No-Bake Protein Energy Balls

A high-protein no-sugar-added snack made with oats, nut butter, honey, protein powder, and additions such as dark chocolate chips, and toasted coconut.

I am one of those people who can’t go very long without food.

I become “hangry” and there is no turning back. When I was a young girl, I would go shopping with my Mom. She loves to tell stories about how we could be in the middle of shopping when suddenly I would become hungry. All shopping came to a halt! Food had to be found right away! Forget the clothes….bring on the food.

Thankfully, I have become smarter and now pack snacks! Snacks and shopping are the perfect combination. The problem is that snacks are usually not the healthiest foods on the planet. Finding healthy snacks that will actually satisfy can be a difficult task.

Let me introduce you to a snack that will keep you full and satisfied and give you the burst of energy you need to get through your day – Protein Energy Balls.

When my kids were young, I wanted to create a recipe that had a good balance of protein and good carbs but wasn’t loaded with sugar. I started playing around with a recipe for energy balls that my mother-in-law made for her six kids growing up in Lake Havasu, Arizona. She is one of the healthiest ladies I know and has always inspired me with her healthy eating and living. She used powdered milk, but I decided to use whey protein powder instead and the results were downright amazing. My kids ate the entire batch and I knew we were on to something!

These No-Bake Protein Energy Balls are so simple and can easily be whipped up in a few minutes. They are made with all-natural ingredients – rolled oats, nut butter, honey, protein powder, dark chocolate, and even toasted coconut.

The beauty of these Energy Protein Bites is that they are so versatile. You can use any type of nut butter – peanut butter, almond butter, or even cashew butter. I use all-natural peanut butter that I find at my local Fry’s store. Have you seen the machine that literally grinds peanuts right in front of you? I always have natural peanut butter and natural almond butter on hand at all times. It is a healthy kind of fat that keeps you satisfied. Plus there’s no sugar added! You can find all of these all-natural ingredients in the Natural Foods Section at your local Kroger store. Find out more information by visiting https://www.frysfood.com/d/wellnessyourway.

Honey is called for to add not only sweetness but to bind the ingredients together. I love providing homemade snacks for my kids with no-sugar-added, plus I know every ingredient that goes into these protein balls.

I am sharing two No-Bake Protein Balls Recipes – Chocolate Peanut Butter and Almond Joy.

How to make No-Bake Protein Energy Balls:

Start with Rolled Oats. This is the base of the energy balls. You may want to pulse in food processor or high-powered blender. I make my protein balls in a food processor and pulse the oats, peanut butter, and honey 4-5 times to slightly blend the oats.
Use Nut Butter. Depending on preference, use peanut butter or almond butter for this recipe. I use all-natural, no-sugar-added peanut butter for these energy bites.
Add Honey as a sweetener. You may add a little less or a little more, depending on preference. You need to add enough so that it binds all of the ingredients together.
Throw in some add-ins. Dark chocolate chips, toasted coconut, sliced almonds, and even dried cranberries are perfect additions.
Roll into balls, cover, and chill for at least 20-30 minutes. If you are in a hurry, you can even throw them in the freezer for 10 minutes. Store in a bag or tightly covered container.

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With OptUP you can:

See the nutrition scores of the products you buy, automatically.
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No-Bake Protein Energy Balls

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A no-bake protein energy ball made with all-natural ingredients

Author: Melissa Stadler, Modern Honey

Recipe type: Snack

Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Energy Balls:
2 cups Rolled Oats
1 cup Natural Peanut Butter (or Almond Butter)
¾ cup Honey
½ cup Chocolate Protein Powder
1 Tablespoon Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
2 teaspoons Vanilla
⅓ cup Chocolate Chips
Almond Joy Protein Energy Balls:
2 cups Rolled Oats
1 cup Natural Almond Butter
¾ cup Honey
½ cup Chocolate Protein Powder
1 Tablespoon Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
2 teaspoons Vanilla (or ½ teaspoon Almond Extract)
⅓ cup Chocolate Chips
⅓ cup Toasted Coconut Flakes
¼ cup Sliced Almonds

Instructions

In a large bowl or a food processor, stir together *oats, peanut butter, honey, chocolate protein powder, cocoa powder, and vanilla.
*If you want a finer smoother protein ball, lightly pulse oats in a food processor or high-powered blender.
Stir in chocolate chips and any other accompaniments.
To make Almond Joy Protein Energy Balls: stir together oats, almond butter, honey, chocolate protein powder, cocoa powder, and almond extract. Stir in chocolate chips, toasted coconut flakes, and sliced almonds.
Roll into balls and place on wax paper-lined baking sheet. Place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes to allow time to set-up.
Keep tightly covered or in a Ziploc bag to keep them moist.
**To toast coconut: Set oven to 325 degrees. Place coconut flakes on a baking sheet. Bake for 5-7 minutes until golden, watching carefully to keep from burning.