Almond Butter Protein Balls
Almond butter protein balls taste like cookie dough and are so easy to make. Ready in just 10 minutes, these heathy almond butter power balls are packed with protein, healthy fats and naturally sweetened. With 7 grams of protein, each, these are perfect for an afternoon snack or post-workout fuel.
Why you are going to love these almond butter energy balls
- Easy to make – you just need a bowl and a spoon
- Simple ingredients – you likely have everything you need in you pantry!
- Great for meal prep – these store well in the freezer too!
- Healthy snack – these high protein balls with almond butter are vegan, gluten free and dairy free.
Ingredients
- Almond butter– use natural almond butter (the kind that you have to stir the oil back in when you open the jar). I have not tested this recipe with a no-stir almond butter.
- Maple syrup – maple syrup helps to sweeten the power bites and gives them the perfect texture. You could also use honey or brown rice syrup.
- Vanilla plant based protein – the vegan plant based protein is really important for this recipe since there is no flour to hold them together. The protein powder acts like the flour in this recipe.
- Dairy free milk – these need just a little bit of liquid, so I added some cashew milk, you could also use almond milk, oat milk, coconut milk or even water.
- Mini chocolate chips – I really recommend using mini chips or chopping up larger chocolate chips or they will take over the balls and they could fall apart.
- Oat flour (optional, if needed) – depending on the almond butter you are using, you may need to add 1-2 tablespoons of oat flour to help absorb some of the oil from the almond butter.
How to make protein balls with almond butter
In a bowl combine the almond butter and maple syrup, stirring well.
Add the plant based protein and dairy free milk to the bowl and stir well until all the protein powder is well mixed into the almond butter mixture.
Add the chocolate chips and stir until well combined. You may notice that some of the chocolate chips don’t want to mix in, that’s ok. Let the dough rest 1-2 minutes.
Use a cookie scoop, scoop out 1 tablespoon of the dough into your hand, then roll into a tight formed ball. Repeat until 12 balls are formed.
Enjoy immediately or store in the fridge or freezer.
Top tips
- Use natural almond butter (the kind you have to stir the oil into when you first open the jar) for the best consistency.
- Use vegan protein powder or add oat flour to whey protein or collagen peptides.
- Use mini chocolate chips or chop up larger chocolate chips or they will take over the balls and they may fall apart
- Use a tablespoon cookie scoop to make equal sized bites
- If the dough is too dry, let it sit for a minute before doing anything else, the protein may just need to hydrate. After 1-2 minutes, if it’s still dry, add 1-2 tablespoons dairy free milk or water. If it looks too wet, add 1-2 tablespoons oat flour.
Other additions to almond butter energy balls
- Spices: cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, ground cardamom, ground ginger
- Molasses
- Vanilla extract or almond extract
- Coconut flakes
- Finely chopped nuts: almond, pecans, walnuts, pumpkin seeds
- Freeze dried fruit: strawberry, blueberry
- Chopped dried fruit: raisins, cranberries, dates, cherries
Common questions
What if you don’t have protein powder
If you don’t have protein powder but still want to make almond butter bites with protein, replace the protein powder in this recipe with:
- Adding 1 cup rolled oats (12 grams of protein)
- Adding 6 tablespoons hemp hearts (20 grams of protein)
- Adding 1 tablespoon of chia seeds (4 grams of protein)
Note: if you aren’t using protein powder and are following this recipe instead, omit the dairy free milk. Also let this mixture rest in the fridge for 20 minutes before scooping out into balls.
What protein powder is recommended
For this recipe, I used ProMix vanilla plant based protein. I like using vegan protein powder because it acts like flour and will absorb liquids without needing to add any flour or oats. I specifically really like this brand because they use real vanilla, not vanilla flavor which can sometimes taste fake.
Use whatever vegan protein powder you have on hand. I have not tested this with whey protein. If using collagen peptides, add 1 cup rolled oats and omit the dairy free milk.
Can you freeze energy bites
Yes! These almond butter energy bites freeze beautifully and will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. They defrost quickly or you can eat them right out of the freezer.
Storing extra almond butter power balls
- Fridge: Store in a airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
- Freezer: Freeze in a freezer safe bag or container for up to 3 months. Enjoy right from the freezer or let sit out 5 minutes before enjoying.
More protein packed snacks
- Protein Peanut Butter Cups
- High Protein Banana Bread
- Chocolate Protein Banana Bread
- Protein Mug Cake
Protein Almond Butter Balls
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 cup almond butter
- 2 scoops vegan vanilla protein powder - I used Promix
- 2 tbsp dairy free milk
- 1-2 tbsp oat flour (optional) - if needed
- 3 tbsp dairy free mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine the maple syrup and almond butter (tip if you use maple syrup first, the almond butter will easily fall out of the measuring cup without getting stuck). Stir well.
- Add the protein powder and dairy free milk and stir well. At first it will look like the protein powder won't mix in, just keep stirring. Check the mixture by rolling it into a ball. If you notice that it's greasy on your hands (from the oil in the almond butter), add 1-2 tablespoons oat flour.
- Add mini dairy free chocolate chips to the mixture and stir well. They may not all stir in, that is ok.
- Use a cookie scoop (I used 1 tablespoon) scoop out the mixture and roll the balls, making sure to press them together so the mixture is tight.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge up to 1 week or in the freezer up to 3 months.
Notes
- Use natural almond butter (the kind you have to stir the oil into when you first open the jar) for the best consistency.
- Use vegan protein powder or add oat flour to whey protein or collagen peptides.
- Use mini chocolate chips or chop up larger chocolate chips or they will take over the balls and they may fall apart
- Use a tablespoon cookie scoop to make equal sized bites
- If the dough is too dry, let it sit for a minute before doing anything else, the protein may just need to hydrate. After 1-2 minutes, if it’s still dry, add 1-2 tablespoons dairy free milk or water. If it looks too wet, add 1-2 tablespoons oat flour.
- Spices: cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, ground cardamom, ground ginger
- Molasses
- Vanilla extract or almond extract
- Coconut flakes
- Finely chopped nuts: almond, pecans, walnuts, pumpkin seeds
- Freeze dried fruit: strawberry, blueberry
- Chopped dried fruit: raisins, cranberries, dates, cherries
- Adding 1 cup rolled oats (12 grams of protein)
- Adding 6 tablespoons hemp hearts (20 grams of protein)
- Adding 1 tablespoon of chia seeds (4 grams of protein)
I love that you can freezer these little protein balls. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Thanks Jill! I really love always having these on hand in the freezer. Hope you love them!