Peanut Butter Protein Balls

These protein balls have a delicious nutty flavor and are packed with nutrition. Made with fresh nuts, dried dates, and peanut butter, it only takes a few minutes to combine the ingredients. You're really going to enjoy these no bake peanut butter energy bites. They make for a great protein packed breakfast or can be enjoyed as a snack!

 

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Naked Nutrition. All opinions are my own.

I'm still blown away at how delicious these peanut butter protein balls taste. If you've ever made a recipe that contains protein powder, then you're probably all too familiar with that "protein" aftertaste.

But you're not going to get that with this recipe.

Naked Nutrition Whey Protein literally has no taste. And that's what I love about it. I like to control the flavors of the ingredients when I'm creating a new recipe and I haven't been able to successfully do that when I've used other protein powders. But this protein is different in that it doesn't contain any artificial sweeteners, flavors, or colors. It only has one ingredient: Grass Fed Whey Protein.

Why This Recipe Works

• These are no bake energy balls, which means they come together quickly and easily.
• They are packed with clean and nutritious ingredients, such as dried fruit and nuts. 
• Each one of these energy balls are packed full of fiber and protein.
• And...these little energy bites are ridiculously tasty and very filling!

And not only are they healthy, they are also naturally gluten free, keto friendly, and can be made vegan. I just love these little gluten free energy balls!

Ingredients You'll Need

These peanut butter protein balls are made with clean ingredients. No additives and no preservatives. If you want a more healthy version of peanut butter, use a natural peanut butter. You can also use a creamy or crunchy version. I've used both and these little energy balls turned out amazing each time. 

For best results, make sure you use dried pitted dates. I like to dip these protein balls in melted dark chocolate after they've chilled. If you like coconut, you can dip the chocolate part of the balls in shredded coconut for an added coconut flavor. 

 

Collagen Protein Powder

If you don't want to use a whey based protein powder, you can substitute with collagen protein. Collagen is the most abundant protein in your body. It's also a major component of the connective tissues in tendons, ligaments, skin, and muscles. I love adding collagen powder to different foods and drinks because it helps with my joints, contributes to a more youthful skin, and helps cartilage and bones.

When I substituted the Naked Nutrition collagen peptides protein powder when making these peanut butter protein balls, I was amazed that they had the exact same taste as the batch I made earlier with the whey protein powder. They tasted the same because with this collagen powder, there are no artificial sweeteners, flavors, or colors.

Step-By-Step Recipe Instructions

Soaking The Dates

You're going to be so amazed at how easy it is to make these no bake energy bites. The first thing you need to do is soak the dried dates in water for 30 minutes. This process helps soften the dates and helps release the natural moisture so that when they are mixed in the food processor, they stick better to the other ingredients. 

Mixing The Ingredients

After the dates have soaked, you'll drain the water from the bowl and then add the moistened dates, dried cherries, pecans, almonds, flaxseed meal, salt, and 2 scoops of protein powder in a food processor. Pulse the mixture lightly until the ingredients are finely chopped. The texture should look like this below at this point of the process.

In a separate bowl, combine the coconut oil, vanilla, honey, and peanut butter. Stir until the ingredients are well combined. 

Then, in a large bowl combine the peanut butter mixture and nut mixture from the food processor and stir to combine. Expert Tip: While you can use a wooden spoon to mix the ingredients, I find that using my hands works really well. The texture and consistency should look like this once the wet and dry ingredients are combined. 

How To Form Peanut Butter Protein Balls

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Using a small butter scoop, form the mixture into a ball and then release spacing each ball 2 inches apart. Expert Tip: You can use your hands to form balls. Just roll the mixture into small balls forming them into 1 to 2 inch balls.

Place the cookie sheet of peanut butter protein balls in the refrigerator and let them chill for 30 minutes so they can lightly set.

Once the date balls have chilled, remove the tray from the refrigerator. In a small saucepan, melt the dark chocolate wafers on medium heat. Using tongs, dip half of a ball into the melted chocolate, ensuring you move the ball around until all the sides are evenly covered. Place the ball back on the parchment paper covered cookie sheet. This helps ensure they can easily be removed once they have set.

Repeat this process until each ball has been dipped in chocolate. Expert Tip: If you want to add the coconut flakes, dip the chocolate while it's still wet in a bowl of shredded coconut flakes and roll around until the ball is covered.

Chilling Process

Place the cookie sheet back into the refrigerator and chill for 10 minutes so the chocolate can harden. Once the chocolate has hardened and cool, you are ready to enjoy these these tasty little peanut butter energy balls!

And if you're not a fan of chocolate, skip the dipping part and eat these bites after they've had a chance to chill. Regardless how you serve these protein energy balls, they're easy to make and are perfect for a healthy sweet snack!

Both moist and delicious, these are true power balls. Since they are full of healthy fats and protein, all you need is one or two to keep you full while you're on the go. I eat one of these before my workouts because they give me the quick energy I need and they don't leave me feeling weighed down and heavy. I keep a batch of these in the refrigerator so I can grab them when I need a quick snack. They also work great on those mornings when I don't have time to make breakfast. 

Expert Tips and FAQs

• Feel free to switch up the nuts and substitute with some your favorites. Hazelnuts, cashews, walnuts, and macadamia nuts work well with this recipe.
• Instead of using peanut butter, try using almond butter, cashew butter, or nutella. 
• Mix in some mini chocolate chips. 
• Store these in a covered container in the fridge for 7-10 days. You can also store these in the freezer. Frozen peanut butter bites are so good!
• If you're looking to add more collagen to your diet, you can substitute the whey protein powder for the Naked Collagen Peptide powder. Collagen is full of protein and super low in calories.
• If you like to make food and give it away as a gift, this is the perfect recipe for you! These are great to place in a tin and give away as Christmas gifts to teachers and friends!

 

More Protein Snack Recipes

If you're looking for more protein ball recipes, make sure you check out my Quinoa Protein Bites. These are also no bake and super healthy. They also provide you with a quick burst of energy and are ridiculously tasty! If you're looking for a protein smoothie recipe, try my Caramel Apple Protein Smoothie. There are so many Naked Protein Powders that taste really great in this smoothie.

I can’t wait to hear how these turned out for you! If you’ve tried this or any other recipe of mine on the website, make sure you rate the recipe. You can also leave a comment below! I love hearing from you! You can also sign up for my newsletter and FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more delicious food I’m creating!