These chocolate protein balls are the ultimate mid-day pick me up! They’re perfectly sweet from honey, gluten free, vegan and double as a healthy dessert recipe. Perfect for on the go fuel, school lunches, or late night snacking.
Whether you call these chocolate protein balls, bliss balls, energy balls, energy bites, or something in between, they are so good and the perfect snack to prep for the week!
They travel well so they’re perfect for school, a camping trip, work, or a long car ride to keep your tummy happy. They’re naturally dairy free, can easily be made vegan by swapping honey for maple syrup and have 6 grams of protein in one little serving.
There are about 140 calories in one protein ball, but they have lots of protein, healthy fats and fiber so they actually keep you full. The best healthy snack!
While they’re perfect as written, you can make them a triple chocolate bliss ball by adding chocolate chips to the ball itself, or drizzling on top some melted chocolate.
They taste almost like a brownie batter protein ball but are made with simple ingredients like my chocolate chip energy bites. If you love this recipe, try my baked chocolate protein oats or strawberry protein balls next.
Key Ingredients
QUICK OATS. Quick oats will help absorb some of the extra moisture in these protein balls and even add some extra protein! You can sub for rolled oats, but they have a coarser texture than quick oats.
GROUND FLAX. The ground flax also help absorb moisture and add extra protein and omega 3’s. You can sub for chia if you prefer.
PROTEIN POWDER. I used a chocolate hemp based protein powder, but you can use pea protein or whey protein.
NUT BUTTER. I’ve tested these with almond, cashew and peanut butter and all work well! Peanut butter will add the most protein, but they still have plenty of protein without peanut butter.
HONEY. Just 1/4 cup of honey to sweeten. You can sub for maple syrup to keep these vegan!
COCOA POWDER. The chocolate protein powder doesn’t add quite enough chocolate flavor, so a bit if extra protein helps give these a brownie like flavor.
How to make chocolate protein balls
Whisk together the nut butter, honey and vanilla.
Add in all remaining ingredients aside from the milk and mix well with a rubber spatula.
If it seems too dry (will largely depend if you used 2 or 3 tablespoons of cocoa) add in 1-2 teaspoons of milk at a time until it’s easier to mix.
Use a small cookie scoop to scoop into balls.
Leave as is or roll in shredded coconut, freeze dried raspberries etc. Let set in the fridge, then enjoy!
How to store and freeze
Once prepared, these chocolate protein balls will store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or in the freezer for 1 month.
Be sure to keep them in an air tight container so they don’t try out or get icy in the freezer. If you freeze them, I suggest letting them come to room temperature for about 15 minutes before eating.
Tips for success
I use the smallest of these cookie scoops to ensure all of the chocolate protein balls are an even size, and it makes it much easier to roll! If you notice it sticking, you can spray the scoop with a bit of oil first.
Only add milk as needed. If you use 3 tablespoons of cocoa, you will get a really rich chocolate flavor, but the dough will be a bit more dry so you will need about 2-3 teaspoons of milk to help bind everything together.
Start small and only add what’s needed. It’s easy to add more, but harder to take away!
Try these other snacks next!
Be sure to follow along on on instagram and subscribe to my email list for more recipes and updates. Leave a comment and rating below if you try this recipe and let us know how it turns out!
Chocolate Protein Balls
by: claire cary
Ingredients
- ¾ cup nut butter I like peanut or almond
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup quick oats
- ⅓ cup chocolate protein powder
- 2-3 tablespoons cocoa powder depending on preference
- 2 tablespoons ground flax seeds
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup chocolate chips
- 1-2 tablespoons milk as needed to thin
Instructions
- Whisk together the nut butter, honey and vanilla.
- Add in all remaining ingredients aside from the milk and mix well with a rubber spatula.
- If it seems too dry (will largely depend if you used 2 or 3 tablespoons of cocoa) add in 1-2 teaspoons of milk at a time until it's easier to mix.
- Use a small cookie scoop to scoop into balls.
- Leave as is or roll in shredded coconut, freeze dried raspberries etc.
- Let set in the fridge, then enjoy!
Yvonne Solis says
These are excellent! And so easy to make. I followed the recipe exactly and love it, and I already have a dozen ideas for add-ins!
Claire Cary says
Amazing, thank you!
Toni says
Just made these and they are delicious