No-Bake Peanut Butter Protein Balls
on Mar 01, 2017, Updated Mar 11, 2025
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These simple, delicious peanut butter protein balls combine wholesome ingredients like oats, flaxseed, and natural peanut butter for an energy-boosting treat your whole family will love. Ready in minutes with no baking required!
If you have a sweet tooth or a busy life, or both, these no-bake energy balls are for YOU. They’re packed with all sorts of nutritious whole-foods goodness, but they also satisfy sweet cravings with a little kick of mini chocolate chips — for fans of oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, or anything with peanut butter and chocolate!
The best part? You can whip up a batch in just minutes (plus chilling time), and they’ll keep your family fueled all week long.
Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love This Peanut Butter Protein Balls Recipe
- Recipe Ingredients
- Popular Substitutions and Variations
- Video: How to Make No-Bake Peanut Butter Protein Balls
- How to Make Peanut Butter Protein Balls
- Recipe FAQs
- Expert Tips
- More Make-Ahead Energy Ball Snacks
- More Healthy Snack Recipes to Consider
- No-Bake Peanut Butter Protein Balls Recipe
Why You’ll Love This Peanut Butter Protein Balls Recipe
- No Oven Required: Perfect for hot summer days or when your oven is occupied with dinner. Just mix, chill, roll, and enjoy!
- Customizable to Your Family’s Tastes: Swap in different nut butters, add chia seeds, or use dark chocolate chips instead of mini ones. The possibilities are endless!
- Nutrient Powerhouse: Each bite delivers protein from peanut butter, fiber from oats and flaxseed, and just enough natural sweetness from honey to satisfy cravings.
- Make-Ahead Magic: These protein balls stay fresh in the fridge for up to two weeks and freeze beautifully for months, making them perfect for batch cooking and weekly meal prep.
- Kid-Approved: Little ones love the sweet-nutty flavor combination and the fun of helping roll the balls. It’s a great way to get them excited about healthier snack options!
🍽️ My kids absolutely love pretty much any snack that they can grab and eat in their hand — energy balls are always in our fridge for this reason!
Recipe Ingredients
- Oats — I used old fashioned oats because they make a chewier, more “toothsome” energy bite.
- Unsweetened Coconut Flakes — Bob’s Red Mill unsweetened coconut flakes are perfect because they’re larger flakes that toast up well.
- Peanut Butter
- Ground Flaxseed — You can buy ground flaxseed in a bag (also called flax meal), or you can buy whole flax seeds and grind them yourself at home (I use a little coffee grinder).
- Honey
- Mini Chocolate Chips
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Popular Substitutions and Variations
- Oats: You could use quick cooking oats (still a whole grain, they are just cut smaller) or half quick oats and half old-fashioned to change the texture. The flavor will stay the same with either, but the texture will change as the quick cooking oats will make the balls softer.
- Vegan: Use maple syrup instead of honey.
- Dairy-free: For a dairy-free chocolate peanut butter energy ball, use dairy-free mini chocolate chips. The semi-sweet mini chocolate chips from Enjoy Life are the best that I’ve tried.
- Gluten-free: Make sure to get rolled oats that are labeled “certified” gluten-free. While oats are naturally gluten-free, not all containers of them are.
- Chocolate chips: You can use normal chocolate chips, but the mini ones distribute the chocolate more evenly through each bite.
Video: How to Make No-Bake Peanut Butter Protein Balls
How to Make Peanut Butter Protein Balls
- Put all the ingredients in a medium mixing bowl and stir to combine well.
- Set the bowl in the fridge for 30 minutes to chill.
- Roll about a tablespoon of the energy bite mixture into a ball.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Recipe FAQs
You can use any natural peanut butter for this recipe (that’s the type I used). If you use a more traditional peanut butter, you might need to increase the amount by a few tablespoons or add a bit more honey so that they stick together.
It is perfectly fine to eat uncooked oatmeal! But some people do experience bloating from raw oats, so if you notice this happens to you, you can always soak your oats in water for 30 minutes before mixing up a batch of energy balls.
Yes! If you’re not a coconut fan, simply replace the coconut flakes with an equal amount of additional oats or add some chopped nuts for texture. The protein balls will still hold together beautifully.
After chilling, take a small amount and try rolling it between your palms. It should form a ball without crumbling apart or feeling overly sticky. If it’s too dry, add a bit more peanut butter or honey. If too wet, add more oats or flaxseed.
Expert Tips
- Toast Your Oats: For an extra nutty flavor, try lightly toasting your oats in a dry skillet before mixing them with the other ingredients. Just 3-4 minutes over medium heat until they smell fragrant will add incredible depth of flavor.
- Perfect Your Rolling Technique: Slightly damp hands make rolling the balls much easier and prevent the mixture from sticking to your fingers. Keep a small bowl of water nearby to occasionally dampen your palms during the rolling process.
- Consistent Sizing: Use a cookie scoop or tablespoon measure for uniform balls that will not only look more professional but also ensure consistent portion sizes and even chilling/freezing times.
- Flavor Boosters: Try adding a sprinkle of cinnamon, a dash of sea salt, or a tablespoon of cocoa powder to change up the flavor profile. Each variation creates a whole new snacking experience!
- Temperature Matters: These protein balls are most enjoyable when served slightly chilled rather than straight from the freezer or at room temperature. The texture is perfect when they’ve sat out of the refrigerator for about 5 minutes before eating.
More Make-Ahead Energy Ball Snacks
Here are more ideas for flavor combos for super easy, make-ahead energy ball snacks!
- Pumpkin Date Balls: With three fantastic flavor combinations to try — especially loved during the fall season!
- Blueberry Muffin Date Balls: Full of protein and good fat and made with whole foods.
- Peanut Butter Protein Balls: Quick to make, delicious, and a healthy treat to have on hand to munch on.
More Healthy Snack Recipes to Consider
Healthy Snacks
No Bake Energy Bites: 25 Easy Snack Recipes
Healthy Snacks
Cherry Bliss Balls: 5-Minute Recipe For Cherry Balls
Breakfast Recipes
Protein Shakes
Snacks
Breakfast Bars
Did you make this recipe? Leave a ⭐️ review and share it on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest!
No-Bake Peanut Butter Protein Balls
Equipment
- airtight container The size is big enough to fit a batch of anything, and the glass doesn't stain or absorb grease.
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry oatmeal, (I like old-fashioned.)
- ⅔ cup toasted unsweetened coconut flakes
- ½ cup peanut butter
- ½ cup ground flaxseed
- ⅓ cup honey
- ½ cup mini chocolate chips
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Add everything to a medium bowl and mix to combine well. Stick the bowl in the fridge and let it chill for half an hour. This resting time helps to ensure that the balls will stick together when rolled.
- After the chilling time, take a tablespoon of the mixture in your hand and roll it into a ball. Repeat with remaining oat mixture. If your balls aren't sticking together after the resting period, you can add a little more honey or peanut butter, stir well, and try rolling again. Sometimes it just needs a little more of the wet ingredients to hold together well. And the moisture in the peanut butter will depend on the brand/type that you use.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or in the freezer much longer.
Notes
- If you’d like to add chia seeds, add 1-3 tablespoons depending on your preference.
- I developed this recipe with organic natural peanut butter. If you use a more conventional peanut butter, you may need to add a little more honey or peanut butter for the energy bites to stick together.
- Old-fashioned, quick-cooking, or a combination of the two all work well in this recipe – the oats you use will change the texture but all taste good and depend on your preference.
- Feel free to use any nut butter in this recipe (but remember that the flavor will be different). Sun butter would be a good option if you want to send them with your kids to school but they need to be nut-free.
- Oatmeal energy balls should be stored in an airtight container and last in the fridge up to 2 weeks and in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Delish my whole family adores! My children are in charge of making them now. Easy! Thank you!
Go mama go! Knowing how to make something so simple, delicious, and filling is totally a life skill! I appreciate the comment and review too!
I HAVE A MAJOR ISSUE WITH THIS RECIPE. You said it lasts two weeks in the fridge?? It didn’t last 12 hours in mine. I think maybe you have to subtract a week for every teenager that you have living in your house…now I know to double the recipe and hide half!
Bahahaha that’s a great comment, they last a few days here too, ours is dependent on the number of little humans that come over to play (normally lots!) because everyone loves them.
These look super tasty, I am definitely adding this to my to do list! would maple syrup work instead of honey? also just wondering if you would like to tell me how long to toast coconut in the oven/what temperature?
Thank you!!
Toasting the coconut is optional, about 10 minutes at 350 or until golden brown and yes, maple works great, you might need to adjust the amount of oats a little (it might need a few more) since maple is thinner than honey!
I added 2 tbs chia seeds and swapped out the 1/2 cup chocolate chips for 1/2 cup unsweetened cacao powder and it turned out great!!!!! Love this definitely making more!
Hooray! Thank you for sharing your tips and tricks, always helpful!
These are the best! I made them almost every week and have made them for lots of friends and everyone asks for the recipe. They are a perfect snack or in addition to a meal. Thank you for the recipe!
Woohoo! I love getting people on the oatmeal bite bandwagon! I love and make them weekly and just love that you are eating them in your home too!
I’ve been making these for a pre workout snack since you posted this so long ago! I love them! I don’t toast the coconut and I don’t like coconut flavored things….but you don’t even taste it!
Great tips! We love them too!
I made these tonight with all ingredients in the recipe, including flax seed meal. I made half of the small chocolate chips by chopping bittersweet chocolate, plus added the other half as chopped salted caramel chips. Great combo!
Those salted caramel chips are my favorite! I bet they were sooooo good in these! Great idea.
My daughter told me about these. i suppose chocolate chips would be easy, but I cut up a thin small bar of 85% cocoa candy (from Aldi, 5 bars to a pack) to about the same size as the mini-chips. I’ve always got them on hand as I know the dark chocolate is actually beneficial and I snack on half a bar almost every day except when I have these great balls on hand.
Ohhh thank you for the tip about cutting up a chocolate bar, that’s a great idea. I do wish I had an Aldi close to me. I love that store!
I make these peanut free with wow butter! So good 🙂
Great tip! Thank you for coming back to share, is that made from sesame seeds?
I took the advice of one commenter and made these in the food processor. It was a snap! Didn’t have flax meal, so I used almond flour as a low-carb/protein-boosting alternative. Also added a few pinches of pink sea salt. I put all of the ingredients except the chocolate chips in first and pulsed until it came together, then added the chocolate at the end. Used a little cookie scoop and put them on a cookie sheet right after before chilling. Worked like a charm!
I’m so going to try that next time! How is the texture? Do you like the oats in smaller bits since it went through the food processor? Sounds so good I might just try it this afternoon. THANK YOU!