OATMEAL PEANUT BUTTER PROTEIN BALLS

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Protein Balls are made with oats, peanut butter, honey, flaxseed, Rice Krispies, coconut oil and vanilla. These are healthy, filling and the best protein ball recipe that I’ve ever tried!

Lately, I have really been trying to make sure that I get enough protein each day and I’ve also been making a huge effort to get more protein into my kids too! This can really be a struggle, especially since I have a couple of kids who are extremely picky eaters and don’t really like any type of meat. I know, I know – what’s wrong with them?!?

The answer to this dilemma? Oatmeal Peanut Butter Protein Balls! They are the perfect high protein snack that is both filling and delicious!

I can serve my kids a couple of protein balls along with some fruit for a quick and easy breakfast and I love that it keeps them full for hours! These protein balls are extremely filling and are so easy to take with you as an on-the-go snack and my kids love to pack a few in their school lunches also. When you are busy and don’t have time to sit down and eat a full meal, you can just grab a couple protein balls on your way out the door and have all the energy you need for a few hours without feeling hungry!

Do you have to bake protein balls?

No, you do not have to bake protein balls! One of my favorite parts about this snack is that there is no baking or cooking involved at all! Just mix everything together and roll into balls. This recipe is so easy that my kids can all make them without any help and I love having lots of helpers to shape all of the balls!

Are protein balls the same as energy balls?

Protein balls and energy balls/energy bites are one and the same! I have found quite a few recipes for protein balls and quite a few for energy balls/energy bites and as far as I can tell, they are exactly the same thing, just called by different names. These protein balls provide a great combination of fats, carbs and fiber to help you stay full and give you long-lasting energy! My favorite thing about these protein balls is that they are so filling even though they are small!

How many calories are in each protein ball?

There are 133 calories in each protein ball. There are 7 grams of fat, 13 grams of carbs and about 3 grams of protein in each ball. Plenty of calories to give you energy for a long time – just don’t plan on eating dozens of them every day if you want to stay within a reasonable calorie range!

Do Oatmeal Peanut Butter Protein Balls taste good?

These Oatmeal Peanut Butter Protein Balls are different from other recipes because they are so much yummier than other recipes I’ve tried!  A couple of years ago, I tried several different protein ball recipes trying to find one that was pretty healthy and one that all of my kids (and me!) would eat.

I did some experimentation and came up with this recipe. I was shocked when I first tasted it because it really tastes very similar to traditional no-bake cookies. You know, the ones that have like 2 cups of sugar and chocolate in them? I’ve had so many people eat these and say the same thing. These are so yummy!

Why this protein balls recipe is different than other ones out there:

• I think one of my favorite things about this recipe is the addition of Rice Krispies – it adds a wonderful crunchiness without adding any weird flavors.
• This recipe includes ground flaxseed. I don’t love flaxseed, and there is no way my kids would touch it in most recipes, but you can’t even tell it’s in this one and it is full of fiber and omega-3s.
• Many similar recipes also add in mini chocolate chips, which you are welcome to do, but they are really so good without them! I’m really glad I didn’t start making them with chocolate chips because then my kids wouldn’t want to eat them plain. But since I started making them this way, they don’t know any better! I know, I know – I’m one of those “mean” moms!

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Protein Ball ingredients

Oats – Quick oats work best in this recipe, but you can use old-fashioned oats if you want a much chewier texture.

Rice Krispies – Crispy rice cereal adds more volume and a little bit of crunch to the protein balls without affecting the flavor.

Ground flaxseed – A cup of ground flaxseed adds fiber and omega-3 fatty acids to the protein balls and you can’t even tell something that healthy is in there!

Peanut butter – The recipe calls for 1 cup of creamy peanut butter, but crunchy peanut butter works well too. You can swap in a different nut butter – almond butter and cashew butter work well, but the flavor will be much different.

Honey – Most of the sweetness in the protein balls comes from the honey in the recipe.

Coconut oil – Just a couple of tablespoons of coconut oil will add a little bit of smoothness to the protein balls and will help all of the ingredients to mix together better. Just make sure the coconut oil is melted before adding to the mixture.

Vanilla extract – Just a little bit of vanilla adds a little extra flavor.

How to make Oatmeal Peanut Butter Protein Balls

Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl. A stand mixer (Kitchenaid or Bosch) makes this process much easier, but you can do it by hand with a large spoon as well.

Scoop out the batter and then roll it into a ball between your hands. (If you use a cookie scoop, all your balls will be the same size!)

Place the protein balls in the refrigerator for about 20-30 minutes to set up. (You can eat them right away I like them better cold!)

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

OATMEAL PEANUT BUTTER PROTEIN BALLS

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Protein Balls are made with oats, peanut butter, honey, flaxseed, Rice Krispies, coconut oil and a little bit of vanilla. These are healthy, filling and the tastiest protein ball recipe that I’ve ever tried!

4.64 from 11 votes

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Course: Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Oatmeal Peanut Butter Protein Balls

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Servings: 30 balls

Calories: 133kcal

Author: Jessica & Nellie

Ingredients

• 2 cups quick oats
• 1 cup Rice Krispie cereal
• 1 cup ground flaxseed
• 1 cup peanut butter
• ⅔ cup honey
• 2 Tbsp coconut oil*
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

• Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl. Scoop out the batter and then roll it into a ball between your hands. (If you use a cookie scoop, all your balls will be the same size!)
• Place the protein balls in the refrigerator for about 20-30 minutes to set up. (You can eat them right away but they are better cold!)
• Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Video

Notes

*(I use the liquid coconut oil for this recipe, but if you use regular coconut oil, make sure to melt it down to a liquid before adding it in!)

Nutrition

Calories: 133kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 46mg | Potassium: 122mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 60IU | Vitamin C: 0.7mg | Calcium: 20mg | Iron: 1mg

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How do you store protein balls?

I usually make a batch every week or two and then keep the protein balls in an airtight container in the refrigerator. My kids will often put a couple in their lunches and they will eat one or two as an after-school snack. Although I store them in the fridge, they are fine to eat at room temperature and I actually can’t decide if I like them better cold or not! They are absolutely delicious either way.

What kind of oats do you use in Peanut Butter Protein Balls?

I use quick oats in this protein ball recipe because I think that the texture is a little bit more palatable and easier to chew. I keep intending to try the recipe with old-fashioned oats just to see how different they are. I’m guessing that the taste would be similar, but the consistency would be quite a bit chewier.

Can you make protein balls without peanut butter?

Yes, you can make these protein balls without peanut butter. In my house, we absolutely love peanut butter and prefer it to other nut butters, so that is all I have ever personally tried with this recipe. I do have a friend who made them almond butter and said that they were wonderful, so I’m assuming you could easily swap most types of nut butters into this recipe. You can still enjoy all of the benefits of the high protein content by using another nut butter.

Can you change the ingredients of this protein ball recipe?

One of my favorite things about recipes like these is the versatility and the ease in which you can swap out many of the ingredients, or even add some of your favorites. There are a lot of ways you can make this protein ball recipe “your own.” Obviously some of these changes will alter the taste a bit, but you can easily make this recipe adaptable for you and and your family – the possibilities are endless!

• As mentioned before, you can swap the peanut butter with other nut butters
• Add little bits of dried fruit or you could just add raisins if you don’t want to do any dicing!
• You can also add chocolate chips if you want a little bit of extra sweetness!
• For a little bit more protein, you can add some chia seeds or a scoop or two of protein powder for an extra nutritional boost.

More peanut butter snack recipes:

• Creamy Peanut Butter Dip
• Peanut Butter Pretzels
• Peanut Butter Popcorn
• No-Bake Peanut Butter Cookies
• Peanut Butter Fudge Cups
• Peanut Butter Banana Bars
• No-Bake Peanut Butter Banana Fudge Bars
• Chocolate Peanut Butter Dip
• Peanut Butter Cups
• No Bake Peanut Butter Pretzel Bars

Oatmeal Peanut Butter Protein Balls are healthy, filling and the best protein ball recipe that I’ve ever tried! This high protein snack is made with oats, peanut butter, honey, flaxseed, Rice Krispies, coconut oil and vanilla.