Peanut Butter Cup Protein Balls

Here we are, my first no bake protein balls recipe!

We recently got into making homemade protein balls. As you may have gleaned by now - given we started this whole blog because of it - I’ve had a difficult time getting enough grams of protein into my day.

So, I’ve been coming up with all kinds of high-protein recipes that cut the boredom of supplementing with plain protein shakes - and protein bars, once in a while.

Recently, we started making protein bites.

We’ve tried similar products in coffee shops and smoothie bars - sometimes called energy balls or energy bites.

Generally speaking, these are a good source of protein, have some healthy fats, sometimes a little bit of some fun, additional ingredient, like chocolate chips.

Anyway, given Porter’s raging peanut butter cup addition, doing a chocolate peanut butter bite was the obvious first choice for us.

Less for him, more to help me weather the constant temptations he has on hand!

Anyway, this recipe doesn’t require any fancy equipment or anything - just mix your ingredients together in a bowl, roll them into balls, and you’re good to go!

It’s a great little snack to have on hand - it’s nice to have a baggie of healthy alternatives on hand, you know? I just grab a few when the craving hits, and it’s a tasty little guilt-free snack!

Anyway, let’s look at what you’ll need to make a batch of these peanut butter and chocolate protein balls!

Ingredients

You’ll only need a few simple ingredients to make these peanut butter cup protein balls ... and I only have a few short ingredient notes for you:

Vanilla Flavored Protein Powder

This recipe uses Vanilla Flavored Whey Protein Powder.

Personally, I keep a big canister of Revolution Nutrition's High Whey in Vanilla Cake on hand at all times, and use it in a TON of my recipe - baked goods, beverages, etc.

Use the vanilla protein powder of your choice - something that you like to drink, and fits your macros. A plant-based protein should work fine, if that’s what you need!

Creamy Peanut Butter

This recipe was developed using smooth peanut butter, and I recommend sticking to that.

If you really want to use crunchy peanut butter, you’ll want to use a bit more - maybe 1 ¼ cups? - to make up for the volume of actual peanut butter that’s lost to the chopped peanuts.

Oh, and while it won’t exactly be “peanut butter cup” flavoured anymore... feel free to swap in almond butter or sunflower seed butter, if peanuts aren’t a possibility.

Rolled Oats

Much like with all of our .Overnight Oats Recipes, this recipe uses Rolled Oats, which can also be labeled as old fashioned oats, or even just old-fashioned oats

Two things to note here:

1. Be sure to use certified gluten-free oats if you are avoiding gluten for any reason. Oats themselves are gluten free, but they’re also HIGHLY likely to be cross-contaminated with wheat, if it’s not certified that they’re NOT.

2. Steel-cut oats, and any form of quick oats - AKA quick-cooking oats or instant oats - aren’t going to work the same way in this recipe, as they all behave differently.

Because they’re processed and cut differently, they’ll take up moisture differently, for the same measure of oats. Steel cut oats will have a more tough, chewy texture.

Feel free to play around with different types of oats - you just might need to adjust the amount of water/peanut butter needed.

Mini Chocolate Chips

You’ll definitely want to use Mini Chocolate Chips, as regular chocolate chips will make it harder for the protein balls to actually stick together.

Personally, I use Sugar-Free Mini Chocolate Chips, but I did the recipe up using regular mini chocolate chips.

As such, the nutritional Information is for regular mini chocolate chips. If you use sugar free ones, the carb count will be lower.

Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

We used Dutch process cocoa in the batch we photographed, but usually use regular cocoa powder.

Either works, but Dutch process makes it darker. Expect some variation in the appearance when using regular cocoa powder.

Everything Else

Rounding out this recipe, you will need:

Flax Meal / Ground Flax Seeds
Honey
Vanilla Extract

... I just don’t have anything to add, as far as these last few ingredients go. Pretty basic ones!

How to Make Peanut Butter Cup Protein Balls

The full recipe is in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post, here is a pictorial walk through:

Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, honey, vanilla extract, and water until smooth.

Once all the mixture is rolled, chill the pan for 30 minutes, or until the protein balls have firmed up.

Transfer protein balls to an airtight container (we use a zip-top bag), and keep in the fridge for up to a week.

More High Protein Snacks and Meals!

Looking for more high protein, low carb drink mixes that can be made ahead? I've developed a whole series of instant drink mix recipes:

Cream of Chicken Soup Mix (High Protein)
Cream of Mushroom Soup Mix (High Protein)
High Protein Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Mushrooms & Sage
Homemade Protein Gummies
Protein Pudding