Peanut Butter Protein Balls Without Protein Powder (No Bake)
These no-bake peanut butter protein balls skip the protein powder and use hemp hearts and oat flour instead, giving them a soft, fudgy texture and 5g of protein per ball.
Servings: 16
Calories: 133kcal
Equipment
- Medium cookie scoop (tablespoon size) not essential, but makes portioning quicker
Ingredients
For the balls:
- 50 grams oat flour ½ cup - see notes to make your own
- 70 grams shelled hemp seeds ½ cup. Can be subbed for ground flaxseed/linseed.
- 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 drizzle:
- 2 squares dark chocolate I used 70% lindt
- ¼ teaspoon coconut oil
Optional Mix ins
- ¼ cup chocolate chips If you decide to omit the chocolate drizzle you can add chocolate chips to the batter instead.
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
- Check the consistency. The dough should hold its shape when pressed together without being sticky. If too wet, add extra oat flour one teaspoon at a time. If too dry, add a small drizzle of extra maple syrup.
- Optional: Allow the dough to sit in the fridge for 1 hour before rolling into balls, this allows the dough to firm up slightly more making rolling easier.
- Use a cookie scoop or tablespoon to portion the dough into 16 even balls. Roll each one between your palms to shape.
- For the chocolate drizzle: add the chocolate chips and coconut oil to a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in short intervals, stirring in between, until fully melted.2 squares dark chocolate , ¼ teaspoon coconut oil
- Drizzle the chocolate over the balls.
- You can enjoy straight away but I recommend refrigerating for another hour to firm up more and for the chocolate to fully set.
Video
Notes
Oat flour: You can make your own by blending regular rolled oats in a blender or food processor on high for 20 to 30 seconds until you have a fine powder. One cup of oats gives roughly one cup of oat flour.
Hemp hearts/seeds: If you can't find hemp seeds you can use ground linseed/flaxseed instead. The protein content will be slightly lower but the fiber content will be higher.
Peanut butter consistency: The dough consistency depends on how runny your peanut butter is. Natural, drippy peanut butter works best. If the mixture is very wet, add extra oat flour a teaspoon at a time. If it's too dry, add a small drizzle of extra maple syrup. The balls will also firm up further as they chill.
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.
Nut-free: Swap peanut butter for sunflower seed butter or pumpkin seed butter.
Gluten-free: Use certified gluten-free oats to make your oat flour.
Nutrition analysis: I included the chocolate drizzle using 2 squares of 70% lindt dark chocolate.
Protein content: Each ball contains around 5g of protein. While this recipe isn’t classified as “high in protein” (which requires at least 20% of calories from protein), it does qualify as a “source of protein” at 15% and is a great option if you prefer not to use protein powder.
Nutrition
Calories: 133kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 5.2g | Fat: 9.5g | Saturated Fat: 1.7g | Sodium: 40mg | Fiber: 1.6g | Sugar: 3.3g
