Quick and easy to make, these no bake Protein Balls are great as a healthy snack on-the-go. This simple protein bites recipe has only 4 ingredients and comes together in just 5 minutes. Vegan, gluten-free and guilt-free!

Every time I walk into a grocery store, the healthy snack area catches my attention. From bars to cookies, I love protein snacks so much that I would get them all. If it were not for the price - and the terrible nutritional values of most products. Tired of overpriced snacks loaded with sugars and trans fats, I decided to making my own versions: homemade protein bars, protein cookies and now even protein balls. After coming up with this recipe, I've been snacking on those bites of pure heaven on a daily. I love them and I'm pretty sure you will love them too.

Why these are the best protein bites

Here are five reasons why this is the best protein balls recipe ever.

• Quick and simple. Made in a bowl in just 5 minutes, this is an easy recipe that anyone can prepare. No need for mixer!
• Satisfying and delicious. Each bite is packed with flavors and nutrients that will satisfy your cravings without guilt. Definitely better than the ones you buy!
• Healthy and macro-friendly. These energy bites with protein powder are rich in fibers, minerals and vitamins that are good for your body. 
• Diet-friendly. Whether keto, vegan or gluten-free, adapting these protein energy bites to your diet is incredibly simple. Read further for all details.
• Budget-friendly and convenient. Homemade protein balls are a cheap alternative to packaged foods. Make a large batch on the weekend and you’ll have protein snacks for the whole week!

The ingredients for protein balls

Four simple ingredients, that's all you need to whip up a batch of homemade protein balls. As this recipe uses no flour and no egg, it is completely vegan, gluten-free and allergy-friendly. In the following lines you are going to find a list of all the ingredients, plus more details and substitutes.

Rolled oats or oat flour. You can prepare this recipe with either rolled oats or oat flour. Both options work, but the texture will be slightly different: chewier for rolled oats and softer for oat flour. As an alternative you can also use almond flour, which will result in low carb energy bites. As these are no bake protein balls, they cannot be made with common all purpose flour or wholewheat flour.

Protein powder. This recipe uses vanilla soy protein powder, but you are free to choose any protein powder you like: vegan, whey or casein; flavored or unflavored are all great options. Keep in mind that based on the protein powder choice you may need to adjust the dough consistency:

• With either more nut butter, in the case of vegan protein and casein, or
• With more oats or oat flour, in the case of whey protein powder.

Nut butter. Choose your favorite nut butter, preferably smooth and creamy without added sugar or oil. For a cookie dough taste I like peanut butter, but also almond butter or cashew butter are phenomenal. If you are allergic to nuts, replace with sunflower seed butter or tahini.

Maple syrup. This is by far my favorite option when it comes to making healthy snacks or desserts. It adds natural sweetness and gives energy bites a delicate touch. You can replace with any other liquid sweetener, such as honey, agave syrup, date syrup or sugar-free syrups. Unfortunately this recipe does not work with granulated sweeteners such as brown sugar, coconut sugar or erythritol.

Optional ingredients

Besides the main ingredients, you can customize these protein balls to your own preferences. From chocolate chips to raisins, the options are endless. And if you still need ideas, here are some mix-ins.

• Chocolate chips. As they are lower in sugar I like extra dark chocolate chips, but feel free to use the one you like the most. Milk chocolate chips, white chocolate chips or sugar-free chocolate chips are all perfect.
• Nuts and seeds. Pieces of walnuts, pecans, almonds or a mix of seeds give an extra crunch and nutritional benefits to no bake protein balls.
• Dried fruits. I recommend raisins and cranberries, even better if you pair them with a mix of nuts and seeds.
• Cocoa powder. If you are looking for something chocolatey, try replacing part of the oat flour with about 25 g (¼ cup) cocoa powder. Or try my other chocolate protein ball recipe!

Which protein powder for energy bites?

This recipe can be prepared with any protein powder you like. Vegan protein powder, casein or whey are all suitable, but they tend to influence the dough in different ways. Plant based protein powder and casein are more absorbent and can make your balls quite crumby - fix with more nut butter. On the contrary, whey protein powder dissolves very easily and makes your dough sticky - fix with additional oat flour.

Lastly, I recommends simple protein powder flavors - such as vanilla or chocolate - or unflavored options. This ensures that your snacks won't taste too artificial.

Adapt the recipe to your diet

• Keto protein balls. Replace oats or oat flour with almond flour and use sugar-free maple syrup.
• Vegan protein balls. Prepare your no bake protein snacks with plant based protein powder.
• Gluten-free protein balls. Use certified gluten-free oats or substitute with almond flour and choose gluten-free protein powder.
• Nut-free protein balls. Instead of nut butter, make no bake protein bites with sunflower seed or tahini.
• Sugar-free protein bites. Swap out the maple syrup for sugar-free alternatives such as zero syrup.

Low calorie protein bites

Trying to lose weight and you're looking for low calorie snack ideas? I got you. Making low calorie protein balls is incredibly simple, just implement the two following tweaks.

• Replace nut butter with powdered peanut butter. Mix the powder with little water until smooth, then use it to prepare your snacks.
• Sweetens with sugar-free syrups such as zero maple syrup or honey. Not only you will cut the sugars, but also the amount of calories that each bite provides.

How to make no bake protein balls at home

• Step 1: Prepare the dough. In a large bowl, combine all dry the ingredients - oat flour (or oats), protein powder and optionally the chocolate chips. Add the nut butter and maple syrup, then stir well until you get a soft dough. If, after mixing, the dough is still too crumbly, 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: Form the balls. Shape some protein balls, then eat right away or place in an airtight food container. In the fridge, they will stay fresh for a maximum of five days.

Storage instructions

After making, transfer your no bake protein bites 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 let them thaw in the fridge.

Protein balls recipe - Troubleshooting

More homemade protein snacks

• Chocolate protein balls
• Cookie dough protein bars
• Protein frozen dessert
• Low calorie protein brownies
• Chocolate protein muffins
• Moist protein banana bread
• Pumpkin protein muffins
• Fudgy flourless protein brownies