Need a quick, healthy snack option to get you through the week? This easy almond butter protein ball recipe will definitely do the trick. Made with 7 ingredients in just 15 minutes, these little energy balls are simple but tasty, and lack the questionable ingredients you'll find in so many pre-packaged protein bars. These gluten-free protein balls can easily be made dairy-free and vegan as well!
This post is sponsored by Naked Nutrition. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Some days, finding time to eat is HARD. Rushing to work? To school? To the gym? Just grab a couple of these almond butter protein balls and you'll be set! They're crazy easy to make, infinitely customizable, and actually give you energy to keep on with your day.
With just the right amount of sweetness and plenty of texture from rolled oats and dried fruit, these protein balls are also surprisingly flavorful! Made with blueberry muffin protein powder and dried blueberries, they remind me of a blueberry Nutrigrain bar, but we'll talk more about how you can make these virtually any flavor you want!
Why you'll love this recipe
This is the best kind of recipe - minimum effort for maximum reward, and suitable to all kinds of diets. These almond butter protein balls are:
- Made with minimal ingredients - Just 7 of them!
- Easy to make - You won't need any fancy tools, kitchen appliances, etc. The whole process takes about 15 minutes, and there's no need to chill the protein balls before you eat them.
- Healthy - Each serving (or 1 ball) has 6 grams of protein, less than 5 grams of sugar, and a well-balanced mix of carbs and fat from rolled oats and almond butter.
- Special diet-friendly: These protein balls are naturally gluten-free, as well as dairy-free and vegan if made with vegan protein powder. They can easily be made refined sugar-free as well! Just make sure the protein powder and mix-ins you use are made without refined sugar.
- Customizable: Swap the almond butter in these energy balls with a different nut butter, change up your protein powder flavor, mix in dried fruit, nuts, or chocolate chips, etc. You can even turn this recipe into protein bars!
- Easy to store - These protein balls will keep in the fridge for a couple of weeks, or in the freezer for even longer. Feel free to double the recipe so you have snacks on hand for a few weeks at a time!
Jump to:
Protein ball ingredients
To make this recipe, you'll need the following ingredients:
- Protein powder: Feel free to use your favorite protein powder variety in any flavor. Naked Nutrition is always my go-to for protein bars, so I used their Naked Shake Vegan Protein Powder here. The Lemon Blueberry Muffin flavor goes perfectly with the dried blueberries I mixed into the batter!
- Almond butter (or any other type of nut butter): You can use homemade or store-bought; just make sure to give it a good stir if it's separated! I recommend using an unsweetened nut butter to keep these protein balls low in sugar.
- Rolled oats: Use certified gluten-free oats to make gluten-free protein balls. Quick-cooking oats would most likely work fine here as well.
- Maple syrup: You can swap this with honey or any other liquid sweetener if preferred.
- Dried blueberries (or other mix-ins): Feel free to get creative with this recipe! Mini chocolate chips, freeze dried strawberries, nuts, or cinnamon would all be good additions. Chop your mix-ins if needed so that they don't prevent your protein balls from holding together.
- Vanilla extract: Although technically optional, vanilla extract adds such a nice touch to the flavors in this recipe! Almond extract would also work well.
- Water: When it comes time to roll this ingredient mixture into individual balls, you may need to add 1-2 tablespoons of water to help everything stick.
How to make almond butter protein balls
This 2-step recipe truly couldn't be simpler!
Step one - Mix all ingredients: Combine all of the ingredients except the water in a medium mixing bowl. Start by mixing them together with a spoon or spatula, and then use your hands to finish kneading the mixture until it starts to clump, make sure all of the dry ingredients get incorporated.
If the mixture seems too dry, just add 1-2 tablespoons of water as needed.
Step two - Roll into balls: Scoop the mixture into 1-ounce portions (about the size of a packed tablespoon) and roll each portion into a smooth ball between your palms. Transfer to a zip-top bag or container to store.
Storage and shelf life
If stored properly in an airtight bag or container, these protein balls should keep well in the refrigerator for 2 weeks, or in the freezer for 3-4 months.
If you opt to freeze them, just let them defrost at room temperature for at least a few minutes so they soften up before serving.
Common questions
Yes to both! I often eat a couple before or after I hit the gym, and I find that they give me just the right amount of fuel to stay energized and feel satisfied, without feeling weighed down. Eating protein after a workout is also known to increase muscle synthesis!
Definitely! I would suggest pressing the mixture into an 8 inch square pan that's lined with parchment, chilling it for about 30 minutes, and then slicing it into bars. Keep in mind that you may need to use a bit more water in the batter to make it just slightly stickier.
Yes! First things first - swap the maple syrup for a sugar-free liquid sweetener like allulose syrup. Then, just make sure that the protein powder and mix-ins you use are sugar-free OR made with a sugar substitute (like stevia, erythritol, etc.).
More healthy snacking
Looking for more easy snack recipes like these protein balls? Here are a few of my favorites!
- Easy homemade granola {gluten-free, dairy-free, refined sugar-free}
- Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins {gluten-free, dairy-free, refined sugar-free}
- Healthy No-Bake Chocolate Coconut Balls {keto, gluten-free, vegan, sugar-free}
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Bars {gluten-free, refined sugar-free}
Have you made this recipe?
If so, I'd love to hear your feedback; you can leave a rating and review in the comments section below! It's also so helpful if you help spread the word by sharing this post on your favorite social media channel. If you happen to snap a photo of what you've baked, be sure to share it on Instagram and tag me (@brighteyedbaker) so I can give you a shoutout!
Recipe Card
Almond Butter Protein Balls
These almond butter protein balls come together in just 15 minutes with NO baking or fancy kitchen tools required. They're a tasty snack with a healthy balance of carbs, fats, and proteins to keep you energized and fueled throughout the day!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 22 protein balls 1x
- Category: snack bars and bites
- Method: no-bake
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 9 ounces (1 cup) unsweetened almond butter
- 4 ⅜ ounces (1 ½ cups) old fashioned rolled oats (use gluten-free if needed)
- 2 ¾ ounces (¼ cup) pure maple syrup
- 2 ⅛ ounces (4 scoops - 39 cc scoop size) protein powder
- 3 tablespoons dried blueberries or other mix-ins of choice
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-2 tablespoons water, as needed
Instructions
1. Mix all ingredients: In a medium mixing bowl, combine the almond butter, oats, maple syrup, protein powder, dried fruit, and vanilla extract. Start mixing everything together with a spoon, and then use your hands to finish kneading the mixture together until it starts to clump. There should be no dry streaks remaining when you're done. Add 1-2 tablespoons of water if needed to help everything stick together.
2. Roll into balls: Scoop the mixture into 1 ounce portions (approx. 1 packed tablespoon each) and roll each portion into a ball between your palms. Store protein balls in an airtight container or zip-top bag in the refrigerator.
Notes
Ingredient Notes:
- Any flavor of protein powder can be used for this recipe. Use vegan protein powder to make these protein balls dairy-free/vegan.
- Almond butter can be substituted with any type of nut butter.
- Maple syrup can be substituted with honey or another liquid sweetener.
- Mix-ins: Good options include dried fruit, mini chocolate chips, or nuts.
Storage and shelf life:
- These protein balls keep well in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, or in the freezer for 3-4 months.
To make into protein bars:
- Press the mixture into an 8" square pan that's lined with parchment, chill it for about 30 minutes, and then slice into bars. Keep in mind that you may need to use a bit more water in the batter to make it just slightly "stickier".
To make sugar-free protein balls:
- This recipe is refined sugar-free as written, assuming the protein powder and mix-ins you use don't contain refined sugar. For a zero-sugar option, swap the maple syrup with a sugar-free liquid sweetener like allulose syrup, and stick to sugar-free protein powder and mix-ins.
AlexA
I tried it and it was super tasty. As usual, great pics too!