Easy No Bake Protein Balls
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Published May 04, 2021, Updated Aug 12, 2023
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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!
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!
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 Balls, Homemade 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.
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!
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.
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!
Want More Protein Balls & Energy Bites?
- Energy Balls
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Balls
- Cinnamon Raisin Cookie Protein Balls
- Almond Joy Protein Balls
- Vegan Protein Balls
- Tahini Chocolate Chip Protein Balls
- Coconut Protein Balls
- Chocolate Hazelnut Energy Bites
- Thin Mint Protein Balls
No Bake Protein Balls
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
- 2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
- 1 cup tahini
- ¼ cup honey or maple syrup
- 2 scoops, about 50-60 grams vanilla protein powder
- 2 Tablespoons mini chocolate chips
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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Do you have a particular protein powder you use?
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.
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!
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!
Hi,
The recipe instructions say to refrigerate the protein balls. Do you think they could be made ahead for traveling and not be refrigerated?
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!