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
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.
Hey! I was wondering if you could use PB2 (or powdered peanut butter) in this recipe? Thanks in advance! 🙂
Hi Krystal- I haven’t tried it, but if you used PB2 powder the protein balls would be too dry so you’d need to add some liquid like a splash of milk or water to help form them into ball shapes. If you’re wanting to use the PB2 in place of the protein powder and still keep the regular peanut butter that should work just fine! Let me know what you end up trying and how they turn out!
I’ve made the chocolate peanut butter ones multiple times. They are such a great, easy, and delicious snack! My husband and daughter love them too and always ask me to make them! I just made the tahini ones and enjoyed them as well! It was much easier to mix up the batter because the tahini is thinner than peanut butter. I also recently just tried the peanut butter ones with vanilla protein powder and they were also delicious!
WOO! I love hearing that you and your family are enjoying this recipe, Tanya! That you for coming back and leaving your review + star rating, I so appreciate you being here.
VERY EASY TO FOLLOW AND IS SO GOOD FOR ALL OCCASIONS TO TAKE TO PARTYS!! THEY STAY MOIST TOO!!
AH! I am so happy that you enjoyed this recipe, Ruthie! Thank you for your review + star rating, I really appreciate it!
Trying these tomorrow, making all 4 flavors. Can you recommend a good protein powder to use?
Hey Latoyia – I love Nuzest and Sun Warrior. If you do want to try Nuzest, I have a code “eatingbirdfood” for 15% off. Let me know how these protein balls turn out for you!
Good with dates, golden raisins, dried cranberries too! Also good dipped in a melted dark chocolate coating. Very versatile!
Yes! The flavor combos are endless! So glad you enjoyed these protein balls, Kay.
I’m new to this, can you use Whey Protein or is that ac ompletely different kind of power?
Hey Trina – You can use whey protein powder. I just prefer to use a plant-based protein powder!
Can’t wait to try this 👍
Ah yay! I hope you love it, such a great snack/breakfast option.
I just made some of the choco peanut butter ones they taste awesome only one problem is the oats is very flaky when eaten straight away . Will they often after refrigeration? 😃
Yes! They will definitely harden in the refrigerator. But, if you are having a tough time rolling them because they are too soft, you can but the mix in the freezer to get it to harden a bit or you can add a touch more protein powder. I’m so happy to hear you are loving this recipe, thank you for sharing your review + star rating. I really appreciate it!
thank you for the information
Just made a batch of the chocolate peanut butter and they are quite delicious. My honey was crystallized and dry, so I added the oat milk as suggested. I used VEGA chocolate protein powder, which added more chocolate flavour.
YUM! Love these! I am excited to hear that you are loving this recipe, Darcy. Thank you for sharing your review & star rating, it means so much to me!
These look amazing! Curious, is there anything you can use instead of protein powder? I prefer not to use it. Thank you so much in advance!
Hi Brittany – If you are looking for a recipe like this without the protein powder, I would recommend my no-bake energy balls.. Enjoy!
Just made them! So delicious. Thanks so much!