Happy Sunday, friends! It’s back to school season (however strange and precarious that may be right now), so you know that means it’s also snack pack season. These Protein Energy Ball Snack Packs are great for busy parents and kids alike. I made 4 varieties to keep things interesting and stuck any leftovers that I couldn’t eat within a week into the freezer – they freeze really well in a simple reusable bag or resealable container.
When you mix up this “batter,” it should look moist but not overly wet. Below is a pretty good idea of how each of them should look for a ball that will stick together but not turn into a glob of stickiness in your hand. Just note, you’ll definitely get your hands messy and sticky when rolling the balls. Once they set up in the refrigerator, they’ll mold together and shouldn’t be to sticky to touch at snack time.
Tips for Adding Protein
I tried making this recipe with several different types/combos of protein added. I tried whey alone, casein alone, whey and casein together, collagen, and non-dairy protein powder. My favorite was the combo of whey and casein – I thought they weren’t too sticky but not too dry either. Next up was whey alone, but that was a little sticker than I like. Collagen alone is a great option if you’re dairy free but it does make the balls extremely sticky. I preferred the non-dairy protein powder over straight collagen – though it tends to make for a dry energy ball, it was still good with extra almond milk added to the recipe.
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The Recipes
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Protein Energy Balls
Servings: balls (30 g per ball)
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup rolled oats, (100 grams)
- 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, (60 grams)
- 1 scoop Cellucor Peanut Butter Marshmallow Whey Protein, (33 grams)
- 1 scoop Dymatize Elite Vanilla Casein Protein Powder, (36 grams)
- 1/4 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, (56 grams)
- 2 tsp chia seeds, (10 grams)
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
Wet Ingredients
- 1/3 cup Skippy Natural Creamy Peanut Butter, (85 grams)
- 3 tbsp unsweetened vanilla almond milk, (1.5 fl oz)
- 2 tbsp honey, (42 grams)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Add all dry ingredients except chocolate chips to a bowl and mix until combined.
- Microwave peanut butter for 20-25 seconds to melt. Add honey and vanilla extract, then stir and pour over oat mixture.
- Add almond milk to the mixture and using a sturdy spatula, mix and press until all ingredients are combined. All of the protein powder should be absorbed. If the mixture seems dry, add more almond milk 1 tbsp at a time, then fold in chocolate chips.
- Using a cookie scoop to help, roll the mixture into about 1" to 1 1/2" balls. Place the balls into a resealable container and refrigerate overnight before serving. They will stay fresh in the refrigerator for 7-10 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Tips & Tricks
Nutrition Information
Serving: 30g, Calories: 128kcal (6%), Carbohydrates: 11g (4%), Protein: 5g (10%), Fat: 7g (11%), Cholesterol: 3mg (1%), Sodium: 52mg (2%), Potassium: 89mg (3%), Fiber: 2g (8%), Sugar: 5g (6%)
Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Protein Energy Balls
Servings: balls (32 g per ball)
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup rolled oats, (100 grams)
- 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, (60 grams)
- 1 scoop Cellucor Molten Chocolate Whey Protein, (33 grams)
- 1 scoop Dymatize Elite Chocolate Casein Protein Powder, (36 grams)
- 1/4 cup Reese's Peanut Butter Chips, (60 grams)
- 2 tbsp unsweetened dutched cocoa powder, (10 grams)
- 2 tsp chia seeds, (10 grams)
- 2 tsp instant espresso or instant coffee granules
Wet Ingredients
- 1/3 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk, (2.67 fl oz)
- 1/4 cup Skippy Natural Creamy Peanut Butter, (64 grams)
- 2 1/2 tbsp honey, (53 grams)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Add all dry ingredients except peanut butter chips to a bowl and mix until combined.
- Microwave peanut butter for 20-25 seconds to melt. Add honey and vanilla extract, then stir and pour over oat mixture.
- Add almond milk to the mixture and using a sturdy spatula, mix and press until all ingredients are combined. All of the protein powder should be absorbed. If the mixture seems dry, add more almond milk 1 tbsp at a time, then fold in peanut butter chips.
- Using a cookie scoop to help, roll the mixture into about 1" to 1 1/2" balls. Place the balls into a resealable container and refrigerate overnight before serving. They will stay fresh in the refrigerator for 7-10 days or in the freezer for about 3 months.
Tips & Tricks
- Make it dairy free: Swap the whey and casein with a plant based protein powder like this. Add an additional 2-4 tbsp of almond milk.
- Scan the barcode below or search for “Peanut Butter and Fitness Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Protein Energy Balls” to log this food in My Fitness Pal.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 32g, Calories: 127kcal (6%), Carbohydrates: 11g (4%), Protein: 6g (12%), Fat: 7g (11%), Cholesterol: 3mg (1%), Sodium: 53mg (2%), Potassium: 93mg (3%), Fiber: 2g (8%), Sugar: 5g (6%)
Trail Mix Protein Energy Balls
Servings: balls (28 g per ball)
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup rolled oats, (100 grams)
- 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, (30 grams)
- 1 scoop GNC Pro Performance 100 Whey Protein Peanut Butter , (34 grams)
- 1 scoop Dymatize Elite Vanilla Casein Protein Powder, (36 grams)
- 1/4 cup mini M&Ms or chocolate chips, (50 grams)
- 2 tbsp chopped raisins, (20 grams)
- 1 1/2 tbsp chopped lightly salted peanuts, (12 grams)
- 1 1/2 tbsp chopped almonds, (12 grams)
- 2 tsp chia seeds, (10 grams)
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1/3 cup Skippy Natural Creamy Peanut Butter, (85 grams)
- 5 tbsp unsweetened vanilla almond milk, (2.5 fl oz)
- 2 tbsp honey, (42 grams)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Add all dry ingredients except M&Ms to a bowl and mix until combined.
- Microwave peanut butter for 20-25 seconds to melt. Add honey and vanilla extract, then stir and pour over oat mixture.
- Add almond milk to the mixture and using a sturdy spatula, mix and press until all ingredients are combined. All of the protein powder should be absorbed and the mixture should be sticky. If the mixture seems dry, add more almond milk 1 tbsp at a time.
- Using a cookie scoop to help, roll the mixture into about 1" to 1 1/2" balls. Roll the balls into the M&Ms and press the M&Ms into the surface of the balls. Place the balls into a resealable container and refrigerate overnight before serving. They will stay fresh in the refrigerator for 7-10 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Tips & Tricks
- Make it dairy free: Swap the whey and casein with a plant based protein powder like this. Add an additional 2-4 tbsp of almond milk.
- The color coating on the M&Ms will bleed off if you mix them directly into the oat batter. To retain the color, roll the formed balls into the M&Ms and press them into the surface of the balls. You can also avoid this all together by using mini chocolate chips instead.
- Scan the barcode below or search for “Peanut Butter and Fitness Trail Mix Protein Energy Balls” to log this food in My Fitness Pal.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 28g, Calories: 124kcal (6%), Carbohydrates: 12g (4%), Protein: 6g (12%), Fat: 6g (9%), Cholesterol: 6mg (2%), Sodium: 58mg (3%), Potassium: 55mg (2%), Fiber: 2g (8%), Sugar: 6g (7%)
Blueberry Muffin Protein Energy Balls
Servings: balls (31 g per ball)
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup rolled oats, (100 grams)
- 1/2 cup dried unsweetened blueberries, (60 grams)
- 1/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, (40 grams)
- 1/4 cup freeze dried blueberries, (7 grams)
- 1 scoop Cellucor Whipped Vanilla Whey Protein, (33 grams)
- 1 scoop Dymatize Elite Vanilla Casein Protein Powder, (36 grams)
- 2 tsp chia seeds, (10 grams)
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
Wet Ingredients
- 1/3 cup Skippy Natural Creamy Peanut Butter, (85 grams)
- 5 tbsp unsweetened vanilla almond milk, (2.5 fl oz)
- 2 tbsp honey, (42 grams)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp almond extract
Instructions
- Add dried blueberries and freeze dried blueberries to a food processor. Pulse until blueberries are finely chopped.
- Add all dry ingredients to a bowl and mix until combined.
- Microwave peanut butter for 20-25 seconds to melt. Add honey, vanilla extract, and almond extract, then stir and pour over oat mixture.
- Add almond milk to the mixture and using a sturdy spatula, mix and press until all ingredients are combined. All of the protein powder should be absorbed and the mixture should be sticky. If the mixture seems dry, add more almond milk 1 tbsp at a time.
- Using a cookie scoop to help, roll the mixture into about 1" to 1 1/2" balls. Place the balls into a resealable container and refrigerate overnight before serving. They will stay fresh in the refrigerator for 7-10 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Tips & Tricks
- Make it dairy free: Swap the whey and casein with a plant based protein powder like this. Add an additional 2-4 tbsp of almond milk.
- Scan the barcode below or search for “Peanut Butter and Fitness Blueberry Muffin Protein Energy Balls” to log this food in My Fitness Pal.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 31g, Calories: 116kcal (6%), Carbohydrates: 12g (4%), Protein: 5g (10%), Fat: 5g (8%), Cholesterol: 3mg (1%), Sodium: 41mg (2%), Potassium: 29mg (1%), Fiber: 2g (8%), Sugar: 5g (6%)
