Squash Hunger With Peanut Buttery Protein Balls (2024)

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Snack Recipes

These easy, portable energy balls will squash your hunger.

Laurel Randolph

A fervid lover of the culinary arts and all things Instant Pot, Laurel has been writing about food for 10 years. One of her cookbooks was the #2 cookbook of 2017.

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Updated on 02/9/24

Tested by

Diana Rattray

Tested byDiana Rattray

Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.

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No Special Equipment Needed

You won't need any special equipment to make these energy bites. Just a bowl and a wooden spoon or spatula—no food processor required.

Simple, Energy-Boosting Ingredients

Our energy balls include rolled oats, which supply healthy complex carbs, protein-packed nut butter, nutrient-dense flaxseeds and chia seeds, and chocolate chips (optional, but so good!), and a bit of honey to hold everything together.

Homemade Fruit Roll-Ups Recipe

If you'd like to include protein powder, swap it out for the ground flax and chia seeds. A plant-based protein powder works best for this recipe. Plain, vanilla, or chocolate protein powder work nicely—the latter two will add a bit of sweetness as well. If you use vanilla protein powder, you might want to skip the optional vanilla in the recipe, unless you like a lot of vanilla flavor.

Can You Eat Raw Oats in Energy Balls?

Energy bites and protein ball recipes call for quick-cooking or rolled oats, both of which have been steamed as part of their processing. They can be enjoyed uncooked in energy balls as well as recipes like overnight oats.

Customize Your Energy Balls

Protein balls are super easy to customize using your favorite ingredients. Swap out the peanut butter for almond butter, mix in flaked coconut, toss in some chocolate chips or dried fruit, and more. Check out some ideas for mixing things up below the recipe.

Tips for the Best Protein Balls

The best peanut butter for energy balls—Use natural, runny peanut butter for this recipe. Avoid thick, no-stir nut butter.
For vegan protein balls—Swap the honey for maple syrup or agave. Adjust the amount of sweetener to your taste.
Trouble-shooting dry protein balls—Note that different protein powders will react differently when added to the mixture since some are drier than others. If the protein ball mixture becomes too dry, add a little nut milk.

What You'll Need To Make This Protein Balls Recipe

A Good Baking Sheet

Parchment Paper

A Handy Dandy Cookie Scoop

Ingredients

1 cup rolled oats
1 cup natural peanut butter , or almond butter
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons ground flaxseed, or protein powder
1 tablespoon chia seeds, or protein powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt (if using unsalted nut butter), optional
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips, optional

Steps to Make It

Gather the ingredients.
Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the rolled oats, peanut butter, honey, ground flax, chia seeds, vanilla (if using), and salt (if using). Use a wooden spoon or fork to mix well.
If you're using chocolate chips, add them and mix to combine.
Scoop out the mixture using a spoon or cookie scoop and use your hands to roll it into a smooth ball, then transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining mixture.
Serve immediately or store the protein balls in the fridge in an airtight container until ready to eat.

How to Store and Freeze Protein Balls

Store protein balls in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week or freeze for up to a month.

5 Delicious Protein Ball Twists

Peanut Butter Cookie: Leave out the chocolate chips. For a bit of crunch, add up to 1/4 cup crushed peanuts.
Almond Joy: Swap the peanut butter for almond butter and add 2-3 tablespoons coconut flakes and 2-3 tablespoons mini chocolate chips.
PB&J: Swap the chocolate chips for dried, sweetened cranberries or plump raisins.
Cinnamon Raisin: Swap the peanut butter for almond butter, add 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and swap the chocolate chips for raisins.
Date: Add about 3/4 cup of finely chopped dates to the mixture.

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Nutrition Facts (per serving)
129	Calories
8g	Fat
11g	Carbs
5g	Protein

Show Full Nutrition Label

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 18
Amount per serving
Calories	129
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 8g	11%
Saturated Fat 1g	6%
Cholesterol 0mg	0%
Sodium 54mg	2%
Total Carbohydrate 11g	4%
Dietary Fiber 2g	8%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 5g
Vitamin C 0mg	0%
Calcium 18mg	1%
Iron 1mg	3%
Potassium 126mg	3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Recipe Tags:

protein balls recipes
snack
american
back to school

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