Easy No Bake Protein Balls
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Published May 04, 2021, Updated Jan 25, 2024
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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. 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!
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
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
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.
How long can these be frozen for? I want to start prepping for post-partum snacks but im still 4 months away 🙂
Hi Kelly! They should keep well for at least 3-4 months if packaged correctly to avoid freezer burn.
They were amazing. I ended up using agave instead of maple syrup/honey. Also used Lily’s dark chocolate chips to eliminate the sugar. Came out perfect!
Woo! Love to hear that, Ssusa! Thank you so much for your review, I really appreciate it 🙂
Is there a substitution for tahini?
Hi, Paula. You can substitute with nut butter. Follow this recipe for my chocolate peanut butter protein balls and use either vanilla or chocolate protein powder. You can swap the peanut butter for whatever nut butter of your choice.
Oh, such a nice recipe, a classic in the healthy eating world. I never make energy balls, but I want to start and these will be on top of my list!
Woo! Thanks, Claudia. Let me know how they turn out if you try them 🙂
Amazing, make these all the time now I don’t remember buying snacks
Woo! Love to hear that, Johnny. Thanks for coming back to leave a review and star rating, I appreciate it so much!
Yum
I’m going to try with dried apricots roll into coconut
Yum! Let me know how they turn out, Renee!
Proteins are good. and very tasteful
Yay! Glad you like these protein ball recipes, Ray! Thanks for leaving a review.
This does not work. Every time I go to make the balls they fall apart rapidly. Nothing sticks. I tried adding a little more syrup and peanut butter, and still nothing works. Waste of time
Oh no! I’m sorry to hear this recipe didn’t work for you, Preston. Did you change anything else about the recipe? One thing I can think of off the top of my head is that perhaps your peanut or almond butter was not drippy enough? You want the nut butter to really drip off of your spoon when you scoop it.
I just made the Peanut Butter Chocolate chip and they turned out fantastic. I warmed up the Peanut butter and honey first so it would mix well. I just ate four and had to stop. I’m tired of paying 22 bucks (CDN) for fifteen bars. These hold up well. I may blend in some ground flax on the next batch
Yay! I’m so glad to hear these protein balls were a hit for you, Brent. Adding ground flax sounds good but keep in mind you may need to increase the liquid sweetener as they might end up too dry and crumbly. If that happens just start with 1/4 teaspoon (or even 1/8) so you don’t over do it! Let me know how they turn out with flax!
I have only plain protein powder, can I add cocoa powder and sweetener? Instead of chocolate protein powder?
Hi, Agi! I haven’t tried it and I’m worried adding extra powder may make the protein balls dry and crumbly. You could try adding 2 T of cocoa powder and adding an extra splash of milk or you could try removing about 2 T of protein powder and adding 2 T of cocoa powder in its place. Let me know if you try this and how they come out!
Getting ready to make these and I started overthinking the servings. Does each one of the recipes above make 24 or 6, as in making all 4 variations would be 24?
Hi, Callie! Each recipe makes 24. Let me know your favorite if you try them!