No-bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Balls made with only 7 ingredients in less than 15 minutes. Each ball is super delicious and packed with 7 grams of protein. No protein powder required!
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These Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Balls come together fast and are packed with protein, fibre, and healthy fats. Like my healthy no bake bars, they make the perfect bite-sized healthy snack. Great for post workout treats, on the run breakfasts, afternoon pick-me-ups or an easy dessert.
These delicious treats are naturally vegan, gluten-free and refined-sugar-free, and unlike most other protein balls you don't need any protein powder to make them. All of the protein comes naturally from the seeds and peanut butter.
Ingredient notes
Here's what you will be needing to make Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Balls:
And a few of notes on some of those ingredients:
- Peanut butter - I recommend using natural peanut butter for this recipe to avoid any unnecessary ingredients. Use creamy peanut butter. Dry peanut butter won't work as well to hold the energy bites together. If your peanut butter is salted omit the added salt. Love chocolate and peanut butter together? Be sure to try my chocolate peanut butter overnight oats!
- Seeds - I use hemp and sunflower seeds but as long as you stick to the same total amount you can use any combination of chopped nuts and seeds. Note that hemp seeds are really high in protein so if you switch them for something else it will affect the total protein content of the balls.
- Medjool dates - The “glue” that holds these protein balls together. They sweeten the protein balls (taking care of those sweet cravings!) and give them a slightly chewy texture.
Success tip - Make sure your peanut butter is smooth and creamy. This will make your balls hold together better and give them a better texture.
How to make Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Balls
This easy vegan energy ball recipe come together fast. Here's how it's done:
- Blend everything up in a food processor.
- Roll into balls.
That's it! Enjoy at room temperature for a softer chewier ball, or straight from the fridge for a firmer, very slightly crumbly ball. Fridge is best IMO!
For a slight variation on this method, hold off on adding the chocolate chips. Blend everything but them up, then melt the chocolate, dip the balls and allow to set in the fridge or freezer.
Storage
Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Balls keep for a couple of weeks in the fridge, or up to 3 months in the freezer. This makes them great for meal snack prep!
Recipe FAQs
Simply switch the peanut butter for sunflower seed or pumpkin seed butter.
Protein powder isn't something I ever use so this recipe hasn't been tested with it. You could probably get away with it if you increase the liquid (maple syrup or water) slightly though.
Hungry for more snacks?
Recipe
Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Balls
Author:Ingredients
- ½ cup (45 grams) rolled, old fashioned or quick oats
- ½ cup (70 grams) hulled sunflower seeds
- 1 cup (140 grams) hulled hemp seeds
- 1 cup (250 grams) natural peanut butter , creamy not really stiff
- 8 medjool dates
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt , omit if your peanut butter contains salt
- ½ cup (90 grams) semi sweet dairy free chocolate chips
- water , as needed
RECOMMENDED EQUIPMENT
INSTRUCTIONS
- To a food processor add the dates. Process them on their own until they are in very small pieces and starting to turn pasty.
- Add the peanut butter, maple syrup and salt and process again to combine.
- Pour in the oats, sunflower seeds, hemp seeds and chocolate. Process until everything is evenly combined. You will need to scrape down the sides of the food processor a couple of times. Pulsing rather than running the food processor is a little more effective at getting it all mixed up.
- Add water a small drop at a time, pulsing in between until it starts balling up and you can easily squeeze the mixture together in your hands to form a ball. It should only need 1 to 2 tablespoons.
- Remove the blade and tip the mixture out onto a clean surface. Scrape out any wet bits in the bottom of the food processor bowl with a spatula and give the mixture a quick knead to mix them in. Then break off pieces and roll into balls. I used approximately 1½ tablespoons per ball but you can make them any size you like.
- Transfer to a container and store in the refrigerator or freezer. They will keep for a couple of weeks in the fridge, or up to 3 months in the freezer.
NOTES
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NUTRITION
This recipe was originally published on April 15th, 2015. It's since been tweaked and republished. I hope you enjoy it. Thank you for following A Virtual Vegan!
Jane says
I’m sold! I was thinking as I read, I would prefer to coat them in chocolate but you were ahead of me. Recently an extremely delicious product of this type came onto our supermarket shelves, but so expensive! So I must make these! I’m going to use almond or almond/ brazil/ cashew butter though as I only really enjoy PB made into satay sauce :)
Lynn says
I would love to try these but I don't have a food processor
JOSIE says
Yum! I used cashews instead of hemp seeds. I also added some cocoa powder to make them extra chocolaty. Really easy to make & so delicious!
Susan says
Just made it and love the bits I snacked on . Did add too much water and added more oats. That helped. Will definitely make them again, and again. Thanks.
Susan says
I have not made them yet, but wonder if you pre-soak the dates to make them softer?
Melanie McDonald says
There's no need to soak them. The recipe has been tested with really dry wrinkly medjool dates and softer ones. You add water at the end anyway if needed to bring the mixture together.
Deborah says
These are LUSH. I added more water and they turned more fudgy/caramelly and are fabulous :-D
A Virtual Vegan says
Yum! They sound lovely! Glad they're a hit! Thanks for letting me know Deborah! ?
Jill says
This looks great, but I cannot eat hemp seeds. Could I add more sunflower seeds instead? Thanks!
melmcdonald2 says
Thanks Jill!
Yes you could sub them for more sunflower seeds, or even some chopped raw cashews would work fine as they have a similar kind of texture. Hope you enjoy them as much as we did!