These deliciously soft peanut butter protein balls are as easy as it gets – just one bowl, 15 minutes, and no baking required. With simple ingredients like creamy peanut butter and hemp hearts, they’ve got around 10 grams of protein per 2 balls, no protein powder required!  Perfect for meal prep, quick snacks, or post-workout fuel.

Round, bite-sized cookie balls on parchment paper are drizzled with dark chocolate. The treats appear homemade, with a nutty, textured surface and a glossy chocolate topping. Some are in focus, while others are blurred in the background.

I cannot stop making these peanut butter protein balls. They are perfectly soft and chewy, and that crunchy chocolate drizzle?! Snack heaven. 

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As a dietitian, I feel like I’m always having to clear the air that snacking is not bad! In fact, it’s one of the best things we can do to keep energy up throughout the day and feel less out of control around food, which is why I’ve become a bit obsessed with creating delicious high protein snack recipes like these. 

Let’s Give These Balls The Protein Glow Up

While I love energy balls for easy grab-and-go snacks, they usually don’t have much protein. This is totally fine when you need a quick hit of energy (great for a pre-workout snack or that 3pm slump), but adding protein can go a long way in helping to balance blood sugars and keep us full longer. 

Just like my chocolate chip oatmeal PB protein balls I wanted to give these that protein glow up. Because I want my recipes to work for my kids too, my goal was to do this without protein powder. 

A flat lay of labeled ingredients in bowls on a pink surface: salt, dark chocolate chips, coconut oil, natural peanut butter, hemp hearts, baking powder, flaky salt, maple syrup, and vanilla.

Peanut butter + hemp hearts = the protein power combo here!  

A couple quick tips

  • Make sure to use a runny peanut butter. Natural peanut butter works best here for the most mixable consistency. Just make sure to give it a good stir before dumping it in the bowl
  • Use oat flour, not oats: Initially I tested these with whole oats, but the flavor kind of took over. I wanted peanut butter truffle vibes, and oat flour delivered, keeping the same high fiber benefit of oats while providing a much more delicate, dough-like texture. 

Let’s Make These Balls Together!

A close-up of a glass mixing bowl containing a mound of hemp seeds, creamy peanut butter, and some dry ingredients, ready to be mixed together.

Step 1: Combine everything except the chocolate and coconut oil.

A close-up of cookie dough in a glass mixing bowl, showing a coarse and crumbly texture with visible flecks of ingredients throughout.

Step 2: Mix until combined

Sixteen round dough balls evenly spaced on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, ready to be baked. The dough appears to have herbs or seasoning mixed in.

Step 3: Scoop and roll into 16 evenly sized balls.

Round energy bites drizzled with dark chocolate are arranged on a sheet of parchment paper, with additional chocolate splatters creating a decorative pattern in the background.

Step 4: Drizzle with that game changing chocolate sauce

Close-up of round, cookie dough bites drizzled with chocolate on parchment paper. The center bite is cut in half, showing a soft, textured interior.

Step 5: Chill and enjoy!

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Round, bite-sized cookie balls on parchment paper are drizzled with dark chocolate. The treats appear homemade, with a nutty, textured surface and a glossy chocolate topping. Some are in focus, while others are blurred in the background.

No Bake Peanut Butter Protein Balls (with Oat Flour)

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 2 reviews
  • Author: Lindsay Pleskot, RD
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 16 1x
  • Category: snacks, desserts
  • Method: No cook
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Gluten Free
Print Recipe

Description

These deliciously soft peanut butter protein balls are as easy as it gets – just one bowl, 15 minutes, and no baking required. With simple ingredients like creamy peanut butter and hemp hearts, they’ve got around 10 grams of protein per 2 balls, no protein powder required!  Perfect for meal prep, quick snacks, or post-workout fuel.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1/2 cup oat flour (store-bought or homemade) 
  • ½ cup hemp hearts
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 3/4 cup natural peanut butter
  • 3 Tbsp maple syrup
  • 2 tsp vanilla 
  • 2 Tbsp dark chocolate chips
  • 1 tsp coconut oil
  • Flaky salt (optional)

Instructions

  1. To a large bowl, add the oat flour, hemp hearts, salt, peanut butter, maple syrup and vanilla. Stir until well combined and a thick cookie dough-like texture forms.
  2. Roll into 16 evenly sized balls, pressing them together slightly to help them stick together. 
  3. Add the chocolate and coconut oil to a microwave safe dish and melt in 20 second increments, stirring in between, until completely melted. Drizzle the chocolate over the balls and sprinkle with flaky salt if using. Enjoy right away or refrigerate for about 30 minutes for a firmer texture. 

Notes

Storage: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-5 days, in the fridge up to 1 week or in the freezer up to 3 months.