Protein balls are protein-packed snacks that you use for a filling and delicious pick-me-up or grab-and-go breakfast. They are popularly known as energy balls. These sweet, no-bake treats take minutes to throw together. Most don’t even require baking and are filled with the healthiest ingredients.
Primary Ingredients in No-Bake Energy Balls
- Oats. Oat flour is filling and inexpensive.
- Nut butter, like peanut butter or almond butter, has healthy fats and have the advantage of binding the balls, to make the energy balls sustainable.
- Sticky liquid sweetener. This is honey or pure maple syrup.
- Mix-ins. These are additional snacks to add to the sweetness of the protein ball like chocolate and dried fruit. You can also incorporate superfoods like chia seeds and flax seeds.
Directions
- You don’t need a food processor to make energy balls, and no fancy equipment is needed. Just pile everything into a bowl and stir until they are evenly mixed. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Scoop chilled mixture and roll it into balls. Keep them cold until serving.
Nutritional Facts
- Serving: 1ball
- Calories: 131kcal
- Carbohydrates: 18g
- Protein: 4g
- Fat: 5g
- Saturated Fat: 1g
- Potassium: 115mg
- Fiber: 3g
- Sugar: 6g
- Calcium: 20mg
- Iron: 1mg
Gluten-Free Banana Oat Protein Energy Balls
The recipe below is an alternative for any allergens. If you are allergic to dairy, soy, eggs or gluten, replace the ingredients by using sunflower seed, pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds etc.
These protein bites are filled with banana as a sweetener and is loaded with protein from hemp seeds and nut-free seed butter.
These are loaded with fibre wholegrain certified gluten-free oats.
- 2 overripe bananas
- certified gluten free rolled oats
- hemp seeds
- ¼ cup sunflower or pumpkin seed butter
- 2 Tbsp coconut oil (melted)
- 1 Tbsp ground flaxseed
- 3Tbsp allergen friendly chocolate chips
- pinch of sea salt
Directions
- In a large bowl, mash bananas with a fork until soft and broken down.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Place in refrigerator 20-30 minutes to firm up the mixture and make forming into balls much easier. It will also give the whole grain oats time to absorb moisture from the banana and stick together.
- Scoop 1-2 tablespoons mixture and form into a ball when ready refrigerate until ready to serve.
Vanilla Espresso Almond Butter Protein Balls
If you’re looking for a yummy dessert to finish off your lunch or dinner on a sweet scale, make protein balls using alternatives such as salted caramel, mocha, vanilla, cinnamon, granola, and cranberries.
These Vanilla Espresso Almond Butter Protein Balls come in handy when you need more than just a cup of coffee in the morning. They are a healthy treat too!
Ingredients
- old fashioned oats
- 1/4 cup vanilla whey protein powder
- Pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon instant coffee
- 1/2 cup almond butter
- 1/2 cup maple syrup (or honey)
- 1/4 cup white chocolate chips
Directions
- In a medium bowl, mix the oats, protein powder, salt, and coffee.
- Combine the almond butter and maple syrup. Microwave for 30 seconds. Stir until they are fully incorporated.
- Add almond butter mixture to oat mixture. Stir until mixed.
- Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- When the dough is firm, roll into 20 balls.
- Store in an airtight container.
