Easy Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Balls

Introduction

These easy chocolate protein balls are a must for road trips, school lunches or a sweet treat after meals.

You’ll need less than 10 minutes and just 5 simple ingredients and they make a great option for a healthy snack to satisfy your sweet tooth. They have an addictive fudge-like texture that lands somewhere between cookie dough, truffles and brownies – yum.

If you’re a fan of energy balls, you’ll have to try these 3-Ingredient Chocolate Date Balls, Lime Coconut Energy Bites, Banana Bread Bites or No-Bake Brownie Bites next.

For more more protein powder recipes, these 5-Ingredient Vegan Protein Brownies, Vegan Apple Oat Protein Muffins and Baked Berry Protein Oatmeal all make a delicious snack.

Ingredients

The full list of ingredients with measurements is located in the recipe card at the end of the post.

• Dates: Any variety such as medjool dates or sayer dates work as long as they’re soft and moist, if not they’re dry, you’ll need to soak them before proceeding with the recipe.
• Banana: Use a medium-sized ripe banana, a few brown spots is perfect!
• Cocoa Powder: Regular cocoa powder works great or you can use raw cacao powder for extra nutrition.
• Peanut Butter: Use natural peanut butter or substitute almond butter, cashew butter, sunflower seed butter or any other nut or seed butter.
• Protein Powder: A pea protein-based powder, such as Vega or NuZest, works best here, chocolate or vanilla protein powder both work (most vegan proteins are pea protein-based).

Variations & Additions

This recipe is versatile and can easily be customized to your needs. Here are some ideas:

• Add up to 1/2 cup chia seeds or hemp seeds for some healthy fats.
• Add up to 1 cup old fashioned oats or quick oats.
• Add up to 1/2 cup chocolate chips, mini chocolate chips, sugar-free chocolate chips or cacao nibs.
• Add 2 tbsp ground flax seeds.
• For sweeter balls, you can add 1-2 tablespoons of pure maple syrup.
• Up to 1 tsp vanilla extract helps to enhance the flavour.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1. Add the dates and banana to a food processor and blend into a paste.

Step 2. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until it forms one big ball. This should take about 20 seconds.

Step 3. Use your hands to roll the dough into balls. A small cookie scoop can help portion the dough.

Recipe FAQs

How to Store

• Fridge: Store for up to 1 week in an airtight container.
• Freezer: Store for up to 3 months in a sealed container or freezer bag.
• Room temperature: They’ll get a bit soft at room temperature but if you need to have them out of the fridge for the day, totally fine. Keep them cool if possible.