Peanut Butter Protein Balls
Easy no-bake peanut butter protein balls made with oats, vanilla protein powder, honey, and mini chocolate chips for a creamy, chewy snack with about 6 grams of protein per ball.
Ingredients
- - ½ cup 128g creamy peanut butter
- - ¼ cup 84g honey
- - 1 tsp vanilla extract
- - 1 cup 80g plain quick oats
- - ½ cup about 60g vanilla whey protein powder
- - ¼ tsp fine salt if using unsalted peanut butter or ⅛ tsp if using salted
- - ¼ cup 43g mini semisweet chocolate chips
- - 1–3 tbsp water only as needed
Instructions
- Stir peanut butter, honey, and vanilla together in a medium bowl until smooth and evenly combined.
- Add quick oats, protein powder, and salt. Stir and fold for 1–2 minutes until a thick dough forms. Let it rest for 5 minutes so the oats and protein powder can absorb moisture.
- Squeeze a small amount of dough in your hand. If it crumbles, mix in water 1 teaspoon at a time until the dough holds together. Don't add all the water unless needed.
- Fold in the mini chocolate chips. The dough should feel soft and slightly tacky but shouldn't coat your hands. If it's too sticky to roll, refrigerate for 10–15 minutes.
- Divide into 16 portions, about 25–28g each, and roll into approximately 1¼-inch balls.
- Arrange on a parchment-lined plate or tray and refrigerate for 30 minutes, until firm. Store chilled in an airtight container.
Notes
- Let refrigerated peanut butter soften at room temperature before mixing.
- Different protein powders absorb liquid differently, so add water only as needed.
- Let the mixture rest for 5 minutes before deciding it needs more water.
- For a softer texture, let the protein balls sit at room temperature for about 5 minutes before eating.