Let me start by saying these chocolate peanut butter protein balls have been my saviour the last couple months. They are my go-to snack because they are:
1. Easy to make
2. Easy to store
3. Easy to grab in the morning
4. Easy to eat while driving (…I know, eyeball rolls)
5. Absolutely delicious and filling!
6. They’re CHOCOLATE!!
These protein balls are tiny but they are full of energy and all the good stuff! They are 100% plant-based by using a plant-based protein powder. I use Sunwarrior Classic Vanilla Protein because I like their short list of ingredients and they are honestly the only protein powder that I actually enjoy the taste of (and trust me, I’ve tried a lot of vegan protein blends!)
Now I completely understand when it comes to protein powders, it really comes down to personal preference. This one seems to work well for me so if you haven’t tried any before, I recommend you give this one a shot. If you already have a favourite, use that one instead!
**PLEASE NOTE**
This recipe uses quite a bit of protein powder so if you are unfamiliar with protein powder or simply don’t like it, I recommend you scale back and add more oat flour instead. Start with 1 scoop or half the amount of protein powder and use ~1/2 cup of oat flour and see how that goes. The best part about these balls is you can taste as you go, so I encourage you to do so!
This post contains affiliate links meaning I earn a small commission if you use those links. I only recommend brands I use and trust.
For these little guys you want to start by adding all the dry ingredients and whisking them together to get rid of any of the cocoa powder clumps.. which I evidently did a great job of in this picture…
Then you add the vanilla extract, maple syrup (if desired) peanut butter, coconut butter and about half the milk. Mix it up with a spoon and then add the rest of the milk in 1/4 cup portions until you’ve reached the desired consistency. **You may have to add more milk than what’s listed depending on your protein powder or if you’ve adjusted the oat:protein powder ratio.
Basically you want to end up with a big pile of sticky mush. There shouldn’t be any liquid or dry powder left… so something in between that. It’s really hard to describe, maybe like a dry mud or clay texture?
Anyways… then you will scoop about 1 Tbsp of the mixture at a time and roll it into little balls. You should get 6 -8 decent size balls.
**Note** I always make a double batch and keep them in the freezer.
This makes them easy to store and you can grab them in the morning and they are thawed and ready to consume by 9 or 10am. I couldn’t tell you how long they keep in the freezer because they’ve never lasted more than 2 weeks in my house. I’m sure they could last a couple of months at least.
As for the nutritional content, they aren’t bad at all. I actually started making them because I couldn’t find a good protein bar that didn’t have a ridiculous amount of calories, fat or sugar. They run about ~100cals/ball with about 7 grams of protein, ~5g fat and next to no sugar unless you add extra yourself. Those numbers aren’t exact because your balls might be bigger or smaller than mine :) and depending on what type of protein powder you use that will also affect the values.
Well until further ado, here’s the recipe!
- 2 scoops (~1/2 cup) of plant-based vanilla protein powder (I used Sunwarrior Classic Vanilla brand)*
- 1/4 cup oat flour** (use certified GF oats if needed)
- 1 Tbsp of cocoa powder
- 1 Tbsp of ground flax seed
- 1 tsp of cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp of ground sea salt
- 1 tsp of vanilla extract
- 1-2 Tbsp of maple syrup (optional)
- 2 Tbsp of natural peanut butter (I use crunchy but you could easily sub smooth)
- 1 Tbsp of coconut oil (solid at room temperature)
- 1/2-3/4 cup of your favourite nut milk (I use unsweetened cashew)***
- Place all dry ingredients in a large bowl and whisk to remove all the clumps (or most of them).
- Add the vanilla, maple syrup (if desired), peanut butter, coconut oil and about about half of the milk.
- Combine the ingredients and continue to add milk until you reach a thick paste that is not too dry or too sticky.
- Using a tablespoon, scoop out the mixture and roll it into a ball using your hands. Do this until you have used up all the mixture.
- Sprinkle with sea salt if desired and place balls in air-tight container in the fridge for 2 weeks or in the freezer for 1-2 months****
- *This is a brown rice protein blend and works nicely in this recipe as it is fairly light and does not have a very strong taste. PLEASE NOTE: if you are not used to protein powders or simply do not like the taste then I recommend you cut the protein in half and add additional oat flour or whole rolled oats. If you do this you may need to adjust the amount of liquid you add.
- **To make oat flour, you can simply grind 1/4 cup of rolled oats in your food processor, blender or coffee grinder.
- ***You may need to adjust this quantity based on your type of protein powder. Please make sure to only add 1/2 cup at a time.
- ****I always store these in an air-tight container in the freezer. This way I don't have to worry about them going bad and they are perfectly thawed by mid-morning when I take them out in the morning.
p.s. Don’t like peanut butter or maybe you have an allergy? Try it with my Homemade Roasted Almond Butter instead!
