full of fiber and nutritious!
- Takes less than 5 minutes to make and eat
- Full of earthy, sweet and umami flavors
Ingredients used to make this
**I’ve linked some of these ingredients to amazon.com to give you an idea of what they are, but you should also be able to find them in your local grocery store (usually, the natural & organic food section). They are also affiliate links, which means that I earn a commission as an Amazon Associate if you decide to purchase the items. The price will be the same for you, link or no link 🙂
- Protein Powder – You can use any protein powder for this. I used a vanilla plant-based protein powder.
- Coconut Flour – you can use any brand of coconut flour for this recipe.
- Honey – or other liquid sweeteners of choice, like maple syrup or agave syrup.
- Miso Paste – preferably white or sweet miso
How to Make
Honey Miso Protein Balls
STEP 1
Mix all ingredients together. I find that it’s best to use my hands to mix the dough because it takes some kneading and pressing to get the dough to come together. Add more coconut flour if the dough is too soft, add a teaspoon or more of water or milk of choice if the dough is too thick
STEP 2
Roll the dough into tablespoon sized balls, and refrigerate 15 minutes to help se
STEP 3
enjoy!
Recipe Variations and Optional Add Ins:
- Add natural flavoring / extracts. You can add a teaspoon of vanilla extract (I didn’t feel like it was essential so I left it out in this recipe), or other flavorings or extracts, such as caramel flavoring, hazelnut extract or almond extract.
- Coat these in melted white chocolate to turn these into truffles
- Make this vegan by using maple syrup instead of honey
How to Make this Healthier
- Make this even healthier by adding a handful of nuts, seeds and old-fashioned oats to add texture and nutrition. Even better, add a tablespoon of ground flaxseed, hemp seeds, or chia seeds.
How to Store
- Store these protein balls covered in the fridge for up to 3-5 days.
Final Tips
- Coconut flour and protein powders are all very different depending on brands, so if you find that the dough is too soft, add more coconut flour; if the dough is too thick, add a teaspoon or more of water, honey or liquid sweetener of choice.
More Energy Bite Recipes
Honey Miso Protein Balls
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp miso paste
- 2 Tbsp vanilla protein powder note*
- 2 Tbsp coconut flour
- 1 Tbsp honey
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. (read note**)
- Add more coconut flour if the dough is too soft, add a teaspoon or more of water or milk of choice if the dough is too thick
- Roll the dough into tablespoon sized balls, and refrigerate 15 minutes to help set
- Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
These are DELICIOUS!! Wow. Probably the protein balls I’ve like the best, straight up. No fuss, no hard to find ingredients, easy to adapt to taste.
I made them without any add-ins, just to try first, but next time I will try adding different ingredients just for variety.
Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Thank you! Glad you liked them