These healthy no food processor protein balls just require a mixing bowl. SO easy to make, the recipe is gluten free and can easily be made dairy free and vegan. Just choose a plant-based protein powder, and a vegan sweetener!
If you’re looking for a quick and easy recipe to boost your energy and taste good, these healthy Protein balls are a tasty, restorative snack. These bite-sized energy balls come together in one bowl with just 5 simple ingredients: oats, peanut butter, desiccated coconut, sweetened with honey, and made into a powerful protein-boosting snack with the addition of vanilla protein powder.
The best part about making protein balls is there is no need for a food processor! Mix them up in a single bowl, whoop!
Why You’ll Love these No Food Processor Protein Balls
- They’re full of healthy goodness. Each ingredient has its health benefits and is adjustable to your diet. Protein balls made with oats, honey, and peanut butter are naturally gluten-free and offer an energy boost, making them a go-to snack when you’re feeling a little drained. Start with a few in the morning to get you going.
- One-bowl recipe. These no-food processor protein bowls come together in just one bowl without the hassle of lugging out the machinery. One bowl and a spoon will bring these little bites of goodness to life.
- Make-ahead-friendly recipe. This batch makes about 25 protein balls to store in the fridge or the freezer for extended shelf life. Prepare for the week with this quick on-the-go breakfast option or in-between meals energy-boosting snack!
- Easily customisable. Switch up the peanut butter for another nut butter, add seeds and nuts for more texture and flavor, and even add some dried fruit for a chewier bite.
Ingredients and Substitutions for Protein Energy Balls
The recipe for these no-food processor protein balls is quite flexible, too. So long as you get the ratio between wet/sticky and dry ingredients right, you can create a variety of combinations. The most economical type (and how I’ve written out the recipe below) is simple peanut butter and honey base.
- Peanut butter – swap for another nut butter such as almond, cashew, or a nut butter blend for more dimension.
- Honey – these could also use other liquid sweeteners such as maple syrup, date syrup, or rice malt syrup.
- Oats – use plain rolled oats, sometimes called “jumbo oats,” or porridge oats (which are slightly more finely milled) in this recipe; either should work just fine. Plain rolled oats will give you a chunkier texture.
- Protein powder – vanilla-spiced protein powder compliments the peanut butter beautifully and adds additional fragrant sweetness to them, but you could swap this out for another flavour. Make this protein ball recipe vegan-friendly by using a rice, pea, or hemp protein powder.
- Desiccated coconut – is the perfect texture for protein balls because it is finer than shredded coconut and a bit dryer, too. Meaning it holds together well with the peanut butter and honey base. Not only is it mixed into the batch but also used to coat the outside.
See the recipe card for quantities.
How to make nut butter protein balls
Healthy snacks shouldn’t be complicated. These chewy, sweet, and creamy no-bake protein balls are easy to make, delicious, and decadent enough for dessert, too! Plus, making homemade protein balls gives you peace of mind and adjustments. The store-bought protein bars are great, but less control over the ingredients.
Step 1: Combine the peanut butter and honey in a bowl.
Step 2: Add the oats, coconut, and half of the protein powder and use a sturdy spoon to combine. The mixture will be slightly sticky but firm enough to form the balls. Add more protein powder until you get the best consistently.
Step 3: Drop a tablespoons worth in your hand, form a ball, and roll each piece in the extra coconut to coat.Step 4: Once all the protein balls are rolled out, place them in the fridge until firm. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- Use a cookie scoop for even-sized protein balls that come together more quickly.
- Roll them while sticky to ensure that the desiccated coconut adheres well.
- Make them into no-bake protein energy bars by pressing the mixture into a parchment-lined baking dish. Refrigerate before cutting them into squares.
- Add flax, chia, or hemp seeds to boost these healthy protein balls – a few tablespoons can be rolled into the mixture.
- Choose a good quality protein powder! The quality and flavour of your protein powder will significantly influence the result here. I like vanilla in mine, but occasionally swap it up and use a cacao-containing protein powder for a chocolate hit.
When should I eat protein balls?
Enjoy protein balls as fuel in the morning for a fast breakfast, between meals to keep you going through the day, as a pre-workout snack for maximum and sustained energy, and after working out as a replenishing snack.
Are protein balls healthy?
These protein bites are full of fibre, protein, and healthy fats for a delicious snack that’s good for you too.
Why are my protein balls falling apart?
Protein balls may be dry and crumbly when more moisture is needed after adding all the ingredients. To fix, add a splash of milk, such as almond or oat milk, until you reach a sticky texture.
How to store protein balls with oats?
- Store leftovers in an air-tight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
- Freeze for up to 3 months and defrost in the refrigerator overnight – or you can eat them straight from the freezer which I kinda like!
If you make these protein balls don’t forget to take a snap and tag me on Instagram, you can find me these days over at @moniquecormacknutrition 🙂
No Food Processor Protein Balls
Ingredients
- 1 cup peanut butter – smooth, 100%. Or use a different nut or seed butter
- 1/4 cup honey or another liquid sweetener of choice
- 1/2 cup rolled oats – gluten free
- 1/4 cup desiccated coconut
- 1/2 cup protein powder – I recommend vanilla or chocolate flavour
- 1/2 cup desiccated coconut EXTRA for rolling
Instructions
- Place the peanut butter and honey in a large bowl and use a spoon to mix them together a little.
- Add the oats, 1/4 cup of desiccated coconut and 1/4 cup of the protein powder to the bowl (i.e. only add half of the protein powder to begin with).
- Using a wooden spoon or a sturdy spatula, start combining all of the ingredients together. They should form a slightly sticky dough, with a consistency where it can be rolled into balls. Once the mixture has largely come together, you can test it by rolling a bit into a ball with your hands. If it’s too wet, add extra protein powder until it reaches the right consistency.
- Roll heaped tablespoons of the dough into balls, and then roll in the extra desiccated coconut to coat.
- Place the balls in the fridge to firm up a little. Leave them stored in the fridge in an airtight container, or alternatively freeze them for a longer life (where they should keep for about 3 months).
Notes
Nutrition
What brand of protein powder does everyone use ? Prefer WPI to remove most of the lactose
These look so yummy! Thanks for sharing.
I have no protein powder. I have coconut flour, white wheat fl., wheat fl., and oats.
Thanks for sharing the protein ball recipe
Absolutely wonderful. I’m so glad I found this recipe, so quick, easy and versatile. Thank you.
Hi, is it ok to use flavourless protein powder derived from plants in these? or should I add a bit of unsweetened cocoa powder too? I couldn’t find any flavoured protein powder at home.
Hi Lia, because these have peanut butter and sweetener in them you’ll be fine with the flavourless one 🙂
These turned out really well. I added choc chips. Very yummy. I used vanilla cake flavoured protein powder. Next time I might try it with peanut butter and chocolate protein powder.
Thanks so much for the feedback Gemma 🙂 I love use different protein powders in these too! I have never tried peanut butter and chocolate protein powder but that sounds so delicious.
Thanks for this recipe! I realise that this recipe doesn’t require a food processor which is fab but I am in the process of researching to buy one – you mention your magimix one, can I ask which one you have and does it make protein balls? I am looking at the mini but would want to use it for something like this so may have to consider the step up. Thanks!
Hi Rachel! I have the 5200XL Magimix Food Processor – it’s the largest size Magimix food processor I think, it comes with three different bowl options. I love it and it definitely makes protein balls easily. Comes with a heap of different attachments as well, I haven’t used some of them but I love the grater attachments if you’re making lots of veggies at once. Really happy with the appliance in general 🙂
Do you have a recommendation for brand of protein powder?
Hi Lauren, I’m not sure where you are located – are you in Australia? If yes, my favourites are Bare Blends, Nuzest, Amazonia. I have heard good things also about Prana On and Botanika. 🙂
Just made these! Super easy and delicious!!
Aww thanks so much Jodi! Glad you’re enjoying them 🙂
Is there anything we can use instead of protein powder? Don’t have it handy in the kitchen 🙁
Hi Isabella, you could try using some almond meal, or turn some rolled oats into oat flour (just process it in a blender until it resembles a rough flour) and use that instead. A bit of coconut flour might work too but you may not need as much as it’s such a dry flour 🙂
I halved the protein powder and added cocoa instead for a chocolate kick. I couldn’t even make one ball before it was devoured by the fam. Yum. So delicious. Will be making again but next time double the ingredients. Thank you for sharing.
Hi Violet, sorry for the delay in responding but I just wanted to say thank you so much for the feedback! Adding cocoa would be so yum!
This looks so yummy we have a nut allergy sodas wondering if PB could be swapped for tahini? Thank you
Hi Mel, I think you could use tahini in these, of course the base flavour will be different but the mixture should still work. I find tahini can be a bit more runny than PB so maybe start with 3/4 cup instead of 1 full cup 🙂
i love this recipe,
but can you add dates instead of one of the ingredients. 😊😊😊
Hi Sasha, you could add some chopped dates into the mixture if you like, but if you want to use dates as a base I’m really not sure how you could do this unless you use a food processor? Most protein ball recipes that use dates require you to blend the dates into a paste first. If you want to do this, you could substitute the honey and probably a little bit of the peanut butter for date paste. 🙂
I love these kinds of protein balls. So easy to make and tasty to.
They’re so great aren’t they, the perfect snack!
Hi Monique
I recently came across this recipe and it seems to be a hit, especially with my Personal Trainer Son-in-Law. Have you the nutritional information breakdown available. I have assessed roughly however would appreciate the cal/Kl, fat, carbo, protein etc.
Thank you
Hi Sue, thank you for your message. I do not have a nutritional calculator on my website at present, it’s something I’m researching but I’m not sure how I feel about putting so many numbers on my foods as it’s not really how I eat intuitively myself. If you would like to calculate it, it’s possible to use a website like happyforks.com which I understand offers a recipe nutritional calculator that will give you a breakdown. 🙂
Hi, I was wondering how long these balls last for?
Hi Liam, these will keep for about 2 weeks in the fridge or you can actually keep them in the freezer for longer, I would say 2-3 months 🙂
Hi, I was wondering how many days these balls last for?
Super good!! I added a TBS of Great Lakes Collagen powder for added protein! Fabulous!
Thank you so much Cathy! Yum I love that collagen powder, so great for adding to just about everything!
i’m a thirteen year old chef and these were fun and easy to make. the outcome was amazing, my 6 siblings and school friends plus teachers liked them as well. i can’t wait to make another batch!! thank you so kuch
Hi Sharon, thank you so much for your positive feedback! These are one of my favourite healthy snacks to make and I’m so happy to hear you all liked them too!
hi just wondering how long do the take to harden up on a minimum
Hi Lucy, I would say about 3 hours, however you can pop them into the freezer for about 30 minutes and they should firm up quickly 🙂
hi just wondering how long do the take to harden up on a minimum
Thanks so much for this recipe, the kids were devouring the mix even straight out the bowl. These were quick and easy! is a slightly stickier and softer than usual, is that how it should be?
That’s so nice to hear Lisa, thank you for taking the time to leave me a comment! 🙂 It is slightly more sticky/soft that other bliss balls I have made purely because you need to be able to mash it together without a food processor. However if it seems too difficult to shape into balls, I would recommend just bumping up the dry ingredients slightly to get the consistency you need.
Any work shop on the Gold Coast , surfers Paradise ?
Do you have a work shop on the Gold Coast , I’m always looking for a sweet these is much healthier and easy to make
Regards
Elvira
Surfers Paradise
Hi Elvira, unfortunately for now I don’t have any work shops planned for the Gold Coast! Hopefully one day 🙂
Simple, tasty and healthy!
Thanks for sharing 😊
My pleasure! Thank you so much, Preeti!
What can you use instead of rolled oats. I cant find any gluten free ones
Hi Trish, if you are based in Australia you won’t be able to find gluten free labelled oats as they aren’t allowed to be sold as “gluten free” here. You can find “wheat free” ones though they are quite a bit more expensive. If you would like a fully gluten free recipe with no oats, you can try this other recipe for protein balls which I have: https://nourisheveryday.com/no-food-processor-paleo-protein-balls/ 🙂
Thank you love these! I swapped the honey for sugar free maple syrup (Queen brand) and put in 1/4 cup (40)g chia seeds (for extra fibre) 1/3 cup of vanilla protein + 40 gr of sugar free dark choc chips (noshu)
Thank you. this recipe doesn’t taste like cardboard, and are super easy to make.
Even my kids had a try and loved them.
Xx
Haha I loved this honest comment Bec and glad to hear your kids loved these too! 🙂
i’ve been looking for an easy delicious protein ball recipe, they look and taste amazing!!! thank you 😀
So happy to hear this Shayne! This is one of my favourite recipes on the blog 🙂
These sounds delicious, how long do they keep in the fridge in an air tight container? Thanks 🙂
Thanks Lauren! 🙂 These will keep in the fridge for at least a week, probably up to two. They can also be frozen where they will keep for a few months!
These are super yummy. Such a quick easy recipe. Hubby and my son loves them too. How many would you have for a snack just 1 or 2 maybe.
Thanks heaps 😊
Hi Shantel, thank you so much for your lovely comment, I am so glad the whole family is loving these! They are just so quick to make aren’t they. Haha I would usually have 2-3 as a snack! Sometimes I make myself a little “snack bag” and put in 2 of these, a few almonds and 2 dried apricots. Or I pack a few + a piece of fruit. Makes a good little pack to have in my bag when I’m out and about 🙂
they are so delicious!
thank you for the great recipe 🙂 especially if i dont have a food processor
Addy, thank you SO much for this positive feedback! So glad you like them. And yes how good is NOT having to use a food processor! So easy.
I am planning on making these, by any chance do you know how many calories or how much protein?
I wish you were closer to me I would love to attend your workshops!
BethAnn
Hi BethAnn, I’m sorry but I don’t have a nutrition information calculator connected to my blog recipes at the moment (I am looking into it!). I’m not sure of the total calories but I would estimate the protein content per ball (if you make 25 small ones) to be between 5-7 grams of protein per ball, based on the average protein content of protein powder, peanut butter + oats added together. I wish you could come to a workshop too, they’re great fun! 🙂
Agreed, a nutrition calculator (or expertise from the nutrition student) would be very helpful!
Hi JC, I am sorry that I don’t offer the nutrition calculations on my website. To be honest, I do not find calorie counting helpful and I think it can be really triggering for those with a history of disordered eating. I totally appreciate you may wish to know the content personally – there are lots of online calculators like happyforks.com where you can drop the recipe details in and it will give you an estimate. 🙂
I am a BIG fan of anything peanut butter! These look like a perfect snack!
I am a HUGE peanut butter fan too Corrine! I’ll take it in any form 🙂
These look like such a fun guilt free snack that even my kids would love! I’m always on board with a snack that’s not full of sugar!
Thanks so much, Christina! I think these ones are perfect for kiddies too, it’s a nice yummy, gentle flavour with the nut butter and oats 🙂
These look so yummy! I love all of that protein powder in there too, so nice to have fun bites that are protein-packed!
Thanks Emily 🙂 Yep I love packing the bites full of protein so they’re not so sugary and keep you fuller for longer!
These sound so easy! I think I have everything on hand to make them, too. My kids are going to be SO happy! 🙂
Yes, they are so super easy 🙂 And that’s why I love them too! Yay I hope your kiddies enjoy them!