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LeetDiet

Peanut butter protein balls

No-bake protein balls with oats, peanut butter and protein powder. 15 minutes of hands-on work, 7 g of protein each, and a version without protein powder too.

160
kcal
7g
protein
8g
fat
17g
carbs
Prep
15 min
Serves
16

Photograph by Milan on Pexels

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 60 g (2 scoops, about 2/3 cup) vanilla whey or plant protein powder
  • 2 tbsp ground flaxseed
  • A pinch of kosher salt
  • 3/4 cup natural peanut butter, well stirred
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 1/3 cup mini dark chocolate chips
  • 1 to 3 tbsp milk, if needed

Method

  1. 1

    Mix the dry ingredients

    Stir the oats, protein powder, flaxseed and salt together in a bowl.

  2. 2

    Add the binders

    Add the peanut butter and honey and mix with a sturdy spatula, then your hands, until no dry patches remain.

  3. 3

    Adjust the texture

    Squeeze a little: it should hold together like cookie dough. If it crumbles, add milk a tablespoon at a time. If it is sticky, add a spoonful of oats.

  4. 4

    Add the chocolate

    Work in the chocolate chips, then chill the mixture for 15 minutes so it is easier to roll.

  5. 5

    Roll

    Roll into 16 balls, a heaping 2 tablespoons (about 35 g) each, about 1 1/2 inches across. Keep them refrigerated in a sealed container.

Which protein powder to use

Any vanilla or unflavored protein powder works, but different powders absorb very different amounts of liquid. That is why the recipe gives a range for the milk.

  • Whey: mixes in easily and needs the least liquid. The balls come out softest.
  • Plant protein (pea, soy, brown rice blends): absorbs much more liquid, so you may need 2 to 3 tablespoons of milk. Some plant powders taste earthy; chocolate or vanilla flavors hide it best.
  • Collagen: does not work well here. It dissolves rather than binds, and the balls stay sticky.

Check the powder's label for added sugar. Some powders add several grams per scoop, which changes the numbers below.

Why the texture matters

The mixture should feel like soft cookie dough: it holds together when squeezed, but is not sticky. Different peanut butters are thicker or runnier, and protein powders vary, so the same recipe can come out crumbly one time and sticky the next. Adjust with milk or oats until it is right, before you add the chocolate. Chilling the mixture for 15 minutes makes it much easier to roll. Lightly wet hands help too.

Use natural peanut butter

Use peanut butter made only from peanuts and salt. Stir it well, because the oil separates. Conventional peanut butter with added sugar and hydrogenated oil also works, but adds a little sugar and makes a stiffer mixture. Almond butter, cashew butter or sunflower seed butter can be swapped in one for one. Sunflower seed butter makes them peanut- and tree-nut-free for school lunches, as long as the protein powder and chocolate are made in a nut-free facility.

Variations

  • Chocolate: use chocolate protein powder and add 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder, with an extra tablespoon of milk.
  • Oatmeal raisin: replace the chocolate chips with raisins and add 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon.
  • Lower sugar: use 1/4 cup of honey instead of 1/3, and cacao nibs instead of chocolate chips. Add a splash more milk if it crumbles.

Protein balls without protein powder (energy balls)

Leave out the protein powder and add 1/2 cup more oats and 2 tablespoons more peanut butter. They become energy balls, or energy bites, with about 4 to 5 g of protein each instead of 7. The method and texture check are the same.

Keeping them

A week in a sealed container in the fridge, or 3 months in the freezer. They can be eaten straight from the freezer after 5 to 10 minutes. They soften at room temperature, so keep them chilled if you pack them in a lunch.

What they are worth nutritionally

About 160 kcal and 7 g of protein per ball, with 8 g of fat and 17 g of carbohydrate, including about 8 g of sugar. They are filling for their size, because the combination of protein, fat and fiber from the oats and flaxseed digests slowly. But they are also calorie-dense. Two balls make a reasonable snack. A handful does not. They work well before or after a workout, or as an afternoon snack in place of a granola bar, which usually has about as much sugar and far less protein.