Peanut Butter Protein Balls

By Maria Lichty

Published on July 19, 2023

View RecipePin Recipe4.6734

Peanut butter is in my top five favorite foods. Add chocolate to the mix and it is probably number one. I LOVE peanut butter and chocolate together. Peanut butter chocolate chip cookies, cake, granola, no-bake cookies, puppy chow, and MORE!

Whenever I want an EASY peanut butter chocolate treat, I make my Peanut Butter Protein Balls. They are SO easy to make, you only need a few basic ingredients, and they are SO good. Plus, they are good for you too! They are packed with protein, healthy fats, and are naturally sweetened with honey (or pure maple syrup).

I like to dip the little protein balls in chocolate so they taste like a peanut butter truffle. The chocolate shell gives the balls a sweet, crisp coating to the creamy peanut butter filling.

Do I dare say they taste better than Reese’s peanut butter cups??? I really think they do:) So instead of reaching for a candy bar, reach for a protein ball!

Store the balls in the fridge or freezer so you always have a healthy treat on hand. They are great for a quick bite in the morning, an afternoon treat, or dessert before bed. They are good anytime of the day. Kids and adults love them!

Ingredients

• Old fashioned oats– you are going to blend the oats to create a simple oat flour. If you need the recipe to be gluten-free, make sure you use gluten-free oats.
• Peanut Butter– I like to use natural peanut butter for this recipe. Stir well before using. You want the peanut butter to be drippy so the balls aren’t dry. Of course, you can use a commercial brand like Skippy or Jif.
• Honey– to sweeten the protein balls. If you need to the recipe to be vegan, you can use pure maple syrup.
• Vanilla protein powder– for a protein boost. Use your favorite brand. I like Clean Simple Eat’s Simply Vanilla.
• Vanilla Extract– just a splash!
• Sea salt– always a kick of salt!
• Chocolate chips– I use semi-sweet chocolate chips, but milk chocolate or dark chocolate will work too. Guittard is my favorite brand. For a no added sugar, dairy-free chocolate chip, I love HU chocolate chips. They are so good!
• Coconut oil– a little coconut oil makes the chocolate coating shine and helps the chocolate harden.

How to Make Peanut Butter Protein Balls

• Line a tray or baking sheet with parchment paper or wax paper.
• Add the oats to a blender or food processor and blend until you have oat flour, about 30 seconds.

• In a medium bowl, combine the oat flour, peanut butter, honey, protein powder, vanilla, and sea salt. Stir with a spatula until well combined.

• Use a small cookie scoop, 1 tablespoon, to scoop to peanut butter mixture into balls. Place on prepared tray or sheet. Place in the freezer for 15 minutes or in the fridge for 30 minutes.

• Add the chocolate chips and coconut oil to a medium microwave safe bowl. Place in the microwave and heat in 30 second intervals until smooth.
• Dip the peanut butter balls in melted chocolate and use a spoon to pour some chocolate over the top. Lift and allow excess chocolate to run off.

• Return to the tray or baking sheet and sprinkle with flaky sea salt.

• Refrigerate balls for at least 1 hour to allow the chocolate to set before serving.

Variations

• You don’t HAVE to dip the protein balls in chocolate. You can make plain peanut butter protein balls…but the chocolate is really good:)
• Instead of using peanut butter, you can use sun butter, almond butter, or cashew butter.
• Add 1 tablespoon of chia seeds, flaxseed meal, or hemp seeds for an extra boost of protein, fiber, and healthy fats. If you add them all, you might need to add a little extra peanut butter and/or honey or maple syrup so the mixture isn’t dry.
• If you don’t want to add protein powder, you can leave it out. If you aren’t going to add it, I recommend adding in chia seeds, flaxseed meal, or hemp seeds! You can also just add a little more oat flour, but the balls won’t have as much protein.
• Stir in a little coconut.
• Stir in mini chocolate chips for an extra dose of chocolate.
• Add dried cranberries or raisins.

How to Store

• Once chocolate is set, you can store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator, layered with parchment or wax paper, for up to 2 weeks.
• You can also freeze the protein balls. Place in a freezer container, in a single layer, and freeze for up to 2 months.

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• Chocolate Peanut Butter Energy Balls
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• Trial Mix Energy Balls

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Snack

Peanut Butter Protein Balls

These no-bake protein balls are made with oat flour, peanut butter, honey, vanilla, sea salt, protein powder, and dipped in chocolate! Store in the fridge or freezer so you can have a healthy snack or treat anytime!

4.67 from 54 votes

PrintSave RecipeReview

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Cuisine American

Servings 12

Equipment

• Cookie Scoop (This is a good one in lots of sizes)
• Cookie Sheet (I use these gold ones from Williams Sonoma!)

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 3/4 cup old fashioned oats
• 2/3 cup creamy peanut butter
• 3 tablespoons honey
• 3 tablespoons vanilla protein powder
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Pinch of sea salt
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 1/2 teaspoon coconut oil
• Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling on top

Instructions

 

• Line a tray or baking sheet with parchment paper or wax paper.
• Add the oats to a blender and blend until you have oat flour, about 30 seconds.
• In a medium bowl, combine the oat flour, peanut butter, honey, protein powder, vanilla, and sea salt. Stir with a spatula until well combined.
• Use a small cookie scoop, 1 tablespoon, to scoop to peanut butter mixture into balls. Place on prepared tray or sheet. Place in the freezer for 15 minutes or in the fridge for 30 minutes.
• Add the chocolate chips and coconut oil to a medium microwave safe bowl. Place in the microwave and heat in 30 second intervals until smooth.
• Dip the peanut butter balls in melted chocolate and use a spoon to pour some chocolate over the top then lift and allow excess chocolate to run off.
• Return to the tray or baking sheet and sprinkle with flaky sea salt.
• Refrigerate balls for at least 1 hour to allow the chocolate to set before serving. Once chocolate is set, you can store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator, layered with parchment or wax paper, for up to 2 weeks.

Notes

You can also freeze the balls for up to 2 months. 

Nutrition

Calories: 174kcal, Carbohydrates: 17g, Protein: 8g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 0.01g, Cholesterol: 8mg, Sodium: 76mg, Potassium: 117mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 11g, Vitamin A: 17IU, Vitamin C: 0.1mg, Calcium: 37mg, Iron: 1mg

Keywords chocolate, peanut butter

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