These Peanut Butter Protein Balls are made with 7 simple ingredients and come together in just 15 minutes. This recipe is no-bake and each ball is packed with over 6.5 grams of protein!

A peanut butter protein ball on a marble board

Homemade Protein Balls with Peanut Butter

These Peanut Butter Protein Balls are packed with a balance of fibre, protein and carbs to keep you feeling full and energized. They’re the perfect bite-sized snack you can grab before or after a workout, or when that afternoon slump hits.

These balls are similar to my Peanut Butter Protein Bars but are made with oats for some filling whole grains. You can make this recipe in a food processor, or you can make it directly n a mixing bowl.

These peanut butter oatmeal balls are perfect to grab on the go when you need an energy-boosting snack and will help keep you full since they are packed with protein!

This recipe is also naturally vegan, gluten-free (*make sure to use certified gluten-free oats) and refined sugar-free.

Why you’ll love this Protein Ball Recipe

  • Easy to make. These healthy peanut butter balls are made with just 7 simple ingredients and come together directly in a food processor or mixing bowl. Within 15 minutes you’ll have a delicious protein-packed snack!
  • Great for most diets. This recipe is vegan, refined sugar-free and gluten-free, (Just make sure to use gluten-free certified oats.) so it’s great for most diet types! If you wanted to make this recipe grain-free you could also substitute the oats for more almond flour.
  • Customize it. Any mix-ins or flavours you want to add to these energy balls? Go for it! This recipe is totally customizable and you can change it up or add whatever you like to it.

Peanut Butter Protein Ball Recipe Ingredients

  • Oats: large flaked oats are my personal favourite, but you could also use quick oats in this recipe too. If you want to make these entirely gluten-free certified, make sure to use oats that are certified gluten-free.
  • Protein powder: Any of your favourite unflavoured or vanilla flavoured plant-based protein powder. If you don’t like protein powder, you can also make these with almond flour. They will have slightly less protein with almond flour, but not by much. I personally love these with almond flour!
  • Chia seeds: adding chia seeds to these protein balls is great to add a little more nutrients and fibre.
  • Peanut butter: I recommend using natural peanut butter, but technically any peanut butter you have on hand will work. Natural peanut butter will just contain fewer added oils and sugars.
  • Maple syrup: Or any type of sticky sweetener. Agave, brown rice syrup or honey can all work here too.
  • Vanilla extract: just a bit for some flavour!
  • Mini dark chocolate chips: you can leave these out, but I think there’s nothing better than the combination of peanut butter and chocolate.

How to Make Protein Balls

Step 1

Add the oats, protein powder, chia seeds, peanut butter, maple syrup and vanilla extract S to a food processor (or bowl) and gently pulse together until it forms a dough. The dough should be sticky when you press it between your fingers. If the dough feels dry, add a little more peanut butter.

  • A food processor with oats, almond flour, chia seeds, peanut butter and maple syrup
  • A food processor with blended oats, almond flour and peanut butter in it

Step 2

Add in the chocolate chips gently pulse together a couple of times. (or mix in the chocolate chips if using a bowl) use your hands to roll into balls and place them in the fridge for at least 2 hours to set.

  • a food processor with oats, peanut butter and chocolate chips in it
  • A rolled peanut butter protein balls

How to Make Protein Balls Without A Food Processor

One thing that’s great about this recipe is that it can be made with or without a food processor.

My personal preference is to use a food processor, mainly because I’m lazy and it does the mixing for me 😉 but if you don’t have a food processor or just prefer to use a bowl, you can simply just mix all the ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.

What protein powder is best for homemade protein balls?

There are so many different types of protein powder on the market it can be overwhelming to know which one to choose!

I’ve tried many different brands and flavours of protein powder, and the one I find to be the best is the Epic Protein from Sprout Living. I use the original epic protein which is unflavored in this recipe. I find this protein has the smoothest taste and texture in recipes. You can save 20% off your order with sprout living with the code “choosingchia.”

How to store peanut butter protein balls

Fridge: Store these protein balls in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. These protein balls must be stored in the fridge and cannot be stored on the countertop. (They will become too soft if stored on the counter and fall apart.)

Freezer: Store the peanut butter balls in an airtight container or in a freezer bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. This recipe stores really well in the freezer and the balls can even be enjoyed straight from the freezer.

A baking sheet with protein balls on it

Expert Tips for making Homemade Protein Balls

  • Depending on the brand of peanut butter you use, you may need to add slightly more or less peanut butter to get everything to bind together.
  • If you use a brand of peanut butter with no salt in it, add a pinch of salt to this recipe to boost the flavour. If the peanut butter you are using does have salt in it, you won’t need to add extra salt.
  • Don’t overdo it with the chocolate chips! If you add too many you’ll find that they make it hard to roll the dough into balls.
  • If you want to measure out even balls, use a tablespoon or a small cookie scoop to measure out the dough. This will ensure that all your protein balls are the same size!

Protein Ball Recipe FAQs

Are protein balls good for you?

Yes! As long as you are using healthy ingredients in them then they are healthy. This protein ball recipe is packed with good for you ingredients, so these make the perfect healthy snack.

When should you eat protein balls?

Anytime you like! These are great for a pre-work snack, post-workout snack, to beat the afternoon slump, for breakfast or even for dessert!

Why won’t my protein balls stick together?

If your dough is crumbly, try adding an extra scoop of peanut butter and a drizzle of maple syrup and mix together. You can also add one teaspoon of almond milk to help make the dough easier to work with

Can I freeze peanut butter protein balls?

Yes! These protein balls freeze very well and can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can even eat them directly out of the freezer.

How many calories are in a protein ball?

Each protein ball contains approximately 130 calories.

How many grams of protein are in a peanut butter ball?

Each protein ball contains 6.5 grams of protein.

More homemade protein balls to try

A hand holding a peanut butter ball

If you tried these Peanut Butter Protein Balls or any other recipe on the blog let me know how you liked it by leaving a comment/rating below! Be sure to follow along on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook for even more deliciousness!

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A peanut butter protein ball on a marble board

Protein Peanut Butter Balls

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 5 reviews
  • Author: Jessica Hoffman
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 16–20 balls 1x
  • Category: Snack
  • Method: Mix
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegan
Print Recipe

Description

These peanut butter protein balls are n0-bake and packed with protein for a healthy snack! 

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 1/4 cup oats
  • 1/4 cup plant-based protein powder (I use this one)
  • 1 tbsp chia seeds
  • 1 cup natural peanut butter
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup mini dark chocolate chips

Instructions

  1. Add all the ingredients to a food processor or large bowl and mix together until blended. (if using a food processor, add in the chocolate chips at the end and pulse just until mixed.) 
  2. Use your hands to roll into even balls.
  3. Place in the fridge to set and store in the fridge in an airtight container.

Notes

*If you don’t have protein powder you can substitute it with almond flour. 

Depending on the brand of peanut butter you use, you may need to add slightly more or less peanut butter to get everything to bind together.

If using peanut butter with no salt in it, add a pinch of salt to this recipe to boost the flavour.

Don’t overdo it with the chocolate chips! If you add too many you’ll find that they make it hard to roll the dough into balls.

Use a tablespoon or a small cookie scoop to measure out even balls

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 ball
  • Calories: 130
  • Sugar: 3.5g
  • Fat: 7g
  • Carbohydrates: 10g
  • Fiber: 2g
  • Protein: 6.5g