I think I just enjoy super long recipe names. (Have you seen my Banana Nut Muffins with Bacon and Chocolate Chips??) Or feel the need to highlight all of the awesome that is contained in one little bite like this guy.
I was originally going for muffins, but since I packed these protein bites with tons of wet ingredients..they did not rise. At all. Thankfully they still tasted amazing and after a quick poll via Instagram + Facebook, I decided to still share the recipe but go with a slightly different name.
These pumpkin spice browned butter protein bites are everything fall and healthy wrapped into one little package. They are absolutely decadent with the browned butter and brown sugar plus they will fill your kitchen with the spiced smells of Thanksgiving. The added vegan protein powder (Skoop of course!), granola and banana give it a healthy boost in addition to the many health benefits of the star ingredient: pumpkin.
I would definitely call this a semi-healthy snack, treat or even breakfast on-the-go if you grab two or three of them.
Fun fact: I did this photo shoot when I should have been packing for my recent trip to Des Moines. Another fun fact: I left a whole 3 hours later than I anticipated because of my stupid-long to-do list and the other random things that I kept finding to do before leaving for 48 hours of much needed girl time.
I even tried to get stuff done after I finished work Thursday night at 9:30pm..making a trip to Target, doing all of the dishes and finishing a load of laundry. I may have been worried Dave would either a. die of starvation or b. go shirtless while I was gone. 
But all of that work led to a late night and a bedtime of 1am. My only real excuse for the last minute photo shoot was that the rest of the week had been cloudy and bleh outdoors when I was home during daylight hours (aka prime photo shooting light).
Since I haven’t gotten around to setting up a light box or whatever non-natural lighting photographers use (and I have no idea where one will fit), I’ve been setting up shop near a window. You would probably laugh at my set-up as I often do. Pretty much a tv tray, white poster board and random kitchen towels. #winning
I really can’t complain though because although we only have a one bedroom apartment, I have a roof over my head and I feel safe in my neighborhood. (<-so important! especially for running outdoors!) And the ginormous couch that is blocking some of the living room light is pretty dang comfy.
When I was leaving for the girl’s weekend, I even went as far as leaving Dave a note of things to do while I was gone. I know, I know. But it was just a couple of requests and I left him the rest of the delicious pumpkin spice browned butter protein muffins as a thank you. That’s fair, right?
GF Pumpkin Spice Browned Butter Protein Bites
Check out this fantastic post on how to make the best browned butter.
Who doesn’t like to be thanked with scrumptious semi-healthy baked bites of heaven?
I should correct myself in saying I left him the rest of the protein bites because I may have eaten one during the photo shoot (just to be sure it still tasted scrumptious—it did) and I noticed today that there was one little guy left. I downed that one too.
Hey, ya snooze ya lose, right?
[Tweet “I wanna try these pumpkin spice browned butter protein bites! #protein #pumpkin”]
Hope you try these pumpkin spice protein bites out yourself!
Questions For You
You may or may not have noticed that I am posting less. Some of this is just being worn out by traveling a lot lately, but mostly it’s because I’m trying to make sure every. single. post. is one that I will love and be able to reference years from now which takes a bit more time, thought and editing. Recipe posts also just take a lot more time overall and I’ve been getting back into the recipe posting groove lately and having fun with it!
My first question is…does anyone care that I only post 1-3 times per week?
Does anyone care that I post on random days, times and about any topic I feel like on any given day?
I ask these questions because I’ve heard so many times that the key to developing a following (or to having regular blog readers..which I know I already do and appreciate each and every one of you!) is to be consistent. I am not consistent because back when I did have more of a posting schedule, it stressed me out so much that I would lose sleep and fall into depressions regularly because I simply couldn’t meet my own expectations (and expectations I thought my readers had for me).
The last question: is my blog organized in a way that you can find posts or topics you are interested in? I know I need to update my recipe tab, but is there anything else that would be more helpful organizationally?
Thank You
I know I said it earlier, but I just want to say it again: thank you.
Thank you for being here right now reading these words.
Thank you for commenting and sharing and pinning my posts.
Thank you for humoring me when I make bad jokes and making me feel better when I share my fears and failures.
Thank you for letting me bounce ideas off of you. I always find a new perspective when I ask for your opinions.
I have met so many amazing friends through blogging and sometimes I am taken aback at how awesome it is that so many real relationships come from this little blog. Much love to all of you! <3 (More on my Des Moines get together later!)
PS I’m all about Pinterest this year, so I would LOVE IT if you could pin one (or two!) of these images!
Pin with me!
Stay in the loop with bloglovin’!
Receive new post, tips + tricks, inspiration + exclusive content right to your inbox!
Linking up to:
Meatless Mondays with Tina Muir
What’s Cookin’ Wednesday with Buns in My Oven
Strange But Good with Laura at Sprint to the Table
Show and Share Wednesday with Kelly at Mostly Homemade Mom
Recipe Wednesdays with Healthy Living Blogs
(All of the lovely link-ups I participate in here.)
They look so good! And protein too, yay! I didn’t see it but do you have a specific flavor protein powder you use? And about your blogging schedule, do what works best for you when you feel most inspired!
Thanks, Chris! Yes, I use Skoop! It’s the most delicious vegan protein powder I’ve ever tasted! The ingredient list is also super impressive as is the nutrition content. There are a couple of links in the post or you can click on the “buy Scoop” tab. 🙂
So happy you say to post when I’m inspired because that kind of schedule makes blogging much less stressful!
I’ve been looking for a good protein treat.. it’s like you read my mind! 🙂 I’m a new follower but I say you should post whenever it’s best for YOU! You make the rules, girl. Just keep doing what you’re doing!
I do have mind-reading capabilities! 😉
Thanks for the vote of confidence! Sometimes it’s tough to go away from what others are telling you, but posting what I want, when I want is so much more freeing and enjoyable! 🙂
Thanks so much for reading, girl and I’m off to check out your blog!
You’ve got to write when you feel it, because it totally comes through in posts when people write because they feel like the *should* (guilty, party of one over here). That being said I think having some consistency, like when you feel like writing a recipe always posting it on a Tuesday, helps people know what to expect from you at certain parts of the week.
But lets talk about these muffin-bite-things because I want them in my mouth! If I come do chores will you leave some for me? Pretty please 🙂
Hmm that makes sense. I still feel the inclination to post whatever whenever…otherwise I end up in a ball of stress, rocking in the corner crying that I missed wiaw. LOL kidding. Kind of.
These bites are amazing and I seriously need to make them again ASAP. Please try them and let me know how they turn out for you! <3
Amanda,
Reading your questions, I sighed a huge sigh of relief. Because as I read your questions about posting, I thought, I much rather read something good than read something frequently. And as a blogger myself, who just got a DSLR (and it is still in box) I want to improve my craft right now. So that means things take more time and I am posting less myself. And I have felt horrible about it. You helped me look at it from the reader’s point of view. Thank you!
Kristen
I’m so glad this post can provide you relief! It’s so true about wanting to read quality posts. Sometimes even my good blogging friends write a post and I almost feel gypped because the post was about nothing…does that make sense? I think a post should provide information or entertainment of some sort and I think that when you pressure yourself to post daily it means some of those posts won’t do either.
Thanks for the feedback and have fun playing with your new fancy camera! 🙂
when you make your real light box, will you make me one? haha and we’ll feast on bites!
Sure thing, friend! We will take pictures of bites and balls and then have a delightful feast! 🙂
Oh man… The husband would LOVE these!!
Better make em ASAP then! 😉 <3
Creative! Those look great. Thanks for linking up with us today. Hope you will check out some of the other great recipes and the hostess sites as well. 🙂
Thanks for hosting, Deborah! Definitely checked out some other recipes already! 🙂
I picked up more cranberry granola I am going to try these with this week (I hope as things are a little crazy!), have you tried making them in a mini muffin tin? I only wonder because as I was looking at the ingredients and remember you talking about how dense they are it reminded me of mini muffin bites I use to make the girls multiple times a week so maybe I would try a batch that way.
I actually don’t think I own a mini muffin tin! Foodie fail lol! That’s a great idea..wanna try it and let me know how it goes? 😉 I’m not sure I can fit another pan in my baking cabinet!
Awww you are too sweet. I often talk about how my blogging friends are my friends, even though we have never met….and I do have “real” friends haha…. before I sound like a weirdo. We love following your life and dreams, and besides, you bring us yummy food ideas, like this one! Thanks for linking up to meatless monday, I hope you join us again next week 🙂
I love following YOUR journey as well! And I love sharing mine with everyone! It’s just tough when I hear people saying you should be “consistent” and post on certain days/times…that makes blogging stressful for me!
I will definitely be linking next week since I just posted my cashew butta!! Yumm! Thanks for hosting!
What a great GF treat idea! I love anything with extra nutrition too. Thanks for sharing at Saturday Night Fever! Pinned!
Thanks! Extra nutrition for the win! 🙂
I don’t know how strange these are… but they sure look delicious! I’ve been making versions of pumpkin protein muffins every week it seems. Never enough!
Yeah I never know if my food qualifies for you lol! My measuring stick for weirdness is if people back home think it’s weird (because honestly nothing seems to strike me as weird anymore). And baking with protein is weird back home. 🙂
Oh! And almond flour. My mom hadn’t heard of that or coconut flour up until a month ago lol
First of all… yum! I love the shiny glaze look on top – pinning for sure! I’m literally hoarding pumpkin recipes like it’s my business so I have to remember to make these ones!
I was worrying about reducing my post schedule down to 2-3 a week myself, but realised my readers would probably value quality over quantity anyway (I know I do!) so have stopped worrying – and you’ve clearly got quality down to an art so I wouldn’t worry yourself either!
Thank you so much for the compliments! Let me know if you try them! 🙂
Personally it stresses me out more to have posts up every day versus focusing on the quality of each post (because I do that anyways with my perfectionist tendencies). To each his or her own though!