These peanut butter protein balls without protein powder are quick to make, come together in one bowl, and require no baking. They use hemp hearts, peanut butter and oat flour to deliver 5 grams of protein per ball.
A Quick Look At This Recipe
✅ Recipe Name: Peanut Butter Protein Balls Without Protein Powder
🕒 Ready In: ~10 minutes active prep + 60 minutes chilling
👪 Serves: 16 balls
🍽 Calories: 133 calories, 5g protein, 2g fiber per ball
🥣 Main Ingredients: Oat flour, hemp seeds, smooth peanut butter, maple syrup
⭐ Why You'll Love It: No baking required, family-friendly and easy to adapt for vegan, dairy-free and gluten-free diets.
I've made a lot of no-bake snack recipes over the years, but these are the ones my husband always requests. They’re useful for anyone who prefers getting their protein from everyday foods rather than protein powder.
While they’re not technically “high in protein” (which requires at least 20% of calories from protein according to EU guidelines), they do qualify as a source of protein and combine protein, fats and carbohydrates for a satisfying snack.
After making this recipe, I'd recommend trying my healthy rice krispie treats or banana cottage cheese muffins next, both are great options if you want a more balanced sweet treat.
Jump to:
- A Quick Look At This Recipe
- Why This Recipe Is Good for You (Nutrition Highlights)
- Key Ingredients
- Ingredient Substitutions
- Equipment
- How To Make These Peanut Butter Protein Balls
- Expert Tips for Making This Recipe
- Storage
- Recipe FAQs
- More Healthy Snack Recipes You'll Love
- Want to Learn About Nutrition?
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Comments
Why This Recipe Is Good for You (Nutrition Highlights)
- Hemp hearts are one of the few plant-based foods that contain all nine essential amino acids, which makes them a complete protein source. This is relatively rare in the plant food world and one of the reasons I love recommending hemp hearts to clients who are plant-based or just trying to eat less meat. They also provide plant-based omega-3 fats and magnesium.
- Peanut butter contributes both protein and healthy unsaturated fats. The fat in peanut butter actually helps you feel satisfied for longer, which is what you want from a snack.
- Oat flour adds fiber and slow-releasing carbohydrates. This helps stabilize blood sugar after eating, which is especially useful if you're having these as a mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack.
Key Ingredients
The complete ingredient list with measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
- Peanut butter: Use a runny, smooth peanut butter. I always recommend choosing a peanut butter where the only ingredients are peanuts (and maybe salt). If your peanut butter is stiff or dry, the mixture will be hard to bring together and the balls may crumble.
- Shelled hemp hearts: Hemp hearts (also called shelled hemp seeds) are the soft, pale inner part of the hemp seed. They're mild in flavour, easy to mix in, and are one of the best plant-based sources of complete protein. Look for them in the health food section of most large supermarkets or online. I like the linwoods brand. If you can’t find hemp hearts, ground flaxseed may also work, although the balls will have less protein and may have a slightly drier texture. You may need an extra drizzle of maple syrup.
- Oat flour: Oat flour gives a smoother texture. Whole oats would make them chewier and grainier. You can buy oat flour ready-made or make your own at home in about 30 seconds (see the tip below). Either works well.
- Maple syrup: Maple syrup acts as both the sweetener and the binder here. It helps hold everything together.
- Salt: Only add this if your peanut butter is unsalted. Salt brings out the flavour of the peanut butter and stops the balls tasting flat. A small amount goes a long way.
- Optional chocolate: You can add the chocolate in three different ways. Fold chocolate chips through the mixture for small pockets of chocolate, finely grate it into the dough so there is some in every bite, or melt it with a little coconut oil and drizzle it over the finished balls.
How to Make Oat Flour At Home
You don't need to buy oat flour. Add regular rolled oats to a blender or food processor and blend on high for 20 to 30 seconds until you have a fine, flour-like powder. One cup of rolled oats gives you roughly one cup of oat flour. Store any leftover oat flour in an airtight container for up to three months.
Ingredient Substitutions
Here are some tips to help you adjust the recipe to suit your individual dietary needs and preferences. I only recommend swapping 1 - 2 ingredients, so the original recipe doesn't completely change.
- Nut-free: Swap the peanut butter for sunflower seed butter or pumpkin seed butter. The protein content will be slightly lower, but the texture should be similar. Make sure the butter is the runny, natural kind.
- Gluten-free: Use certified gluten-free oats to make your oat flour. Regular oats can contain traces of gluten from cross-contamination during processing.
- Dairy-free or vegan: Choose dairy-free dark chocolate or leave out the optional chocolate. The remaining ingredients are naturally dairy-free and vegan.
Please note: This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let me know in the comments below! I'd love to hear how it worked out! 💛
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Equipment
Cookie scoop: A medium cookie scoop (also called a tablespoon scoop) makes it much easier to portion the balls evenly and quickly. If you don't have one, a tablespoon measure works fine, but expect a little more variation in size.
How To Make These Peanut Butter Protein Balls
Below are the simple steps for how to make this recipe with visuals I hope are helpful! Don't forget to check out the recipe card at the bottom for the full recipe.
- Add the oat flour, hemp hearts, peanut butter, maple syrup, and salt (if using) to a large bowl. Mix well until everything is fully combined and a thick dough forms.
- If adding chocolate chips or grated chocolate add it to the mixture during this step too.
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate the mixture for 1 hour. This gives the oat flour time to absorb some of the moisture and makes the balls much easier to shape.
- Divide the mixture into 16 equal portions using a tablespoon or small cookie scoop
- If making the chocolate drizzle, add the chopped chocolate and coconut oil to a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in short intervals, stirring between each one, until smooth and fully melted. Drizzle over the balls and refrigerate until the chocolate has set.
- The balls are ready to eat!
Hint: Check the consistency of the dough before shaping. The dough should be thick enough to roll into a ball without being sticky. If it's too wet, add a small amount of extra oat flour, one teaspoon at a time. If it's too dry and crumbly, add a small drizzle of extra maple syrup.
Expert Tips for Making This Recipe
- Use runny peanut butter. Natural, drippy peanut butter gives you the best texture and the easiest mixing experience.
- Make your own oat flour. It’s usually cheaper and works just as well.
- Adjust slowly. The dough consistency depends on how runny your peanut butter is, which varies between brands. Add extra oat flour or maple syrup in small amounts and mix before adding more.
- Don’t skip chilling the dough. Refrigerating it for one hour allows the mixture to firm up and makes it much easier to roll.
Storage
Fridge: Store in an airtight container for up to one week. I prefer not to store them at room temperature as the fridge temperature helps keep them firm.
Freezer: Freeze for up to three months. Thaw in the fridge overnight or eat straight from the freezer, allowing about a 10 minute thaw if you prefer them firmer.
Recipe FAQs
You can, but the texture will be different. Rolled oats make a chewier, grainier ball. Oat flour gives you a smoother consistency.t. If you don't have oat flour, blend regular rolled oats in a blender for 20 to 30 seconds to make your own. It takes less than a minute.
No, but if you do omit it you will need to replace it with something of a similar texture such as sunflower seed butter or tahini. Just bear in mind that the flavor and final consistency may be slightly different.
More Healthy Snack Recipes You'll Love
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Want to Learn About Nutrition?
Here are some nutrition education articles from a dietitian! And if you have any questions, feel free to reach out - I'm here to help.
📖 Recipe
Peanut Butter Protein Balls Without Protein Powder (No Bake)
Equipment
- Medium cookie scoop (tablespoon size) optional but helpful for portioning
Ingredients
For the balls:
- 50 grams oat flour ½ cup - see notes to make your own
- 70 grams shelled hemp seeds about ½ cup
- 200 grams smooth peanut butter ¾ cup - must be runny
- 60 grams maple syrup 3 tablespoons
- ½ teaspoon salt only if your peanut butter is unsalted
Optional chocolate
- 30 grams dark chocolate about 3 tablespoons if using chocolate chips
- ¼ teaspoon coconut oil only if making the chocolate drizzle
Instructions
- Add the oat flour, hemp hearts, peanut butter, maple syrup, and salt (if using) to a large bowl. Mix well until fully combined and a thick dough forms.50 grams oat flour, 70 grams shelled hemp seeds, 200 grams smooth peanut butter, 60 grams maple syrup, ½ teaspoon salt
- Choose how you would like to add the chocolate:Chocolate chips: Fold the chocolate chips through the mixture.Grated chocolate: Finely grate the chocolate and fold it through the mixture so there is a little chocolate in every bite.Chocolate drizzle: Set the chocolate and coconut oil aside to melt and drizzle over the balls after rolling.30 grams dark chocolate
- Cover the bowl and refrigerate the mixture for 1 hour. This gives the oat flour time to absorb some of the moisture and makes the balls much easier to shape.
- Check the texture before rolling. The mixture should hold together easily without sticking heavily to your hands. If it feels too soft, mix in a little extra oat flour, 1 teaspoon at a time. If it feels too dry, add a small drizzle of maple syrup.
- Divide the mixture into 16 equal portions using a tablespoon or small cookie scoop. Roll each portion between your palms until smooth.
- If making the chocolate drizzle, add the chopped chocolate and coconut oil to a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in short intervals, stirring between each one, until smooth and fully melted. Drizzle over the balls and refrigerate until the chocolate has set.¼ teaspoon coconut oil
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Suz says
I haven’t made protein balls in a while but this recipe caught my eye. I quickly whipped up a batch but may try a little less maple syrup next time if batter is not too dry. I just thought the sweetness could be reduced for my own taste.
Great recipe. Thnx for sharing.
Maria Lucey RD says
You are very welcome, thank you for taking the time to comment and let me know how it all went. Agreed, I always adjust the maple syrup depending on how drippy the peanut butter is.