No-Bake Peanut Butter Protein Balls
on Mar 01, 2017, Updated Mar 11, 2025
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
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.
How necessary is the vanilla extract?
It’s fine to skip it!
I forgot to add vanilla. The balls were so sweet I did not even miss the vanilla.
I doubled it and did half milk and half semi sweet chocolate and no coconut because I’m not a fan. Idk that it’s going to last long enough in the fridge to roll them into balls! ??
Hooray for making it your own! Well done!
Melissa, I have read through the comments, and you have given instructions on how to toast the coconut. Could we also toast the oatmeal before making these beauties? Or would toasting the oatmeal change the texture too much?
I LOVE toasting the oats and coconut before using, I just bake them together on a rimmed baking sheet!
Super good! My first time making these, and they were gone within less than 24 hours… highly recommend this recipe! I, personally, am a chocolate + peanut butter lover, so I added some unsweetened cocoa powder to taste 🙂
These chocolate chip peanut-butter protein balls are AMAZING! They are so delicious and easy to make which is always a plus considering I (age 11) can’t make anything without messing it up but somehow I was able to pull these off. My whole family loves these! I will definitely be making these again 🙂
Congrats on a recipe well made! ENJOY!
I’m curious why it needs to be refrigerated if all of the ingredients are shelf stable?
I bet they’re ok for a few days out (if that last that long) but it seems like when you start getting dry ingredients wet, they aren’t really shelf stable anymore.
These are delicious! I enjoy baking for my family (I’m 16) and I’m always trying to find healthy-er things to make for my family that my siblings will enjoy and they loved these!! They are also pretty picky about coconut but they didn’t even seem to notice it, or if they did they enjoyed it!
I am also 1 Of 5 kids so my mom always loves it when I can make something that everyone enjoys PLUS the bonus of it being better for you
Tell your mom good job for letting you in the kitchen too! That not something all moms can handle!
Yay! I love that you are cooking for your family! That’s how I got my start and look where’s it’s brought me!
These are soooo good! I always have them in the fridge for a snack. I’m making them today and trying espresso chips. We are bee keepers so it’s nice to use our own honey. 🙂
That’s so fun you have your own honey! Any books your recommend if I’m wanting to get into it myself?!
great but my chocolate chips were already sweetened so the honey made it too sweet. delicious otherwise!
Thank you so much this my first time making this an it’s great for my spouse and I no added sugar an all healthy ingredients… We’ll make again
There’s one of our favorites and I make a batch about weekly! I hope you start too!