These no bake Chocolate Protein Balls are the ultimate protein snack recipe. Healthy and so satisfying, this is how to make brownie protein bites in under 10 minutes!

Whether you are looking for a post workout snack or grab & go treat, energy bites are for you. They are great to fix your sweet cravings while packing in nutrients and protein.

Easy protein balls recipe - No blender

If you are into healthy snacking, today's your lucky day because in this recipe I am going to teach you how to make chocolate protein balls at home. I promise, it's so quick and easy that they come together in a bowl in minutes. No need for blenders!

With just a handful of basic ingredients, you'll whip up some chocolate delights in no time. Simply combine protein powder, oat flour, cocoa powder, and a touch of maple syrup in a mixing bowl. Stir in your favorite nut butter, mix and there you have a batch of protein-packed snacks ready to fuel your day!

The ingredients

Unlike packaged snacks, these homemade protein balls contain just a handful of simple ingredients. No refined sugars, no artificial sweeteners, no additives and no preservatives. Real foods only. Read further for all ingredients, details and substitutes.

• Oat flour: You can use homemade or store-bought oat flour. To make it at home, place rolled oats into a high speed food processor and blend until you get a flour. Oat flour can easily be replaced with almond flour, but not with all purpose flour because normal flour can't be eaten raw.
• Protein powder: This recipe uses chocolate soy protein powder. You can use any protein powder you like: vegan, whey or casein; flavored or unflavored. However, based on the protein powder choice you may need to adjust the dough with more nut butter (vegan protein and casein) or more oat flour (whey).
• Cocoa powder: In combination with flavored protein powder, unsweetened cocoa powder gives these brownie bites a rich chocolate flavor without all the fats and sugars.
• Nut butter: Pick and choose the nut butter you prefer – peanut, almond, cashew, hazelnut, or even pistachio butter! And if you are allergic to nuts, opt for tahini or sunflower seed butter. My favorite is almond butter.
• Maple syrup: Maple syrup sweetens the chocolate protein balls while helping bind the dough. As an alternative you can use honey, agave syrup or date syrup; granular sweeteners do not work.
• Chocolate chips: Chocolate chips are an optional but highly recommended ingredient; for healthier brownie bites I like using sugar-free extra dark chocolate chips.

Brownie bites with rolled oats

If you don’t have oat flour, don’t worry. These chocolate energy bites can also be prepared with rolled oats. More precisely, you have two options to chose from:

• Simply using rolled oats
• Making oat flour at home

Both options are great, but I’d rather go the extra mile and opt for the second. Oat flour protein bites have a better texture, one that is similar to brownie bites! Making oat flour at home is very quick and simple. All you need to do is adding rolled oats to a high speed blender and process until they have become flour.

Best protein powder for energy bites

This recipe uses chocolate flavored soy protein powder, but you can easily replace with your favorite protein powder: vegan, whey, casein or a mix of whey and casein. However, based on the protein powder choice you may need to adjust the dough with more nut butter (in the case of vegan protein and casein) or more oat flour (in the case of whey protein).

Speaking of protein powder, I suggest opting for a flavored one – chocolate and vanilla are my favorite. If you make energy bites with unflavored protein powder instead, you may want to adjust the sweetness level with some more maple syrup or honey.

Keto protein bites

No carbs? No problem! This chocolate protein balls recipe is so versatile that it can easily become keto-friendly. For keto protein balls, all you have to do is replacing oat flour with almond flour, and maple syrup with low carb options such as fiber syrup. Also, be sure to select unsweetened cocoa powder and sugar-free chocolate chips.

How to make chocolate protein balls

Making chocolate protein balls at home is very simple, and it won't require you more than 10 minutes. All you have to do is stirring all ingredients together until you get a smooth dough. Shape the energy bites and enjoy!

Step 1: Make the protein dough. In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients - oat flour, protein powder, cocoa powder and optionally chocolate chips. Add the nut butter and maple syrup, then stir well until you get a soft dough, first with a fork and then using your hands. If, after mixing, the dough is still too dry, add some more nut butter, or adjust with more oat flour if it is too sticky. This depends on the type of protein powder that you are using.

Step 2: Make the balls. Shape some protein balls, then place in an airtight food container or in a sealable bowl. Store in the fridge for a maximum of five days.

Storage information

After making, transfer the chocolate protein balls to a food container or sealable bowl and refrigerate. In the fridge, they will last for up to four days. For a longer storage, place in a zipper bag and freeze for up to three months. When you are ready to eat, remove from the freezer and allow the brownie bites to thaw in the fridge.

Serving ideas

As a nourishing snack or late night treat, these brownie protein balls come in very handy for a sea of occasions. Do you still need inspiration? Here are some ideas:

• On-the-go snack: Pack a few protein bites in a small container or ziplock bag for a convenient snack during busy days at school or at the office, or when you're traveling.
• Post-workout snack: Eat a couple of protein bites after your workout to fuel your body and support optimal muscle recovery.
• Dessert: Indulge in protein brownie bites, on their own or alongside some Greek yogurt and fruit.
• Breakfast bowl: Serve alongside Greek yogurt and fresh berries to get a protein-rich breakfast.

Recipe tips

Do you also want to make chocolate protein balls that taste better than the ones you buy? Here are a couple of tips and tricks for you. Read carefully!

• When choosing protein powder, opt for simple flavors like vanilla or chocolate. In case you opt for unflavored options, you may need to fix the sweetness with more maple syrup or honey. 
• Use creamy nut butter. It mixes better and gives a smooth texture to the bites, just like the one of protein truffles!
• Customize your protein brownie bites with chocolate chips; chopped nuts, seeds, raisins or dried cranberries.
• Make sure to store any leftover in the fridge, in an airtight food container or sealable bowl.

More high protein snacks and desserts

• Protein frozen dessert
• Low calorie protein brownies
• Protein chocolate cake
• Chocolate protein muffins
• Moist protein banana bread
• Greek yogurt protein brownies
• Protein ice cream
• Fudgy flourless protein brownies
• Protein chocolate ice cream