Protein Balls | Without Protein Powder

These no-bake 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.

What makes these protein balls special

I had been making these peanut butter protein balls for months and months (and taking them everywhere with me) before I even thought about sharing the recipe with anyone. They're so dead simple that when people asked for the recipe, I usually just recited it from.

There only 7 main ingredients in them, and even though they contain honey as a sugar, the oats, coconut, and seeds are pure health food. Just one bite contains 6 grams of protein even without adding protein powder, and is satisfying enough to get me through the afternoon slump.

Even when my kids were still hitting major growth spurts, three protein balls were enough to tide them over. And they beat a handful of Oreos any day!

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

Protein balls ingredients list

• Old fashioned rolled oats – If you can't have oats, try picking a substitute for oats.
• 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 – I just grind oats myself to make this flour
• 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.

Whether you choose to toast the bulky ingredients (oats, coconut, seeds) or not, to make these protein balls, you simply place those ingredients, along with some salt and oat flour (you can grind it yourself or buy it already ground into flour) in a large bowl. Then, add the peanut butter and honey and mix.

The mixture will be quite thick. Just keep mixing and pressing 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.

Allow the mixture to cool down to room temperature (especially if you've toasted the oats, etc. first) before adding the few miniature chocolate chips. Otherwise, the chips will melt right into the bites when mixed and won't hold their shape.

I like using miniature chocolate chips because you only need to add a few ounces, and every single bite will have plenty of chips.

Finally, portion the mixture with an ice cream scoop or your fingers and roll each portion tightly into balls between your palms. Place them in the refrigerator to chill, then pile them into a container with a lid. They're ready whenever you or your always-hungry family is!

Have the kids help make these gf bites

These bites make perfect school snacks, and your kids will be tell their friends all about how they helped!

Here are some tips for making this recipe with kids:

• Watch out for hot ingredients – I love to toast my oats, shredded coconut, and seeds when I make these gf protein balls, but you can skip this step to make this a truly no-bake oatmeal energy balls recipe. Should you decide to go through with the toasting, just make sure your ingredients have completely cooled before letting the little ones handle them.
• Wash hands before mixing and rolling – I don't see the need to use a food processor to make these gluten free peanut butter balls — mixing by hand is rather quick and easy. As kiddos may accidentally lose their grip on the mixing spoon (or purposely do so to get a taste of that yummy batter), make sure that they wash their hands thoroughly before starting.
• Don't worry about making a mess – It's a fact of life that when you have kids in the kitchen, there's going to be the potential for a mess. As you can easily contain this mess to a table or counter, don't let this bother you. This batter is perfectly safe for licking off fingers, and the ingredients will clean up easily with a damp sponge.

Recipe tips & tricks

Use a spring-loaded cookie scoop for perfect portions

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.

Refrigerate the dough 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.

How to store your protein balls

When I make these peanut butter protein balls, I usually double or triple the recipe to have a big batch on hand. They'll last roughly a week if you store them in an airtight container on your kitchen counter.

If your family doesn't inhale these yummy protein bites the way mine does, you can extend their life by storing them in the refrigerator instead. You can keep them in an airtight container for about two weeks before they start to dry out.

If you're a slow eater, working on portion control, or just want easy access to these peanut butter balls at all times, stick them in the freezer.

After I finish preparing them, I place the pan of energy bites directly into the freezer for about an hour so they get very firm. I then transfer the balls to a freezer-safe zip-top bag. They'll last about three months in the freezer.

Popular ingredient substitution & variation suggestions

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.

The drippy, natural kind is really too soft and won't hold the bites together very well. Go for the “no-stir” kind, in which the oil doesn't separate at room temperature.

Nut free

If you can't have any nuts, try 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

These power balls are packed with tons of protein even though they are made without protein powder, but you can add even more protein to them by adding your favorite vanilla protein powder, or even whey protein isolate for more unflavored protein.

Try adding 1 scoop (about 30 grams) vanilla protein powder to the mixture and reducing the oat flour by about 30 grams. If the mixture seems too sticky, add a bit more oat flour until the consistency seems right.

Grain free

Instead of replacing the oats in this recipe for protein balls, you can make a grain-free version. They're full of protein, too, just without the grains.

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.

To make grain free protein balls, you'll need a food processor or the ingredients will be too large to hold together as balls:

• 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).

In a large, microwave-safe bowl, place the peanut butter and honey. Microwave the peanut butter and honey mixture on 60% power for 30 seconds to loosen the mixture and make it easier to combine with the dry ingredients, and then mix to combine.

To the peanut butter and honey mixture, add the nut and coconut mixture, the seeds and the remaining coconut, and mix until well-combined.

Allow the mixture to cool for at least 10 minutes, and then 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 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.

Seed options

I buy shelled hemp seeds at my local Trader Joe's market. If you don't live near a Trader Joe's or just don't shop there and you can't find hemp seeds, try chia seeds, hulled sunflower seeds, flax seeds, or pumpkin seeds.

Pumpkin seeds are much larger, so they'd need to be chopped before adding them to the mixture. Flax seeds do tend to have a very strong flavor, so make sure your family is on board before using them in this recipe. There are plenty of other possibilities.

More mix-ins and delicious 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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