Whether I’m looking for a quick and easy protein hit, or just wanting a very tasty snack, these tempeh protein balls fit the bill perfectly. Great for a post-workout snack (I eat them on my way home from the gym), they are also very popular with kids and a great way of topping up their protein levels too.
Are they easy to make?
These are so simple and so quick, I’m almost embarrassed to be posting a recipe for them but I was very proud when I first came up with it and think it’s worth sharing!
Sometimes it’s the simplest things that can hit the spot and these are both tasty and a great way to boost your protein levels (and vitamin B12 too if your nutritional yeast is fortified).
The full ingredients are shown in the recipe below but in short, I just smoosh up grated tempeh, nutritional yeast, onion and garlic granules, some seasoning and a bit of oil, then bake them.
These are great to make with kids because they are so quick, easy and with tasty results. My 5 year old grandson loves making them (and eating them afterwards too)! And they’re a very sneaky and successful way of getting some protein into them, a task that can be notoriously difficult when it comes to our smaller humans.
Which tempeh is best?
Tempeh is widely available in supermarkets and independent shops and I find the quality tends to be pretty good across the board. However, just to be sure, I use the Better Nature or Tofoo products for these tempeh protein balls. I like the consistency, quality and flavours of these 2 products and find Better Nature’s smoky product particularly tasty.
I do tend to use smoky tempeh because it gives the finished product a bit more of an umami hit. However, if you can’t get hold of a smoked product, you can add a teaspoon of smoked paprika (hot or sweet – whichever takes your fancy). Alternatively, use half a teaspoon of liquid smoke but be careful, some can be quite strong so add a little at a time.
How do I cook them?
Once you’ve made them, brush or spray the balls with a little oil and they can then be baked in a conventional oven for 20 minutes, or in an air-frier for about 10 minutes.
Can I use them in a sauce?
If you bake them first and then drop them in a sauce immediately before serving, that might work OK, although it’s not something I’ve tried.
I certainly wouldn’t recommend cooking them in a sauce though because I think they’d fall apart and you’d probably end up with a pile of soggy grated tempeh. It could be a very tasty pile, but probably not your best-looking plate of food ever.
How should these tempeh protein balls be eaten?
Maybe keep them for what they were intended – a quick, tasty, protein-filled snack for any time of the day!
I often take some along to the gym for my car journey home afterwards but they can also be served alongside main course vegetable-based grain dishes. That’s particularly tasty if eaten with a tahini and soya yoghurt sauce mixed with lemon juice and date syrup.
Alternatively, they are simply great on their own as an accompaniment to a cold beer on a sunny afternoon in the garden…
Tempeh Protein Balls
Equipment
- 1 grater
- 1 medium-size mixing bowl
- 1 spatula
- 1 medium-sized baking Tray
- 1 sheet greaseproof baking paper
Ingredients
- 220 grams smoky tempeh I use Better Nature
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast (nooch to its friends)
- 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp onion granules
- 1 tsp garlic granules
- salt and pepper
- a little extra oil for brushing/spraying
Optional extras
- 1 tsp smoked paprika sweet or hot as preferred
- ½ tsp liquid smoke if you can't get smoky tempeh
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180° (fan) if not using an air frier
- Line the baking tray with the greaseproof paper
Grate the tempeh using the coarse blade into the mixing bowl- Stir in the remaining dry ingredients (including your optional extras is using) and mix well
- Stir in the oil and mix with your hands
- Form the mixture into ping-pong sized balls, squeezing the mixture quite tightly so they hold together. If it's too crumbly, add a little more oil but I find 1 tbsp is plenty
- Brush or spray the balls with a little extra oil and space them out well on the baking tray (or place in your air frier basket, keeping them separate)
- Cook for about 20 minutes in your conventional oven, turning halfway through if necessary. Alternatively, cook in your air frier for up to about 10 minutes at 200° (but keep an eye on them in case they burn)
- These are at their best eaten warm, but they can be cooled and kept in the fridge for 2-3 days and eaten cold. I wouldn't recommend re-heating them.
Notes
Other Vegan Mum recipes
I hope you enjoy making (and eating!) these tempeh protein balls. They are a firm favourite with us! If you’d like to see more about tempeh, how about trying out my tempeh bacon recipe? Alternatively, take a look at a few more of my recipes below:
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