Looking for a healthy and delicious snack? These tasty vegan protein balls are as good as it gets with lots of protein and fiber along with hints of vanilla, chocolate, and cinnamon.
Want more vegan dessert ideas? Try our vegan snickerdoodles and vegan gingersnaps.
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Ingredients
Curious about what ingredients you need to make this healthy vegan snack? Here's the good news; you probably already have a lot of these ingredients at home. Let's talk about the most important ones you'll need!
- Oats: I used old-fashioned rolled oats, as they have a better texture than quick oats.
- Peanut Butter: To make this snack healthier, choose an all-natural peanut butter that doesn't have sugar added.
- Maple Syrup: Make sure to use the real deal in this recipe; pancake syrup isn't as healthy for you and doesn't taste as good.
- Protein Powder: This amps up the protein to keep you full longer and to give you energy.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations
- Peanut Free: use sunflower seed butter, almond butter, hazelnut butter, or another nut/seed butter of your choice.
- Chocolate: use chocolate protein powder and swap cocoa powder for the flaxseed. You can also drizzle the balls with melted chocolate if you desire.
- Gluten-Free: use certified gluten-free oats.
- Dairy-Free: since this recipe is vegan, it's already dairy-free.
- Lower Sugar: cut back the sweetener to ½ cup. I used ¾ cup of maple syrup in this recipe because I like extra sweetness, but feel free to tweak the amount as desired.
- Quick Oats: you'll need to add more liquid to compensate for the different types of oats. Do not use instant or steel cut oats in this recipe.
- Extras: mix in your favorite chocolate chips. You can also roll the balls in chopped nuts or coconut flakes.
- Other Sweeteners: feel free to try out any vegan sweetener, such as date syrup, rice syrup, or agave nectar. You may want to decrease the syrup to ½ cup and add additional oats to prevent excessive stickiness.
How to Make
Gather the ingredients for this vegan no-bake snack.
- Combine the rolled oats with the protein powder. We like to use a stand mixer for this process, as it's a lot easier than mixing this up by hand.
- Add the remaining ingredients, except for the water.
3. Mix on medium-low speed until well combined. If the mixture is too dry to roll into balls, gradually add the water as needed.
4. Mix in the chocolate chips until they are evenly distributed.
5. Roll the mixture into balls, each one weighing about 30 grams.
6. Serve them up right away and enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
Yes, protein balls are a healthy snack. They typically contain lots of fiber, protein, and other nutrients that your body needs. This particular recipe contains 156 calories, 5.6g of protein, 2.7g of fiber, and 6% of your daily iron needs in one energy ball. Scroll to the end of the recipe card to read the full nutrition facts.
Yes, you can. Raw rolled oats have an extra chewy texture and taste a little different than cooked oatmeal. If you like granola bars, you'll love the chewy texture of these peanut butter protein balls.
The simple answer: whenever you want. Many people enjoy energy bites as a healthy, protein-packed snack before or after a workout, or as a pick-me-up in the afternoon. They are nutritionally dense, so make sure to enjoy them in moderation.
Protein balls are a quick source of energy that you can make ahead of time. They are also easy to carry with you on the go if you plan to be out and about. They make a healthy snack for adults and kids.
Serve
If you're looking for other bite-sized desserts, make sure to try our recipes for date coconut protein balls, chocolate chip cookies, coconut protein balls, and vegan granola bars.
Store
Freeze: Seal them tightly in an airtight container or zip-top freezer bag and freeze for up to 6 months. Defrost them by letting individual balls sit out at room temperature for at least 10-15 minutes before enjoying, as they get quite hard in the freezer! We wouldn't recommend microwaving them, as that could melt the chocolate and peanut butter in these balls, making them a gooey mess.
Expert Tips
- Microwave hard peanut butter for 20-30 seconds to make it easier to combine.
- Be sure to roll the balls right after mixing up the dough. It seems that the oats/flax absorbs moisture in the dough over time, making it drier and harder to roll.
- Too dry? Add extra water, vegan milk, or sweetener as desired.
- Too sticky? Add more oats 2 tablespoons at a time or chill the dough for at least 20 minutes.
- Dampen your hands to help you roll the energy bites smoothly and to reduce stickiness.
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Recipe
Vegan Protein Balls
Ingredients
- 3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
- ½ cup vegan protein powder
- 1 cup creamy natural peanut butter
- ¾ cup maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅓ cup water or vegan milk
- ½ cup vegan chocolate chips
Instructions
- Stir together the oats and protein powder in the bowl of a stand mixer until blended. (You can make them by hand, but it will be difficult to stir the stiff mixture.)
- Add the peanut butter, maple syrup, flaxseed, vanilla, and cinnamon and beat on medium-low speed until a dough-like mixture forms.
- If the mixture is too dry to roll into balls, add water gradually as needed. If it is too sticky, add a couple tablespoons more rolled oats.
- Beat in the chocolate chips until they are evenly distributed in the mixture.
- Roll the dough into balls, each one roughly weighing 30 grams. If the dough is sticking to your hands, dampen your hands slightly or chill the dough for 20 minutes.
- Serve them right away, or store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. They can be frozen for up to 6 months.
Notes
- Hard peanut butter? Microwave it for 20-30 seconds to warm it up and make it easier to mix.
- Roll the balls right away after mixing up the dough. I found that the mixture got drier 20 minutes or so after mixing; this is probably due to the oats/flax absorbing the moisture in the dough.
- Too dry? Add extra water, vegan milk, or sweetener as desired.
- Too sticky? Add more oats 2 tablespoons at a time or chill the dough for at least 20 minutes.
- Use slightly wet hands to help you roll the balls smoothly and reduce sticking.
Nutrition
Serving sizes and nutritional information are only an estimate and may vary from your results.
Ruby
These are the best bites I’ve ever tasted! Thanks for making this recipe!
Emma
You're very welcome, Ruby! We're so glad that you enjoyed these protein balls!
CFloyd
When I am reading this it does not show the amount of peanut butter to use???
Emma
So sorry about that typo! I've added that to the ingredients list.
Beth
The combination of oats and peanut butter is chewy. The cinnamon makes this yummy, and the chocolate chips add a delightful burst of sweetness. I enjoyed this snack very much!
Emma
I'm so glad to hear that you enjoyed this, Beth!
Alex
The oats are chewy, and the peanut butter in these balls is creamy. The chocolate chips are crunchy and sweet. These energy bites are so yummy!
Emma
Thank you, Alex!