Protein Balls Without Protein Powder

These protein balls are delicious, satisfying, and easy to make without protein powder of any kind. Made at home, these protein balls costs about 20¢ each to make; buy them in a store, they might cost you about $1.79 each (no joke).

If your family is always hungry, like mine seems to be, these bites are the perfect snack to have around. They're even great for breakfast on the go.

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Recipe ingredients

• Old fashioned rolled oats – If you can't have oats, try picking a substitute for oats like flattened rice or flattened buckwheat.
• Coconut flakes – a delicious, nutritious binder full of healthy fats
• Hemp seeds – I like these, but you can also try chia, hulled sunflower, pumpkin, or flax seeds
• Oat flour – This helps hold the bites together better than just rolled oats can.
• Salt – a must for balancing all the different flavors
• Peanut butter – smooth, no-mix peanut butter works best; natural peanut butter is usually too runny
• Honey – or maple syrup – helps to bind the recipe ingredients while adding a touch of sweetness
• Vanilla extract – just a bit adds such big flavor
• Mini chocolate chips – add more sweetness without taking these overboard

How to make protein balls without protein powder

This is a no-bake recipe, but if I often toast the oats, coconut, and seeds in a 300°F oven for about 15 minutes at the start. It really helps to intensify and deepen the flavors. You could also try toasting them on the stovetop in a cast-iron skillet just until they smell fragrant.

Place the oats, coconut flakes and seeds plus salt and oat flour in a large bowl. Add the peanut butter and honey and mix.

Press down the mixture with the back of a spoon to moisten the bulky ingredients with the peanut butter and honey. The raw batter should be thick enough to hold its shape when pressed together, but not so stiff that the mixture falls apart soon after.

If you toasted any of the ingredients first, let the mixture cool to room temperature before adding the few miniature chocolate chips or they'll melt.

Use an ice cream scoop or your fingers to create heaping tablespoon size portions. Roll each tightly into a ball between your palms. Place them in the refrigerator to chill, then pile them into a container with a lid.

Expert tips

Use an ice cream scoop

Eyeing up the protein bites dough and pinching off pieces is a perfectly legitimate way to divvy up the batter. But if you want more consistent sizing across your energy balls, use an ice cream or cookie scoop.

Wait before adding chocolate chips

Be sure that the mixture is completely cool before adding mini chocolate chips or they will melt immediately after you add them.

Refrigerate before rolling

I find that it's much easier to roll an energy ball when the dough is cold. If you find that your mix is too soft to handle, just stick the mixing bowl or portioned batter into the fridge for about 30 minutes. When it comes out, it will be firm enough for easy handling.

Ingredient substitutions

Peanut butter-free

If you can't have peanut butter, almost any other nut butter will do. Almond butter is the perfect substitute, and cashew butter will make a more neutral-flavored energy bite. Just make sure it's the no-stir kind, where the oil doesn't separate.

Nut free

ITry replacing the peanut butter with “Wow Butter,” which is made from toasted soy, or “Sunbutter”, which is made from sunflower seeds. You may need to add some more oat flour if the mixture seems a bit too soft.

Vegan

If you want to make these vegan or just don't like honey, you can use a combination of half maple syrup, half unsulphured molasses (like Grandma's brand). Maple syrup alone is too thin and not sticky enough to replace honey.

Protein powder

If you'd prefer something with protein powder, try my recipe for homemade protein bars. There are lots of different flavor variations, and have the texture of a brownie.

Or try adding more protein to these biters with your favorite vanilla protein powder. Add 1 scoop (about 30 grams) vanilla protein powder to the mixture and reduce the oat flour by the same amount. If the mixture seems too sticky, add a bit more oat flour until the consistency seems right.

Seeds

I buy shelled hemp seeds at my local Trader Joe's market. You can also use chia seeds, hulled sunflower seeds, or pumpkin seeds (chopped first).

Grain free

In place of oats and oat flour, use twice as many coconut flakes, and a combination of assorted raw nuts. I recommend using at least 1/2 cup cashews in that mix, since they're a soft, mild nut that helps bind together the other ingredients in a similar way to how the oat flour does in the oat-containing recipe below.

• 2 cups (240 g) assorted raw nuts (I recommend 1 cup (120 g) raw cashews + 1/2 cup (60 g) raw pecans + 1/2 cup (60 g) raw almonds; use at least 1/2 cup cashews)
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 cups (160 g) unsweetened coconut flakes
• 1 1/2 cups (384 g) smooth, no-stir peanut butter (can substitute almond butter another favorite no-stir nut butter)
• 1/2 cup (168 g) honey (Lyle’s Golden Syrup is a good substitute)
• 1 cup (160 g) hulled raw seeds (I recommend a combination of hemp, chia, and/or flax seeds)
• 4 ounces miniature chocolate chips

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade, place the raw nuts, salt, and about 2 cups (half) of the coconut flakes. Pulse the mixture until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs (3 or 4 times).

Microwave the peanut butter and honey mixture in a large microwave-safe bowl on 60% power for 30 seconds to loosen the mixture. Add the nut and coconut mixture, the seeds and the remaining coconut, and mix until well-combined. Allow the mixture to cool fully, and then mix in the miniature chocolate chips.

Scoop the mixture by the heaping tablespoon onto the prepared baking sheet (a #50 ice cream scoop works perfectly). You should have about 40 portions. Roll each portion tightly into a ball between your palms.

Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator to chill until firm. Serve chilled. They will hold their shape at room temperature, but I prefer them chilled.

Protein Balls Recipe

4.99 from 81 votes

By Nicole Hunn

Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 0 minutes mins

Chilling time: 1 hour hr

Yield: 36 protein balls

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These protein balls keep your family energized throughout the day. They're naturally gluten free and made without protein powder.

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Ingredients 

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• ▢ 2 cups (200 g) old fashioned rolled oats, (gluten free if necessary)
• ▢ 1 cup (80 g) unsweetened coconut flakes
• ▢ 1 cup (160 g) hulled raw hemp seeds, (can substitute chia seeds, hulled sunflower seeds, flax seeds or pumpkin seeds)
• ▢ ½ cup (60 g) oat flour, (gluten free if necessary)
• ▢ ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ▢ 1 ½ cups (384 g) smooth peanut butter
• ▢ ½ cup (168 g) honey
• ▢ 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or your favorite flavoring, we really like McCormick brand butter flavoring
• ▢ 4 ounces miniature chocolate chips

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Instructions 

• Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside. In a large bowl, place the oats, coconut flakes, hemp seeds, oat flour, and salt, and mix to combine well. Set the bowl aside.
• To intensify the flavor of the whole oats, coconut, and seeds, place them all together on a lined baking sheet in a single layer and toast them in a 300°F oven (or toaster oven, in batches) for about 15 minutes, stirring once. Then, transfer them to a large bowl, add the salt, and proceed with the recipe as written.
• Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients, add the peanut butter, honey, and vanilla extract or other flavoring, and mix until well-combined. Allow the mixture to cool for at least 10 minute.
• Once the mixture has cooled enough that it won't melt chocolate, add the miniature chocolate chips. Mix until the chips are evenly distributed throughout. If you add the chips when the mixture is hot, the chips will all melt.
• Scoop the mixture by the heaping tablespoon onto the prepared baking sheet (a #50 ice cream scoop works perfectly). You should have about 36 portions.
• Roll each portion tightly into a ball between your palms. Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator to chill until firm. Serve chilled.
• They will hold their shape at room temperature, but I prefer them chilled. Transfer the bites to a large container with a lid, and store in the refrigerator for anytime snacking.

Video

Notes

Nutrition information is an estimate per ball, only from online calculators, provided as a courtesy, and should not be relied on under any circumstances.

Nutrition

Calories: 182kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 0.5mg | Sodium: 83mg | Potassium: 111mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 36IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Storage instructions

Store prepared protein balls in an airtight container and they'll last about a week at room temperature. Refrigerate for another week after that, or for 2 week total.

For longer storage, you can freeze them for about three months. Let defrost in the refrigerator or on the counter until soft enough to bite.

Recipe variations

• cocoa powder – sprinkle in some cocoa powder to make chocolate peanut butter balls
• cranberries – chop up dried cranberries for a tangy twist; dried cherries will also add a nice tartness
• dates – chopped dates are a good option if you want a richer taste, but feel free to also experiment with other dried fruit
• protein powder – these are protein balls without protein powder when made as written, but you can add about 1/2 scoop of your favorite protein powder for an added boost
• raisins – add chopped raisins to your mix for an oatmeal raisin flavor

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