These easy chocolate peanut butter protein balls taste like a chocolate dessert but are made with just 5 wholesome ingredients.

Chocolate energy balls drizzled with peanut butter in a bowl, one with a bite taken out of it to show inside.

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

Protein powder, cocoa powder, dates, banana and peanut butter in a food processor. Each ingredient is labelled.

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.

A date and banana mixture blended up in a food processor.

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

Chocolate dough in a food processor.

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

Rolling chocolate dough into balls.

Recipe FAQs

Can I use almond butter instead of peanut butter?

For sure! You can use any nut or seed butter as long as it’s not too dry.

Notes & Tips

  • If your dates are on the dry side, soak them in hot water in a bowl for 15 minutes then drain well before using in the recipe.
  • These can be made nut-free by using sunflower seed butter or tahini.
  • For best results, use a kitchen scale for measuring ingredients.
  • For more peanut butter flavour and extra protein, use 1/4 cup each powdered peanut butter and cocoa powder instead of 1/2 cup cocoa powder.
  • For an extra treat, add up to 1/2 cup of chocolate chips after step 2 and pulse a few times to combine.
5 chocolate energy balls drizzled with peanut butter on a small plate.

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.

Did you try this recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Scroll down to the comment section to leave a star rating and review.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Print
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A chocolate protein a ball with a bite taken out of it.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Balls

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 6 reviews
  • Author: Deryn Macey
  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Total Time: 10 mins
  • Yield: 20
  • Category: Snack
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegan
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Description

Blend up these chocolate peanut butter protein balls in minutes for a yummy snack that tastes like dessert!


Ingredients

  • 1 cup (280 g) very tightly packed, soft pitted dates
  • 1 cup (210 g) ripe, lightly spotted banana (about 2 small or 1 large)
  • 1/2 cup (50 g) cocoa powder
  • 1/4 cup (60 g) natural peanut butter
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 2 servings (60 g) chocolate or vanilla pea protein

Instructions

  1. Add the dates and banana to a food processor and blend into a paste.
  2. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until it forms one large balls.
  3. Use your hands to roll the dough into 20 balls.

Notes

Alternative: For more protein and peanut butter flavour, use 1/4 cup each powdered peanut butter and cocoa powder instead of 1/2 cup of cocoa powder.

Addition: For an extra treat, add up to 1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips.

Nut-Free Option: Use sunflower seed butter or tahini instead of peanut butter.

Storage: Store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 1 week or freezer for up to 2 months.


Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 ball
  • Calories: 82
  • Sugar: 10 g
  • Sodium: 82 mg
  • Fat: 2 g
  • Carbohydrates: 15 g
  • Fiber: 3 g
  • Protein: 4 g

This recipe was originally published on July 28, 2016.