4 Ingredient Protein Rich Peanut Butter Energy Balls (2024)

Why you will love these no bake energy balls

• They have a fairly long shelf life so you can make them in advance. We make enough to take to work for a couple of weeks.
• It’s a simple recipe that takes no time to make.
• They are the perfect healthy snack for the kids to grab and eat on the go.
• All you need are 4 simple ingredients you may already have in your cabinet.
• We have taken the guesswork out of it so you can make perfect protein bites every time.
• Nut butters contain healthy fats and oats are chock full of essential nutrients. Check out this article for the7 Scientific Health Benefits of Oatmeal. (After you make these, of course 😉.)

Ingredients

See recipe card for exact amounts.

Ingredient Notes

Just 4 basic ingredients are all you need!

Nut Butter– we make these with creamy peanut butter, crunchy peanut butter, almond butter and cashew butter. We have used regular peanut butter but have not used natural peanut butter. I think it would work just fine.

Oats– I have found that quick oats work better than rolled oats (also known as old fashioned oats).The smaller size of the oats helps them stay together better.

Pure Maple Syrup– this is the “glue” that holds everything together.

Mini Chocolate Chips– we like semi-sweet mini chips for this, they are the perfect size.

How to make 4 ingredient protein balls

1. Add all of the ingredients to a large mixing bowl and stir until well combined.
2. Scoop the mixture into balls and place on a parchment lined rimmed baking sheet so they are easy to transfer to the refrigerator.
3. Form into balls and refrigerate until cold.Once cold transfer to an airtight container or portion them out in small containers or zip top bags for a grab-and-go snack.

*Recipe note – use one 12 ounce jar of almond butter or cashew butter instead of 1 1/2 cups of peanut butter.

How many protein balls should you eat?

These 4-ingredient protein balls haveabout 128calories so you should only eat 2 of these as part of a healthy amount of calories and fat. Keep in mind that you need to consider all the foods consumed in a day and keep it within the acceptable range for your height and weight.

Are protein balls good for you?

Yes, in moderation. Oats are good for you and nut butters contain healthy fats. There is a relatively small amount of maple syrup and chocolate chips so if you only eat a couple of these at a time then you should be okay. Two of these make the perfect snack.

Can I eat protein balls every day?

If you only eat a couple then sure, you can eat them every day. As long as you are mindful of how many you are consuming you should be okay. According toMen’s Healthregarding peanut butter “you should aim to eat around an ounce (with a maximum of two ounces) per day; one ounce is two tablespoons of peanut butter”.This recipe has a total of 20 tablespoons of peanut butter and less than that if using almond butter or cashew butter so if you divide that by 32 balls then you are under the recommended daily limit suggested.

Tips

• We use a medium cookie scoop and rub it on the side of the bowl to level it off.
• While the protein ball mixture is a little sticky we don’t put anything on our hands, we just use clean dry hands. It doesn’t stick much at all.
• Scoop all the dough out and then form them into balls, working quickly.Forming the balls is more pressing them together and shaping them than actually rolling the mixture.
• We tried a wooden spoon, a metal spoon and spatula and find the spatula works best for mixing these ingredients together.
• Lee always mixes these for me and he has discovered that holding the spatula sideways and sort of cutting the ingredients together, much like you would if you are making biscuits, works best.
• I find these are better refrigerated and not room temperature. I also think them being cold helps them stay together better when you are trying to eat them.

Storage

After the power balls have chilled transfer them to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks.

4 Ingredient Protein Rich Peanut Butter Energy Balls

Mindy Boyd

4 Ingredient Protein Rich Peanut Butter Energy Balls are made with oats and nut butter for a healthy snack the whole family is sure to love.

I earn a small commission from Instacart for qualifying purchases.

Nutrition Facts

Calories: 128kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 0.4mg | Sodium: 54mg | Potassium: 107mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 6IU | Vitamin C: 0.02mg | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 1mg

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was with a comment below.