These peanut butter and rice krispie balls are crunchy, chewy, and taste like a cross between a rice krispie treat and a peanut butter protein ball. They are no bake, ready in about 30 minutes, and made with simple ingredients like peanut butter, protein powder, and rice krispies cereal.
A Quick Look At This Recipe
✅ Recipe Name: High Protein Peanut Butter and Rice Krispie Balls (No Bake)
🕒 Ready In: ~10 minutes prep + 40 minutes chilling
👪 Serves: Around 16 balls
🍽 Calories & Protein: ~105 calories and 5.7g protein per ball without topping. ~136 calories and 7.1g protein with the chocolate crunch coating
🥣 Main Ingredients: Smooth natural peanut butter, vanilla protein powder, rice krispies cereal, maple syrup or honey
📖 Dietary Info: Vegetarian, easily made vegan, gluten-free option, source of plant and dairy protein
⭐ Why You'll Love It: A no bake snack that tastes like a treat but actually keeps you satisfied. Perfect for meal prep.
I created this recipe because most peanut butter rice krispie ball recipes online are loaded with butter and powdered sugar, which is fine for an occassional treat but not what most of my clients are looking for in an everyday healthy snack.
My version swaps the powdered sugar for protein powder, which gives you about 6 grams of protein per ball without changing the crunchy, chewy texture you actually want. They also keep well in the fridge or freezer, so they are brilliant for meal prep on a Sunday afternoon.
If you like this kind of recipe, you might also enjoy my or my almond butter energy balls or my oat breakfast bars both of which use similar ingredients and are a hit with my online consultation clients. If you prefer to avoid protein powder, then I recommend checking out my protein balls without protein powder recipe (they use hemp for protein instead).
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Why This Recipe Is Good for You (Nutrition Highlights)
Protein: Each ball gives you about 5.7grams of protein, or 7.1 grams with the chocolate crunch coating. Two balls puts you around 12 to 14 grams, which is a solid amount for a snack. Protein helps you feel fuller for longer and supports muscle recovery, which is why I always encourage my clients to add a protein source to snacks rather than relying on carbs alone. For more on this, see my guide on how much protein you need.
Quick energy carbs: The rice krispies digest quickly, which makes these useful before or after a workout.
A note on sugar: Around 5g of added sugar per ball from the maple syrup or honey. Reasonable for a snack of this kind, but worth knowing that naturally sweetened doesn't necessarily mean low in sugar.
Fiber: Under 1g per ball, so not a fibre-rich snack. Pair with fruit or a yogurt with berries to boost it.
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Key Ingredients
The complete ingredient list with measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
Smooth peanut butter: This is the base of the recipe. Use a natural peanut butter made with just peanuts and salt for the best flavour and texture. Drippy, runny peanut butter mixes more easily than thick, dry peanut butter. If your jar is on the dry side, microwave it with the maple syrup for 10 to 15 seconds before mixing. For a nut-free version, swap for sunflower seed butter or pumpkin seed butter, just check the label for added oils or sugar.
Maple syrup or honey: Either works well. Maple syrup keeps these vegan, while honey adds a slightly different flavour.
Protein powder: This replaces the powdered sugar you would find in a traditional recipe. Vanilla works best for flavour. A whey-casein blend gives the chewiest texture. Whey isolate can make the mixture slightly drier. Plant-based protein powders absorb more liquid, so you may need an extra spoonful of peanut butter or maple syrup to bring the dough together. If you are still figuring out which protein powder suits you, my guide on how much protein you need is a useful starting point.
Rice krispies cereal: Provides the crunch. Use a certified gluten-free version if you need this gluten-free, as not all rice cereals are GF certified (Kelloggs rice krispies are not gluten free). Different brands of rice cereal vary a lot in weight, so I recommend measuring in cups rather than grams for the best results.
Optional dark chocolate and coconut oil: For the chocolate drizzle. Use dairy-free chocolate to keep these vegan. The coconut oil thins the chocolate slightly so it drizzles smoothly.
Optional soy or pea crisps: These add an extra layer of crunch on top. Both soy protein crisps and pea crisps add a small amount of extra protein. I buy mine on amazon and use them in lots of my recipes like my protein crisp bars as an example.
Let me know in the comments if you do make any of these adjustments, I'd love to hear how it worked out!
Expert Tips for Making This Recipe
Pay attention to texture before chilling. The mixture should feel slightly sticky and just hold together when pressed. If it feels too sticky to roll, add a few extra rice krispies. If it feels too dry or crumbly, add a small spoonful of peanut butter or a drizzle of maple syrup.
Don't overmix once the rice krispies are in. A few stirs is all it takes. Overmixing will crush the cereal and you will lose the airy crunch that makes these special.
Use a cookie scoop for even sizing. Same-sized balls chill more evenly and look more polished if you are sharing them or putting them in lunch boxes.
Wet your hands before rolling. If the dough is sticking to your palms, slightly damp hands make rolling much easier.
Test one ball first. Before chilling the full batch, roll one ball and pop it in the fridge for 5 minutes to check the texture. If it falls apart, adjust the mixture before rolling the rest.
Storage
Fridge: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. The texture stays best in the fridge as the rice krispies can soften slightly at room temperature.
Freezer: Freeze for up to 3 months. Many of my clients actually prefer them straight from the freezer because the texture is even crunchier.
To eat from frozen: Let them sit at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes before eating, or eat straight from frozen if you like the extra crunchy texture.
Make-ahead tip: Make a double batch on a Sunday and split between the fridge and freezer for snacks across two weeks.
FAQ
Yes, but you will need to adjust the recipe. Replace the protein powder with about 60g of oat flour or finely ground oats, and you may need a touch less peanut butter or maple syrup since oat flour absorbs less liquid than protein powder. The texture will be slightly different and the protein content will drop to around 2 to 3g per ball.
I would not recommend the recipe as written for children because protein powder is not necessary or recommended for kids. If you want a kid-friendly version, follow the swap I mention in the question above and replace the protein powder with oat flour. That version makes a great lunch box snack or after-school treat.
Absolutely. Mini chocolate chips, chopped dark chocolate, or dried fruit like cranberries or chopped dates all work well. Add about 30g of mix-ins to the recipe as written, and fold them in at the same time as the rice krispies.
More High Protein Snack Recipes You'll Love
If you love this recipe, you might also enjoy these other no bake protein snacks from the blog.
📖 Recipe
High Protein Peanut Butter and Rice Krispie Balls (No-Bake)
Ingredients
- 170 grams natural smooth peanut butter ⅔ cup
- 80 to 100 grams maple syrup or honey 4 to 5 tablespoons
- 60 grams vanilla protein powder ½ cup
- Pinch of salt if using unsalted peanut butter
- 53 grams rice krispies cereal 2 cups
Optional chocolate crunch coating
- 60 grams dark chocolate ⅓ cup
- ¼ teaspoon coconut oil
- About 25 grams soy crisps or pea crisps ⅓ cup
Instructions
- Add the peanut butter and maple syrup or honey to a large mixing bowl. Stir until smooth and combined. If your peanut butter is thick or dry, microwave the bowl for 10 to 15 seconds first to make mixing easier.170 grams natural smooth peanut butter, 80 to 100 grams maple syrup or honey
- Add the protein powder and salt (if using). Stir until a thick dough forms. The mixture should feel slightly sticky.60 grams vanilla protein powder, Pinch of salt
- Gently fold in the rice krispies. Try not to overmix so the cereal stays crunchy.53 grams rice krispies cereal
- Roll the mixture into balls using your hands or a cookie scoop. You should get around 16 balls depending on size.
- If you are making the chocolate crunch coating, roll each ball in the soy or pea crisps now while the balls are still soft and slightly tacky so the crisps stick well.
- Place on a lined tray and refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes until firm.
Optional chocolate crunch coating:
- Melt the dark chocolate with the coconut oil in 20 second bursts in the microwave, stirring between each, until smooth.60 grams dark chocolate, ¼ teaspoon coconut oil
- Drizzle the melted chocolate over the crisp-coated chilled balls and refrigerate until the chocolate has set, about 10 minutes.
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Notes
- For nut-free: swap peanut butter for sunflower seed butter or pumpkin seed butter.
- For gluten-free: use certified gluten-free rice krispies cereal.
- For vegan: use maple syrup, plant-based protein powder, and dairy-free dark chocolate.
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