Easy No-Bake Protein Balls - Vanilla or Chocolate

These tasty little protein balls are the perfect morsels for an afternoon pick-me-up . . . or a morning pick-me-up . . . or an evening pick-me-up . . . or to nibble right now. They satisfy that sweets craving, but are filled with protein and good-for-you ingredients that actually give you a longer, sustained pick-me-up. You can whip 'em up in 15 minutes, customizing them to the ingredients you have, and keep them handy for a quick snack any time. (Skip to recipes.)

Are you a little 'rumbly in your tumbly'? Is it 'time for something sweet'? Maybe something with a little spot of honey, as Winnie the Pooh would say?

Then these honey-sweetened little morsels might be just the thing for you. They're tiny little balls of flavour-loaded goodness; high in protein, fiber, and healthy fats. They really fill the bill when you're feeling 'peckish' or just need a little boost, but want more than a quick sugar-high with the resulting crash that comes soon after. Protein helps slow down that spike-to-nosedive in blood sugar, giving you a more sustained level of energy.

If Pooh Bear were to have a little protein with his honey, he might not get himself into as many scrapes as he does. Good thing he's filled with stuff and fluff to minimize the thumps and bumps.

I think he'd approve of these golden honey bear protein balls. Even the chocolate flavoured ones.

Somehow, I tend to constantly fine myself with protein powder lurking in the house, even though I never buy any. Whenever kids are home for an extended stay, or whenever they move across country and leave mom with boxes of their cupboard contents to use up, I inherit another one of those big jars of powdered protein supplement mixes. They seem to be the thing for phases of muscle-building, workout-pumping, protein-loading the kids go through.

So in the interests of using up pantry items, I needed to find a use for all that protein powder and part of my stash of nuts and seeds in the freezer. These little honey balls were born; nut butter and three kinds of seeds (hemp seeds, flax seeds, and chia seeds) provide fiber, protein, and healthy fats. A good scoop of protein powder amplifies the protein level, and a drizzle of honey and a touch of cinnamon add sweetness and flavour. So now I've got just the thing in the fridge when that late-morning or middle-of-the-afternoon craving hits.

And I tell you, a couple of these little protein balls certainly go nicely with a mug of that luscious whipped coffee I discovered last week!

They're really good with a glass of milk, too.

 

How Easy are Protein Balls to Make?

You just plop all the ingredients into the bowl of a food processor. (But you can also stir them together by hand - I'm just efficient lazy.)

Then give them a whirl.

Scoop 'em and roll 'em. Done.

Unless that is, of course, you want to get fancy.

Let your artistic little heart go crazy. You can roll them in coatings or swirl on the chocolate.

Or  just leave them plain.

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Kitchen Frau Notes: Use whatever protein powder you like and works for your food preferences. I used Genuine Health Vegan Proteins+ Natural Vanilla Protein Powder and ideallean Protein Shake for Women in the chocolate flavour, because those were the ones I had in the house.

Easy No-Bake Vanilla Protein Balls

gluten free if you use gluten free protein powder and coconut flour or gluten-free oats dairy free if you use dairy free protein powder                                                                        vegan if you use medjool dates and vegan protein powder

• 1 cup (250gms) peanut butter or other nut butter (like almond or cashew butter)
• ¼ cup (85gms) honey (or 4 medjool dates, pitted)
• ¾ cup (100gms) hemp seeds/hemp hearts
• ¼ cup (30gms) vanilla protein powder (your favourite kind)
• ¼ cup (25gms) toasted ground flax seeds
• 2 tablespoons chia seeds
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 - 2 tablespoons coconut flour or 2 - 4 tablespoons quick rolled oats or oat flour
• optional - a few tablespoons of hemp seeds, chopped nuts, toasted shredded coconut, or chocolate chips for garnishing/rolling the balls in

Put the all the ingredients into the bowl of a food processor, using the smaller amount of coconut flour or oats to start. (Alternately, you can put all the ingredients into a big bowl and mix them with a wooden spoon first and then your hands if it gets too stiff.)

Whiz the ingredients for about 1 - 2  minutes, until they come together. Stop the processor and squeeze about a tablespoon of the dough in your hand and see if it sticks together. The dough should look a little crumbly, but stick when you squeeze it. If it is still too moist, add more coconut flour or oats/oat flour and whiz it again until it is fairly loose in the food processor, but sticks when you squeeze it. If the dough is too dry, add in a bit more nut butter.

Scoop up tablespoons of vanilla protein ball dough (I use a #50 cookie scoop) and squeeze them in your palms until they come together, then roll them into 1¼-inch (3cm) balls. Leave the balls plain, or roll them in hemp seeds, chopped nuts, toasted shredded coconut, drizzle them with a bit of melted chocolate, or just dip part of them in chocolate (see instructions below).

Since these are fairly soft balls, they are best when kept refrigerated or frozen, and can be eaten straight from the fridge or freezer.

Makes 25 - 26 vanilla protein balls.

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Easy No-Bake Chocolate Protein Balls

gluten free if you use gluten free protein powder                                                                dairy free if you use dairy free protein powder and dairy free chocolate chips                        vegan if you use medjool dates, vegan protein powder, and dairy free chocolate chips

• 1 cup (250gms) almond butter or other nut butter (like cashew, sunflower, or peanut butter)
• ¼ cup (85gms) honey (or 4 medjool dates, pitted)
• ¾ cup (100gms) hemp seeds/hemp hearts
• ¼ cup (30gms) chocolate protein powder (your favourite kind)
• ¼ cup (25gms) toasted ground flax seeds
• 2 tablespoons chia seeds
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• a pinch of salt
• 3 - 4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder or raw cacao powder
• ¼ cup (40gms) mini chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate (optional)
• optional - a few tablespoons of hemp seeds, chopped nuts, toasted shredded coconut, or chocolate chips for garnishing/rolling the balls in

Put the all the ingredients into the bowl of a food processor, using only 3 tablespoons of cocoa powder to start. (Alternately, you can put all the ingredients into a big bowl and mix them with a wooden spoon first and then your hands if it gets too stiff.)

Whiz the ingredients for about 1 - 2 minutes, until they come together. Stop the processor and squeeze about a tablespoon of the dough in your hand and see if it sticks together. The dough should look a little crumbly, but stick when you squeeze it. If it is still too moist, add more cocoa powder and whiz it again until it is fairly loose in the food processor, but sticks when you squeeze it. If the dough is too dry, add in a bit more nut butter. Add the chocolate chips, if using, and whiz for a few seconds to stir them into the dough.

Scoop up tablespoons of chocolate protein ball dough (I use a #50 cookie scoop) and squeeze them in your palms until they come together, then roll them into 1¼-inch (3cm) balls. Leave the balls plain, or roll them in hemp seeds, chopped nuts, or toasted shredded coconut, or drizzle them with a bit of melted chocolate (see below).

Since these are fairly soft balls, they are best when kept refrigerated or frozen, and can be eaten straight from the fridge or freezer.

Makes 26 - 28 vanilla protein balls.

To Make a Chocolate Drizzle: Put 2 to 3 tablespoons of chocolate chips into a zip-top sandwich baggie, seal the zip, and microwave on high in 30 second increments, stopping to smush the chips in the bag in between. When the chips are almost completely melted, remove the bag from the microwave, and keep smushing them until they are completely melted. Push all the melted chocolate toward one corner of the bag, then snip off a tiny bit from that corner (no more than ⅛ of an inch). Squeeze out lines of chocolate on top of the protein balls in swirls or squiggles. Set the decorated balls into the fridge for 15 minutes before eating them so they can harden.

Guten Appetit!

 

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You might also like some of these other types of energy balls/protein balls:

Maple Walnut Energy Balls

Gingerbread Cookie Dough Balls

Lime and Green Tea Energy Balls

Chocolate Walnut Cookie Dough Balls

Apricot Orange Chia Energy Balls