These 5 ingredient protein balls are one of my favorite snacks right now! They’re super easy to make and hard to mess up. To top it all off, they’re clean energy to get you through the day without having to turn to a cookie or candy bar for a ‘quick fix’. These protein balls only have five ingredients and are made with nutritious ingredients. Plus no baking required!
5-Ingredient No-Bake Protein Balls
The arrival of September brings the return of busy days. We’re running to school, work, play, and everything in between, with little time to keep our energy up while doing it all. If you can find about a half an hour to make these peanut butter-chocolate protein balls this weekend, you’ll be rewarded. They pack up easily and each one delivers five grams of protein, so they’re just the thing to curb mid-morning and afternoon slumps all week long.
A Simple Customizable Formula
It’s hard to go wrong with this crowd-pleasing peanut butter and chocolate chip-flecked equation, but you can easily mix things up for allergy or dietary reasons, or just sheer preference. Swap peanut butter for almond or sunflower seed butter, try date syrup instead of maple syrup or honey, and switch out the chocolate chips for chopped dried fruit, shredded unsweetened coconut, or cacao nibs. Once you get the hang of it, you might never make the same version twice.
Easy No-Bake Protein Balls
Simple energy balls made with peanut butter, oats, and chocolate chips.
YIELD – Makes 12 balls
PREP TIME – 35 minutes
INGREDIENTS
- 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- 2/3 cup creamy peanut butter, at room temperature and stirred well if natural
- 1/2 cup flaxseed meal
- 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
INSTRUCTIONS
- Place 1 cup rolled oats, 2/3 cup creamy peanut butter, 1/2 cup flaxseed meal, 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips, and 2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey in a large bowl and stir well to combine. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
- Using a spoon or cookie scoop, shape the mixture into 12 (1-inch) balls and place on a baking sheet or plate. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.
RECIPE NOTES
Storage: The protein balls can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks of frozen for up to 3 months.
5-Ingredient Protein Balls (Low Sugar, Grain-Free)
These 5-ingredient bites are made entirely in the food processor and require ingredients you likely have on hand right now!
Nut butter is mixed with chia seeds, hemp seeds, a bit of protein powder (recommendations below), and a couple dates to keep these low sugar and naturally sweetened.
Chia seeds offer plenty of calcium, fiber, and magnesium. Hemp seeds are high in protein, essential amino acids, and omega-3 fatty acids. And dates are naturally high in fiber, potassium, and vitamin B6.
All of these good-for-you ingredients combine to make one seriously nutritious snack.
Once mixed, it’s time to roll! You can roll these and enjoy immediately, but I suggest chilling them in the freezer then topping with melted dark chocolate, hemp seeds, or shredded coconut. So delicious!
No-Bake Energy Balls
These no-bake energy balls make the perfect breakfast, snack or even dessert. So delicious and only take 5 minutes and 5 ingredients to make!
Family Favorite Snack
We love to make energy and protein balls for a quick grab and go snack. These peanut butter energy balls are one of our favorites, as well as chocolate peanut butter protein balls, almond joy no-bake energy bites and lemon coconut energy balls.
I’m always on the lookout for healthy snacks, and these no-bake energy balls seem to be my go to when I’m craving something sweet. Not only are they absolutely delicious, they’re a great source of protein.
I love to grab them on the go when headed out or when I need a quick boost of energy in the afternoon. Much healthier than grabbing a candy bar. My husband and kids also love these energy bites too, which is definitely a plus!
At the beginning of the week, I like to make a big batch of them and then stick them in the freezer. When I’m in need of a quick snack or energy boost, I can just grab one and go. Seriously so easy and a great healthy snack option!
Ingredients
I like to start with the 5 base ingredients below when making energy balls. There are so many ways to customize them to your taste, like subbing chocolate chips for dried cranberries or replacing peanut butter with almond butter.
- Old fashioned oats
- Peanut butter
- Honey
- Flax seed
- Chocolate chips
How to Make Energy Balls
- MIX. Mix all ingredients together, roll into balls, then place on a parchment lined baking sheet.
- FREEZE. Place baking sheet in freezer until energy balls are hard, so that they hold their shape.
- STORE. Store in zip top bag or airtight container.
TIP: I like to store my energy balls in the freezer to extend their shelf life. Then I always have a quick snack option on hand!
Variations
There are plenty of ways to customize these no-bake energy bites. Below are some of my favorites!
- Add in an additional scoop of protein powder or collagen for extra protein
- Add a Tablespoon or two of chia seeds for a boost in antioxidants
- Mix in 1/4 cup coconut and 1/4 cup dried cranberries in place of the chocolate chips
- Use half chocolate chips and half mini M&M’s like I did when making these monster energy balls
- Add in your favorite seeds, such as pumpkin or sunflower seeds
- Replace the peanut butter with almond or cashew butter
- Replace the oats with kodiak power cakes mix like I did when making these kodiak cakes protein balls
Storage + Freezing
To store: You can either place them in a zip top bag or airtight container. Just make sure to freeze them for a little bit once you roll them into balls so that they harden up. This helps the energy balls to hold their shape when you add them to the bag.
If storing at room temperature, I’ll typically store in an airtight container so that I can spread the balls out to where they don’t touch too much. This helps to make sure that they don’t stick together. They will keep for about 1 week at room temperature or around 2 weeks in the refrigerator.
To freeze: I actually prefer mine frozen. It helps them to keep their shape, plus it’s perfect for an easy grab and go snack. Simply add to a zip top bag or airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.
5-INGREDIENT CHOCOLATE DATE ENERGY BALLS
5-Ingredient No-Bake Chocolate Date Energy Balls are made with all whole food ingredients and make for a lovely snack or healthy dessert. Vegan and gluten-free!
Once upon a time, I made a different batch of energy bites (also known as fat balls, or protein balls depending on the ingredients) every week for between-meals snacks.
Well here we are with a brand new healthy snack recipe that requires fewer ingredients and comes together quicker than any of my last endeavors.
If you’re anything like me, you’ll love how easy this simple recipe is to make! Simply buzz everything up in your food processor, roll the dough into balls, and you’re off and running!
Plus, these chocolate date energy bites are ideal for the warm months of the year when you’re craving a sweet treat but have zero desire to turn on the oven to bake. Make a double batch to keep them on hand for little bites of bliss.
I find these energy bites to be a great all-natural snack for kids, a solid pre or post-workout snack, staving off the afternoon munchies, or healthy dessert. They are also great to bring hiking.
Anyone who enjoys chocolate, almond butter (or peanut butter), or dates will surely love them!
Let’s discuss the simple healthy ingredients.
Ingredients for Chocolate Date Energy Balls:
Rolled Oats: Old-fashioned rolled oats get blended up in a food processor until they form a flour-like consistency. This makes for the dry portion of the recipe that is responsible for getting the sticky ingredients to form together into a cohesive ball.
As an alternative to rolled oats, you can also use quick oats or instant oats, oat flour or almond meal.
Unsweetened Almond Butter: Creamy almond butter, creamy peanut butter, sunflower seed butter, cashew butter, or different nut butters butter can be used here. This ingredient acts as part of the glue that holds the balls together (the medjool dates being the other portion of the glue), and also brings richness to the energy bites due to the fat content.
If you love the flavor of peanut butter, use it to replace the almond butter, as peanut butter energy balls are also a great snack!
Raw Cacao Powder: The chocolate portion of these energy bites! Raw cacao powder has a smooth and creamy chocolatey flavor to it, which is typically my preference. You can just as easily use unsweetened cocoa powder or Dutch press cocoa powder as a 1:1 replacement.
Medjool Dates: Pitted medjool dates bring a stickiness to the recipe, which ensures the energy bites hold together nicely. Be sure to use large medjool dates (they vary in size) and if you have a kitchen scale, I recommend weighing them to be sure you’re getting enough sweetness and stickiness.
Medjool dates contain a great deal of natural sugar, so if you follow a low-carb or keto diet, make my Keto Peanut Butter Edible Cookie Dough (and roll it into balls for peanut butter energy balls).
Vanilla Extract (Optional): While the vanilla extract is optional, it provides that inviting warmth which really makes the whole experience that much better.
Sea Salt: A sprinkle of sea salt enhances each individual flavor so that the chocolate date energy balls are exploring with flavor.
Optional Additions:
Ground cinnamon, protein powder to bring extra protein and make protein bites, chocolate chips, chia seeds, hemp seed, sunflower seeds, ground flax seeds, unsweetened coconut flakes, or raw nuts are all great additions.
Just keep in mind if you add more dry ingredients, you may need to add additional almond butter or dates to get the mixture back to rolling consistency.
You can play around with all sorts of pantry ingredients to try different flavors and create your own energy ball recipes.
Now that we’re experts on what goes into these power balls, let’s make these delicious bite-sized snacks!
How to Make Chocolate Date Energy Balls:
Add the oats to a food processor and process until a flour forms. It is okay for the flour to be somewhat coarse but the goal is to get it to the same consistency as regular flour if possible so that the balls don’t have any grittiness to them. Remember, you can also replace the oats with oat flour or almond flour.
Transfer the rest of the ingredients to the food processor (almond butter, cacao powder, dates, vanilla extract, and sea salt) and process until a thick dough forms. This mixture should have a thicker consistency than regular cookie dough and also not be sticky or oily. If the mixture does turn out sticky and doesn’t form balls easily, refrigerate it for 1 to 2 hours or until it has set up.
Roll the mixture into balls, forming any size you desire.
If you’d like, roll the chocolate date balls in unsweetened shredded coconut or more cacao powder (this is mostly for looks).
Store the energy balls in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 10 days. You can also store them in a zip lock bag in the freezer for up to 4 months.
You can certainly use this as a base recipe for all your energy ball adventures. Change it up by incorporating your favorite goodies for a real good time!