These simple Peanut Butter Protein Balls are a great snack with about 5 grams of protein each! With only a few ingredients you’ll have a snack you can feel good about while feeling you are indulging!

Simple Ingredients For A Nutritious Snack!

When it comes to snacking, I often miss the boat on grabbing the healthy option unless I have something ready to go for those busy times when I need an extra boost.

In those times I do need a quick snack it is important to me that I make sure it has as much nutritional value as possible.

Empty calories are useless to my journey of finding better health and fueling my body for better daily performance.

So I try to avoid things like chips, candies (yes this included sugar-free or Keto candies), or cereals. I try to make better choices like nuts, seeds, organic grass-fed beef jerky, or sweet treats like these Peanut Butter Protein Balls.

These little peanut gems pack a punch at 10 grams of protein per serving, which is two peanut butter balls. They use whole ingredients that are simple and easy to find in most stores.

Not only do they have a decent amount of protein they also have nutrients including magnesium, potassium, and iron from the pumpkin and sunflower seeds in the recipe.

Oh, of course, we need to mention the flavor! On top of all the goodness in these peanut butter protein balls, they are delicious and hearty.

Two or three are perfect for me when I need a quick afternoon snack to hold me to dinner or as an evening snack. I hope you keep reading and grab the recipe below so you can make them soon!

What is the Best Peanut Butter For Protein Balls?

Peanut butter really only comes in a few different varieties in my area. Those include just a plain and simple peanut butter that has sugar and some other ingredients added and a natural peanut butter that only has ground up peanut butter and salt.

I prefer to use the later variety of peanut butter that has no added sugars or oils. My favorite brand is this Once Again that comes in a glass jar.

It has only two ingreients (peanuts and salt) and it has a wonderful flavor. Some may not enjoy having the extra task of stir in the natural peanut oils that seperate in the natural peanut butters like this one, but I don’t mind.

Just stir it up really well and then add it all into your protein ball mixture. The oats will soak that natural oil right up, but if you would like to remove the oil you can pour it off before mixing the balls up.

If you only have the typical peanut butter, or the “no stir needed” variety of peanut butter that will work as well. Just keep in mind that when you add your honey your protein balls will be much sweeter due to the added sugars in the peanut butter.

But who doesn’t like a good sweet treat, right?

Should I use Old Fashion Oat or Quick Cook Oats?

Thankfully these protein balls will work with either quick cooking oats or the old fashioned rolled oates.

Since the flavor of both is identical you can just use whatever variety you have on hand at the time you want to make these protein ball.

I will note though, that I’ve noticed that when I use the old fashion rolled oats the texture of the peanut butter protein balls is chewier.

It isn’t off putting but the oats are sturdier so they don’t soften up as fast or as much as the quick cook oats do in this recipe.

Again, both work and are delicious just a thought on the texture difference.

Storing these Peanut Butter Protein Balls

I love making large batches of these Peanut Butter Protein Balls and keeping some in the fridge for quick snacks. These little yummy bites will last in the fridge for seven to ten days.

Just keep them in an nice air tight container with a lid. If you have multiple layers you can place parchment paper between each layer to prevent them from sticking to one another.

Not only do I make them for the fridge but I often double the recipe and freeze one batch for later. Here’s how simple it is to freeze some.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and use a 1 to 2 tablespoon cookie scoop to form the protein balls.

Then place the balls on the parchment paper with enough space between each of them so they are not touching. Place them in the freezer and let them freeze solid.

The freezing process will taka a couple of hours, but then you can transfer them to a gallon-size plastic bag and remove as much air as possible.

The great thing about these protein balls is that they will keep well in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Tips and Variations For Great Peanut Butter Protein Balls

• Have A Nut Allergy? I make these protein balls for our church’s coffee hour after liturgy often as well as our homeschool group. In both cases I’ve had times where I needed to accomendate for friends with nut allergies so I just subbed in some Sunflower Butter for the Peanut Butter and they were always gone in a flash and delicous!
• Protein Powder: If you choose to use a protein powder the texture might be a bit more on the dryer side but it will add a kick of protein to the balls. Make sure you get a clean brand with no added sugars or flavorings. Oh and the important part…make sure you enjoy the taste of your protein powder of choice because the taste will be noticable. You can also skip adding the protein powder all together if you prefer!
• Consistency: As you begin mixing the peanut butter protein balls together you made find the consistancy to be off a bit from your liking. This is an easy fix. If the mixture is too lose or wet you can add in some more quick oats to make it thicker. If it is too dry and you fid it crumbling as you try to roll it it into balls, you can add in some more peanut butter or more honey to loosen the mixture up a bit. This will help it stick together more.
• Use Your Favorit Sweetener of Choice I prefer to use honey as my sweetener in this recipe because I love honey mixed with the peanut flavor, but if you prefer a different type of sweetener like maple syrup then you can use that in place of the honey. The amounts will vary based on how absorbant your oats are so you may need to adjust as you go with the liquid sweeteners.
• Change Up The Flavors In my recipe the natural unsweetened peanut butter and oats form the main base, but when it comes to adding things into the mix, the possibilities are endless. Here are just a few ideas I have added in the past: dried cranberries, pecan or walnuts, white chocolate chips, dried fruits, raisins, pecans, extra dark chocolate chips, flax seeds, and hemp seeds.
• Preparing The Mixture In my opinon the best way and the best results you’ll have mixing up these peanut butter protein balls is by using a stand mixer. This machine does a wonderful job of bringing all the ingredients together without breaking them up to much. I don’t like using a food processor because it minces up the fillers to much for likings. I enjoy the chunkiness of the ingredients so I stick to a stand mixer.

Yield: 46 Bites

Peanut Butter Protein Bites

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Additional Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

These little bite-sized peanut butter protein balls are a great afternoon snack or breakfast on the go!

Print

Ingredients

• 2 cups of quick cook oats
• 1 1/2 cups of unsweetened peanut butter
• 2/3 cup of honey
• 1/4 cup of Plant Protein Powder (or Whey if preferred)
• 1/2 cup of sunflower seeds
• 1/2 cup of pumpkin seeds
• 1/2 cup of dark chocolate chips
• 1 tablespoon of chia seeds, option

Instructions

1. Add all of the ingredients into a mixing bowl and mix until all are combined. I like to use my Kitchen-Aid mixture to mix it up well.
2. Begin forming the Peanut Butter Protein Bites by scooping out some of the mixture and pressing it together then rolling it between the palms of your hands to form balls. I like to use a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop to do this.
3. Continue this process until you have rolled all of the peanut butter mixture into balls. This recipe will yield about 46 balls if you are using a small cookie scoop.
4. Place them into a container that has a lid and store them in the refrigerator.

Nutrition Information

Yield

23

Serving Size

1 ball
Amount Per ServingCalories 209Total Fat 12gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 9gCholesterol 0mgSodium 233mgCarbohydrates 20gNet Carbohydrates 17gFiber 3gSugar 11gProtein 10g

I am not a nutritionist. If you have strict dietary needs I always recommend using an online nutrition calculator to calculate your totals using your exact brands you're using in this recipe as values may vary per brand.

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Keri Bucci

I am a southern girl through and through that loves to laugh, cook, read and spend time with family. My passions outside of home schooling my son are ministering to those in need and creating art in the kitchen! Every day is an adventure in our little house and I wouldn’t trade it or the chance to share here with you for anything!