Peanut Butter Protein Balls (gluten-free, vegan options)
These 6-ingredient peanut butter protein balls only take a few minutes to throw together and are full of healthful ingredients! Naturally gluten-free, whole grain, dairy-free and with a vegan option.
Just basic ingredients
There’s loads of good stuff in these protein balls. Tons of natural peanut butter plus a bit of raw honey (or brown rice syrup for a vegan option), oats and coconut.
And of course, some mini chocolate chips because… why not? ;) Feel free to omit them if you want to limit your sugar.
Make sure to use the kind of peanut butter that just contains peanuts and salt. If you use a brand that has added fat and sugar, these peanut butter balls likely won’t turn out
well. You’d also be adding a ton of fat (and probably not the healthy kind) and sugar!
So easy that kids can make them alone
To make these peanut butter protein balls, all you do is dump the ingredients into a bowl and roll the mixture into balls. It’s not an especially sticky mixture, so you’ll have to squeeze them together to get the balls to hold together.
I’ve made these peanut butter protein balls a number of times with the exact same ingredients (as in from the same package), and the very small amount of water I needed to add to hold the mixture together varied each time (hence the range in the measurement given).
I also discovered that instead of using additional water to bring the mixture together, vanilla extract is a tasty alternative!
Prefer something more cookie-like but don’t want to turn on the oven? Try these no-bake oatmeal cookies! They’re also 100% whole grain and naturally gluten-free + vegan. And seriously – they’re one of my favorite recipes.
Peanut butter sub?
Wondering how to make peanut butter? All you need is 1 ingredient and a food processor!
But if you can’t have or don’t have peanut butter or peanuts on hand, you can experiment with other nut butters. I’ve tried today’s recipe with sunflower seed butter, and it worked great. But I’m not sure about other nut butters.
They’re not always 100% interchangeable, so I can’t say for sure if other types would work in these protein bites. That’s why I called it an experiment. ;) But I’m quite sure they’d be fine wth other types.
I can tell you that almond butter works amazingly well in these bliss balls, as does sunflower seed butter for a nut-free option. They’re like a chocolate version of this recipe and truly so delicious.
For a grain-free chocolate version, try these chocolate peanut butter protein balls. If you use cashew butter, then you’ve got yourself some paleo protein balls. :)
Vegan option
Honey is quite a bit stickier and thicker than maple syrup, and that’s why I only have brown rice syrup listed as a honey sub for this recipe.
I tried these balls with maple syrup, but they fell apart more easily. So that’s why I recommend brown rice syrup.
If you give these peanut butter protein balls a try, I’d love to hear what you think!
And here are some resources if you’re new to the vegan or gluten-free diet:
- Are Oats Gluten-free?
- Is Honey Gluten-free?
- Are Chocolate Chips Gluten-free?
- Are Chocolate Chips Vegan?
- Is Peanut Butter Gluten-free?
- Is Peanut Butter Vegan?
Peanut Butter Protein Balls (gluten-free, vegan options)
Ingredients
- 1 cup (256 grams) natural peanut butter or sunflower seed butter for nut-free (the kind with just peanuts / seeds and salt)
- 1/4 cup (80 grams) honey or 1/4 cup brown rice syrup for a vegan version
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups (135 grams) rolled oats (use gluten-free oats, if needed)
- 1/2 cup (42 grams) unsweetened shredded coconut
- pinch salt
- 1/3 cup (57 grams) mini chocolate chips (use vegan chocolate chips, if needed)
- 2 to 4 teaspoons water or additional vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the peanut butter, brown rice syrup or honey and vanilla extract.1 cup (256 grams) natural peanut butter, 1/4 cup (80 grams) honey, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Stir in the oats, coconut and salt until well combined and then add the chocolate chips. If the mixture doesn’t hold together well when pinched together, add the additional water or vanilla, a teaspoon at a time until the mixture holds together well when pinched.1 1/2 cups (135 grams) rolled oats, 1/2 cup (42 grams) unsweetened shredded coconut, pinch salt, 1/3 cup (57 grams) mini chocolate chips, 2 to 4 teaspoons water
- Form 1” balls by pressing about 1 tablespoon of the mixture together.
- Store at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for 1 week.
Notes
- The nutrition information provided is calculated as a courtesy and is only an estimate. I am not a licensed nutritionist or dietitian. For the most accurate nutritional data, consult a professional or use your preferred calculator.
Hi Erin! I made these protein balls last night and I love them! My husband and daughter do, too! I found your blog simply by chance while searching recipes on line and I love it. I plan to try more ASAP! Great blog!
Aww, thanks! I’m so happy you found the website and that you enjoyed the balls and are going to try more recipes. I hope you’ll like them just as much as the protein balls! Thanks for your comment. :)
I thought there was to be garbanzo beans added in too , sorry if I mixed up recipes thanks
They look easy though :)
I do have a recipe with chickpeas and peanut butter! You might be thinking of these chickpea cookies. :)
These look great! Do you soak your oats first to make them easier to digest or does mixing them with the wetter ingredients (pb, honey, vanilla) take care of that process if you don’t eat them right away? I’ve read mixed things online about ingesting oats without soaking them, so I’m just curious if you do and if not, if you have any issues. Thanks!! :)
I’ve never actually soaked my oats although I know I should probably look into that! I don’t think that mixing them with wetter ingredients would replace actually soaking them, though. I’m also not very hopeful that soaked oats would work in a recipe like this. Sorry I don’t have a better answer for you!
I am not one to write a review but I felt I needed to!!
I went into my local healthy food cafe yesterday and bought a protein ball for £1.50 (was delicious) – then on my way back to work I thought – wow I bet I could make something like this! – found this website and on my way home bought all the ingredients except vanilla extract (couldn’t find anywhere, can you believe lol) anyway got home, made them and omg they are delicious – I made around 10, so easy and so yummy!!!
Thank you!!!!
1.50 for a protein ball?! Wow. That’s crazy! I’m so happy you found this recipe and can make your own now. :) Thanks for your comment!
I paid $2.75 for a protein ball hence my ending up on this site! :)
Yikes! So expensive. Hope you get to try out this much cheaper version. :)
Do these need refrigerated?
Sorry for my slow reply! Hopefully you found your answer in Step 4 of the recipe. :)
assuming you make 24 balls. Each ball or serving would be 97 calories. 3.7g protein.
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 24
Per Serving % Daily Value*
Calories 97
Total Fat 6.1g 8%
Saturated Fat 1.5g 8%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 1mg 0%
Sodium 12mg 1%
Potassium 17mg 0%
Total Carb 7.4g 2%
Dietary Fiber 0.9g 3%
Sugars 4.8g
Protein 3.7g
So sorry I just now saw your comment! Thanks for sharing the nutritional breakdown. I hope you made them and enjoyed them! :)
No worries. You got back to me very quickly! Thank you so much! I really appreciate it!! I needed to log them in my Fitbit & wanted the most accurate information possible :) I did make them and they are definitely delicious! My husband & 19 month old like them too. We made them 2 days ago & they’re almost gone. Thank you for posting this recipe!!!
You’re welcome for the recipe! :) I’m happy that your family enjoyed them. It’s always a good thing when the husband and toddler approve. ;) Thanks for the feedback!
WOW – these are AMAAAAAZING!! Love them! My daughter and I made them and per our calculations from our home ingredients, for 24 protein balls, each one is 132 calories.
So happy you liked them! Thanks for sharing the calorie count and your comment. :)
I make a lot of sweets for tour busses. Most of my clients are peanut butter freaks, but I’d like to make them something healthier for this next round. I normally just use regular peanut butter but have some of that PB2 stuff on hand. Have you tried it with that? Just wondering how to adjust.
I’ve never used PB2 so I have no idea how you’d use that here. Sorry about that! I hope your clients will enjoy the balls. :)
I substituted the chocolate chips for cocoa nibs and half maple syrup half rice malt.
Turned out great! Thanks for the recipe!
I’m happy your subs worked out well and that you enjoyed the balls! Thanks for your comment. :)
How many balls do you get from this recipe & how many calories per ball please?
It’s up in the yield. :) 24 balls! I don’t have that info but you can copy and paste the recipe here for the nutritional profile, if you’d like.
These look so delish!
Thanks a bunch! :)
Hi. Do you have to put the coconut in? I don’t like coconut so thought to ask! Thanks!
Hmm. 1/2 cup is a lot to omit of something. I’m afraid you need something similar to coconut to absorb some of the moisture from the peanut butter. I just don’t know what would do the job. Sorry about that!
I have made these several times & never use coconut. Just ate one now & they taste just as amazing, without!
That’s great to know that they work without the coconut! Thanks for the tip. :)
I even add other nuts and it works great!
Good to know! Thanks for the tip. :)
how many protein balls can we make from this quantity.
It’s up in the yield. :) 24 balls!
Thanks. made peanut butter balls. everybody loved it.
Great! I’m happy to hear that. :) Thanks for your comment!
Can I use steel cut oats in place of rolled oats?
I haven’t tried it but I’m pretty sure that wouldn’t work. I think steel cut oats are too hard to eat raw, aren’t they?
I’ve had these but made with sunbutter instead of Peanut Butter. Still very delicious!! And a great option for those with nut allergies
Awesome that they came out well with sunbutter! So happy you liked them. :) Thanks for your comment!
Made these today and used trader joes Ancient grains ,which have pumpkin seeds flax chia quinoa oats , they are great thank you !! Like the idea of toasting the coconut !! Yum ????????
That sounds like an interesting sub! I’ll have to check that out. Thanks for your comment! I’m happy you enjoyed them. :)
Does anyone have the nutritional data so that I can put it in my food diary app?
I don’t have that info but you can copy and paste the recipe here for the nutritional profile, if you’d like. :)
These are delicious. I toasted the coconut until it was brown and toasted the oatmeal. It has to cool before mixing the chocolate chips. I also warmed up the peanut butter, honey and vanilla in the microwave for about 10 seconds so it was easier to mix . I added a 1/4 cup of chia seeds. I put the balls in servings of three in snack bags and froze them so we could grab and go. I don’t know the nutritional value but these kept me full for a long time. I am diabetic and it did not affect my sugar. I have passed this recipe on. It’s great.
I love your idea of toasting the coconut and oats! That must add so much flavor. And I’ll have to try these with chia seeds, too. Thanks a bunch for your feedback! I’m so happy you liked them.
I’m also diabetic, I’m having trouble getting my diabetes under control , I’d appreciate it if you could give me the recipe you used . Thank you
These are great to make in bulk and use for pre workouts. They were also easy to make. By the way, what kind of camera did you use for these awesome photos?
I’m so happy you liked them! I used a Canon 6D. :) Thanks for your comment!
Any idea what the nutritional stats are for these? I made them and LOOOOVE THEM! Just want to know how many calories, protein and fiber I’m consuming. Thanks for any help with this.
I don’t have that info but you can copy and paste the recipe here for the nutritional profile, if you’d like. :) I’m so happy you liked them! Thanks for your comment. :)