Whether you call them protein balls or energy balls, these delicious little bites are packed with goodness and flavor...and just enough sweetness to satisfy your sweet tooth cravings! There are a million different ways to make them, but my all-time favorite is these: oatmeal cookie protein balls! They're no bake, vegan, peanut-free, and so easy to make.
Oatmeal cookie protein balls are the kind of snack perfect for an afternoon pick-me-up, a quick breakfast, or a great pre-workout snack. Or just about any other time of day!
I like to make a big batch of these on Sundays and keep them in the fridge to grab for snacks throughout the week.
Oatmeal cookie protein balls ingredients
Here's what you'll need to make them too:
- Almond butter (the runnier the better)
- Rolled oats
- Cacao nibs (or mini chocolate chips)
- Maple syrup (or honey if you're not vegan)
- Chocolate protein powder (I use the Vega brand)
- Shredded coconut
- Cinnamon
Yep – just seven ingredients is all it takes to bring these oatmeal cookie protein balls to life. The toughest part of the whole recipe is when you leave them in the fridge for two hours!
Recipe notes
- Be patient mixing the dough. It gets messy and sticky but it's so worth it! The heat of your hands will help form the dough, and you can also use a cookie scoop to help
- This recipe makes 20 balls (each about a tablespoon) but go ahead and make them bigger or smaller
- It's important to keep these in the fridge or freezer, and make sure you give them at least two hours in the fridge after you make them
By the way, if you love all things oatmeal cookie, you HAVE to try my "famous" oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe too!
Variations
- I have a peanut allergy so I use almond butter in protein balls instead of peanut butter. If you'd rather, go ahead and use peanut butter instead.
- Unsweetened or sweetened shredded coconut will work, it just depends on how sweet you want the protein balls to be
- I like the crunch of cacao nibs, but you can sub mini chocolate chips if you'd rather
Storage
Keep these in the fridge (or the freezer if you're after that ice-cold effect). It can also be handy to freeze them if you're on the go and won't be eating them right away so they won't be as cold once you're ready to eat them.
Regardless, make sure you refrigerate them for at least two hours before digging in to help them firm up and hold their shape.
📖 Recipe
Oatmeal Cookie Protein Balls No Bake & Vegan
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups rolled oats do not use steel cut oats
- 1 cup almond butter (the runnier the better!)
- ⅓ cup maple syrup (or honey if not vegan)
- 1-2 tablespoon cacao nibs or mini chocolate chips
- 2 scoops chocolate protein powder I use 50-60 grams of Vega One Chocolate Protein Powder
- 2 tablespoon shredded coconut sweetened or unsweetened, depending on your preference
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients to a large bowl. Stir with a spoon, then dig in with your hands and mix the protein ball dough for a few minutes.Form 20 balls (or as many as you'd like) and store in an airtight container in the fridge. Let them sit in the fridge for two hours before eating–this helps them firm up and stay together.
Notes
- Be patient mixing the dough. It gets messy and sticky but it's so worth it! The heat of your hands will help form the dough, and you can also use a cookie scoop to help.
- If you absolutely cannot get the dough to stick together (this hasn't ever happened to be but just incase, try adding more maple syrup or almond butter.
- This recipe makes 20 balls (each about a tablespoon) but go ahead and make them bigger or smaller
- I have a peanut allergy so I use almond butter in protein balls instead of peanut butter. If you'd rather, go ahead and use peanut butter instead.
- I like the crunch of cacao nibs, but you can sub mini chocolate chips if you'd rather
- Unsweetened or sweetened shredded coconut will work, it just depends on how sweet you want the protein balls to be and what you have on hand
- It's important to keep these in the fridge or freezer, and make sure you give them at least two hours in the fridge after you make them
Nutrition
There you have it! These are SO easy to make and I hope you love them as much as I do.
XO,
C
By the way, I have a new page on my site with a bunch of helpful links. It has links to my social profiles, LTK, Amazon Storefront, etc. There's NO pressure to shop from any of these links, but if you're curious about the products I use, etc., that's where you'll find them. As always, your support is SO appreciated!
Kaitlyn
Making these for sure!! Xx