Easy No Bake Protein Balls

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The easiest no bake protein balls on the internet with four different flavors – chocolate peanut butter, tahini chocolate chip, cinnamon raisin and almond joy. Take 10 minutes to whip up a batch of these protein balls and snack healthy all week long!

Who knew one snack could have so many names?! Protein balls, energy bites, just “balls”. . . I’m sure there are even more out there. No matter what you call them, one thing is for sure: they are one of the best snacks to have on hand for easy, healthy snacking!

Parchment paper lined with protein balls.

I know some people love their store-bought protein bars (and I have a few favs too) but I honestly really like making homemade protein balls because I can control what ingredients go into the mix AND they’re way cheaper. Plus, coming up with the different flavor combinations is so fun!

A bowl full of different flavors of protein balls.

No Food Processor Needed

One thing I’ve noticed is that a lot of protein ball recipes call for medjool dates and a food processor. I have a TON of recipes that fit this bill – like my Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Protein BallsHomemade Larabars, Pumpkin Pie Larabar Balls, Blueberry Muffin Larabar Balls, etc.

That said, I know not everyone has a food processor so I’m excited to share four different protein ball recipes that you can make without a food processor and without dates!

The cool part about this recipe is that you can use the same basic formula to create FOUR different recipes — just by switching up a couple different ingredients you have a brand new flavor!

Protein Ball + Energy Bite Ingredients:

  • Old-fashioned rolled oats – I always use rolled oats for protein balls because during processing they get steamed and flattened/rolled. This makes the texture way better for no bake recipes!
  • Nut butter – My one tip for nut butter is to make sure it’s drippy! It can be hard to mix when you have a more “solid” or “dry” nut butter, so I recommend finding a runny nut butter. You can use any nut butter you want for the base . . . even a seed butter like sunflower butter or tahini if you’re allergic to nuts.
  • Honey – I add a hint of sweetener to my base because, in my opinion, it is the key to balanced flavor! Feel free to use maple syrup if you want these balls to be vegan.
  • Protein powder – For these protein balls, I’m using a plant-based, organic protein powder. This obviously majorly increases the protein content, which I’m a huge fan of, but it also brings in some fun flavors like vanilla or chocolate and a little sweetness to the mix. Nuzest is one of my favorite brands. It’s plant-based and has a minimal, clean ingredient list. You can use my code eatingbirdfood for 15% off your order.

That’s it! That’s your base recipe. I like to add in fun mix-ins to make the flavors really unique, and I’ve included four simple recipes below. Try these first and when you feel comfortable mixing on your own, go for it and get creative!

Hand holding a chocolate chip peanut butter protein ball. Behind is a bowl of a variety of protein balls.

Protein Balls are Too Dry or Crumbly?

Some protein powders will soak up more liquid than others and some nut butters are drier than others. This is totally normal and it might cause your your protein ball mixture to seem a little dry or crumbly. If this happens, just add a little water or almond milk to the protein ball mixture, 1 teaspoon at a time until the mixture is moist enough to form into balls. Just be careful not to add too much liquid.

Parchment paper lined with 4 flavors of protein balls.

I love to make a batch of these on the weekend so that I have grab-n-go snacks throughout the week. They’re also perfect for a pre or post-workout snack (or even dessert). I usually eat two a time!

Parchment paper lined with different flavors of protein balls.

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4.32 from 643 votes

No Bake Protein Balls

The easiest no bake protein balls on the internet with four different flavors – chocolate peanut butter, tahini chocolate chip, cinnamon raisin and almond joy. Take 10 minutes to whip up a batch of these protein balls and snack healthy all week long! 
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 24

Ingredients  

Chocolate Peanut Butter 

  • 1 ½ cups old fashioned rolled oats
  • 1 cup natural peanut butter
  • ¼ cup honey or maple syrup
  • 2 scoops, about 50-60 grams chocolate protein powder
  • 2 Tablespoons chocolate chips

Almond Joy

  • 1 ½ cups old fashioned rolled oats
  • 1 cup natural almond butter
  • ¼ cup honey or maple syrup
  • 2 scoops, about 50-60 grams chocolate protein powder
  • 1-2 Tablespoons unsweetened shredded coconut

Cinnamon Raisin Cookie

  • 1 ½ cups old fashioned rolled oats
  • 1 cup cashew butter
  • ¼ cup honey or maple syrup
  • 2 scoops, about 50-60 grams vanilla protein powder
  • 2 Tablespoons raisins
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon

Tahini Chocolate Chip 

Instructions 

Chocolate Peanut Butter 

  • Place oats, peanut butter, honey, protein powder and chocolate chips in a large bowl and stir to combine.
  • Getting the mixture to combine takes a little arm muscle and it may seem too thick at first, but it will come together as you keep mixing. I used my hands to knead the dough near the end and that seems to help.
  • Once combined, use a small cookie scoop to scoop and form the dough into balls.
  • Store in a covered container in the fridge or freezer.

Almond Joy 

  • Place oats, almond butter, honey, protein powder and shredded coconut in a large bowl and stir to combine.
  • Getting the mixture to combine takes a little arm muscle and it may seem too thick at first, but it will come together as you keep mixing. I used my hands to knead the dough near the end and that seems to help.
  • Once combined, use a small cookie scoop to scoop and form the dough into balls.
  • Store in a covered container in the fridge or freezer.

Cinnamon Raisin Cookie

  • Place oats, cashew butter, honey, protein powder, raisins and cinnamon in a large bowl and stir to combine.
  • Getting the mixture to combine takes a little arm muscle and it may seem a little crumbly at first, but it will come together as you keep mixing. I used my hands to knead the dough near the end and that seems to help.
  • Once combined, use a small cookie scoop to scoop and form the dough into balls.
  • Store in a covered container in the fridge or freezer.

Tahini Chocolate Chip

  • Place oats, tahini, honey, protein powder and chocolate chips in a large bowl and stir to combine.
  • Getting the mixture to combine takes a little arm muscle and it may seem too thick at first, but it will come together as you keep mixing. I used my hands to knead the dough near the end and that seems to help.
  • Once combined, use a small cookie scoop to scoop and form the dough into balls.
  • Store in a covered container in the fridge or freezer.

Video

Notes

  • If the protein ball mixture seems a little too dry or crumbly, add water or almond milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until the mixture forms together.

Nutrition

Serving: 1ball (Chocolate PB) | Calories: 104kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 2mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: no bake protein balls
Did you make this recipe?Mention @eatingbirdfood and tag #eatingbirdfood!

About Brittany

Hey there, I’m Brittany, the creator of Eating Bird Food, cookbook author, health coach and mama of two littles. Here you’ll find quick and easy recipes that make healthy fun and enjoyable for you and your family!

More about Brittany
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446 Comments

    1. Hi Jennifer! Yes, I love Nuzest, Sunwarrior, Clean Simple Eats, and recently I’ve been enjoying Be Well by Kelly. You can also check out this post for more information.

  1. Would the texture be the same without protein powder? I am looking to make it for my toddler so was wondering if I do it without adding protein powder (not sure if kids can consume?!). Thanks!

  2. 5 stars
    I made the tahini chocolate chip version. I need to adjust the amount of vanilla protein powder next time. I use Bulletproof. Each scoop is 9 grams – since the recipe called for at least 50 grams, I put in four scoops. The vanilla flavor is very overwhelming! I’ll probably only do two next time. I’m looking forward to trying the other versions. Thank you!

    1. Brenda,
      I think she means 50-60 grams of powder, not protein. Two scoops of most protein powders would only have 36-40 grams of protein in it. Not sure but that’s how I read the recipe.
      Barb

      1. Hi! You will want to use 50-60 grams of protein, all protein powders vary per scoop of protein powder, so I typically give grams of protein instead of # of scoops. Hope that helps!

  3. Hi,

    The recipe instructions say to refrigerate the protein balls. Do you think they could be made ahead for traveling and not be refrigerated?

    1. Hi! I would refrigerate the balls to allow them to set. They should be fine for traveling, but will be a little softer and might fall apart when you go to eat them. Hope you love these!

  4. 4 stars
    I just made the chocolate peanut butter one (two of my favorite guilty pleasures) and it was good, very rich though as after eating just one was enough to not only satisfy my sweet (and salty) tooth but also fill me up. I used Slimfast as it’s the only one that comes in a container small enough to fit my small counter in my small apartment. After they are gone I will try the oatmeal raisin one next.

    1. Yay! I am so glad you are enjoying the chocolate peanut butter energy balls, Suzy! I hope you love these too! Thanks so much for your review + star rating, I really appreciate it!

  5. Hi i was wondering how you made your nutrition label im doing a scool project and i chose to modifi your recipe and was wondering if you could help?

  6. 4 stars
    I made the first 3 recipes today. I’m putting them in snack bags in the fridge for after school and pre/post practice or game snacks for my 2 kids (7&10). I love these ideas and I’m already playing with ideas to make my own recipes.

    1. YAY! I am so glad you found this recipe and gave it a try, Samantha. They are the best grab-and-go snacks! Thanks so much for coming back and sharing your review + star rating, I truly appreciate it!

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