×

No-Bake Peanut Butter Protein Balls – Low Carb Energy Bites

This post contains affiliate links, and we may receive a small commission if you purchase through our site.

These are the easiest no-bake peanut butter protein balls with chocolate chips that take 10 minutes to make. Enjoy the best keto energy bites that are incredibly delicious and only 4g net carbs.

These no-bake peanut butter protein balls take 10 minutes to make. Enjoy the best keto energy bites that are incredibly delicious and perfect for a quick snack.

These peanut butter protein balls need only 8 simple pantry ingredients and are the right snack for when you need a little boost of energy or some extra protein to fuel those challenging workouts.

Ready in just a couple of minutes, these keto protein balls are gluten-free, soft, chewy, and low in carbs.

It’s one of my favorite recipes that I usually make every other week to have on hand for when the sugar cravings start to appear. 

Watch this quick step-by-step video to see exactly how easy it is to make the best peanut butter protein balls!

Reasons To Make Peanut Butter Balls Recipe

  • Quick and easy to make, requiring no baking and minimal prep time.
  • Great source of healthy fats, protein, and fiber.
  • Portable and make a great nutritious snack for school or work.
  • Customizable – you can add your favorite ingredients to make them unique.
  • No-Bake: These peanut butter balls are a no-bake recipe, making them a great option for those hot summer days when you don’t want to turn on the oven.
  • Satisfies Sweet Cravings!

Can You Eat Peanut Butter on a Keto Diet?

We all know that peanut butter is one of the most popular and delicious spreads. And it goes well with almost everything, whether you eat a tablespoon straight from the jar as a midnight snack or add it into your chocolate protein smoothie.

But is peanut butter keto-friendly? You will be happy to know that it is keto, but you need to pay attention to the ingredients list. Watch out for hidden sugars or for any other ingredients that are not peanuts.

According to the USDA, two tablespoons (32g) of natural peanut butter contain:

  • Calories: 190g
  • Total Carbohydrates: 7g
  • Fiber: 3g
  • Net Carbs: 4g
  • Total Fat: 16g
  • Protein: 8g
These no-bake peanut butter protein balls take 10 minutes to make. Enjoy the best keto energy bites that are incredibly delicious and perfect for a quick snack.

Ingredients Needed

These keto protein balls are super easy to make and so delicious. These keto protein balls are made with low carb ingredients without dates. Here’s everything you’ll need:

  • Peanut Butter – make sure to use unsweetened peanut butter that doesn’t contain any sugar or palm oil, and it’s made 100% from peanuts. In fact, you can use any nut butter such as almond butter, cashew butter, or sunflower seed butter.
  • Protein Powder – use your favorite low carb protein powder, and make sure it doesn’t contain sugar. I used unflavored protein powder, but you can use chocolate protein powder for some delicious chocolate protein balls.
  • Almond Flour – keeps the protein balls keto and low carb, and makes the batter stick together. Peanut flour would be a great addition if you can find almond flour.
  • Chia Seeds – help the ingredients bind well, and they also boost healthy fats and fiber.
  • Keto Maple Syrup – it replaces the honey and makes the protein balls more sweet and tasty. You can use any powdered keto sweetener as well. Just mix it with the peanut butter first. Add a splash of unsweetened almond extract if the dough is too thick. 
  • Vanilla Extract – adds a delicious vanilla flavor and brings out the sweetness in protein balls.
  • Sugar-Free Chocolate Chips – If you can’t find chocolate chips, just chop up an unsweetened chocolate bar of choice and use chocolate chunks instead – so good!
8 ingredients for keto peanut butter protein balls

How To Make Peanut Butter Protein Balls

It’s incredibly easy to make these keto protein balls, and there’s no food processor needed. Just gather all the ingredients and take a large bowl and a silicone spatula.

Mixing the Ingredients

Add the room-temperature peanut butter, protein powder, almond flour, chia seeds, low carb maple syrup, and vanilla extract to a bowl.

Stir the dough using a spatula or a spoon until a thick batter starts to form. 

Incorporate the mini chocolate chips and allow the batter to rest for a few minutes.

If the mixture is too runny, add more protein powder to get the right consistency, so you can roll out the balls. Alternatively, you can refrigerate the dough for 10-15 minutes.

Forming the Balls

Roll about one tablespoon of dough to make small balls. You’ll get about 15 balls from this peanut butter protein balls recipe.

Place the protein balls onto wax paper. Serve straight away or refrigerate until ready to serve.

Enjoy these delicious and healthy peanut butter protein balls as a quick snack or pre-workout fuel!

favorite no bake energy bites balls

Tips for Making the Perfect Protein Balls

  • If the dough is too sticky, add a little more protein powder or almond flour.
  • If you end up with a thick peanut butter mixture that’s too dry or too thick, add a little almond milk or water to the mixture. Add a little at a time until the mixture is moist enough to form balls.
  • If rolling the balls is still difficult, wet your hands before forming each ball.
  • Make keto energy bars – You can put the peanut butter balls mixture in a square 8×8-inch baking dish lined with parchment paper, refrigerate them, and cut them into small energy bars. Yum!
  • Spice them up using a little ground cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice.
  • Use any nut or seed butter you have on hand – Peanut butter is easily available at most grocery stores. Still, these energy bites turn out great with almond butter, cashew butter, or any other nut or seed butter you prefer.
  • For added crunch, you can mix in some chopped walnuts or dried fruit.
  • To make vegan protein balls, use plant-based protein powder instead of whey protein powders.
keto peanut butter protein balls recipe

Flavor Variations

  • Chocolate – Use a chocolate-flavored protein powder or add one or two tablespoons of cocoa powder to the dough.
  • Coconut – Roll the balls in unsweetened shredded coconut or mix some into the mixture.
  • Pumpkin Spice – Add 1/2 teaspoon of pumpkin spice to the peanut mixture and adjust to reach the best flavor.
  • Dried Fruits – mix in dried cranberries or raisins.
  • No Peanut Butter – If you have a peanut allergy or simply don’t like the flavor, replace it with almond butter or cashew butter.
  • Seeds – to boost the nutritional content, mix in chia seeds, flax seeds, or hemp seeds.
texture of protein peanut butter balls

How To Store the Peanut Butter Balls

There are two options for storing these Keto Peanut Butter Protein Balls:

  • First, refrigerate them for about five or seven days in an airtight container.
  • Or, you can freeze them for up to two months, and then you can grab one in the morning or any time when you need a quick and healthy snack.

Looking for More Protein Snacks? Try these:

peanut butter protein balls recipe

No-Bake Peanut Butter Protein Balls – Low Carb Energy Bites

4.90 from 29 votes

Yelds 16 servings
Author Ioana Borcea from LowCarbSpark.com

Description
 

These are the easiest no-bake peanut butter protein balls with chocolate chips that take 10 minutes to make. Enjoy the best keto energy bites that are incredibly delicious and only 4g net carbs.
Keto during holidays?
Get my e-book!

Ingredients
  

Instructions
 

  • In a medium bowl, add peanut butter, protein powder, almond flour, chia seeds, low carb maple syrup, and vanilla extract.
  • Use a wooden spoon or your hands to mix the dough. Add one teaspoon of milk at a time to get a cookie dough consistency. Depending on the peanut butter used, you'll need to add more or less liquid.
  • Incorporate the chocolate chips into the peanut buttter mixture.
  • Roll about one tablespoon of dough to make small balls. You'll get about 16 balls.
  • Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Video

Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving.
Calories
140kcal
Total Carbs
6g
Net Carbs
4g
Protein
7g
Fat
11g
Fiber
2g
Sugar
2g

How do we calculate the nutrition info?

These nutrition facts listed are determined using nutrition information from the USDA Food Database. Our nutrition facts are accurate, but if you are using different products, please make your calculations. Net carb count is calculated by subtracting both fiber and sugar alcohols because they don’t raise blood sugar.

Course Keto Snacks
Cuisine American
Keyword energy balls, protein balls
Tried this recipe?Mention @LowCarbSpark or tag #LowCarbSpark!

Ioana

Ioana is a food and travel lover. Her greatest passion is developing mouthwatering recipes that are comforting, easy to make, and budget friendly! She firmly believes that cooking should be fun! About me...

Leave a Question, comment or review!

Your email address will not be published.

Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




8 comments
  1. 2 stars
    The protein from peanut butter is very low quality, so much so that peanut butter is not allowed to be called a source of protein. The only good quality protein comes from the powder. These are really fat balls, but they are tasty. I won’t be making them again as calling them protein balls is very misleading.

    1. Thank you for sharing your feedback. While it’s true that the protein in peanut butter is not considered a high-quality protein due to its incomplete amino acid profile, it can still contribute to one’s daily protein intake. However, this recipe uses a low-carb protein powder as you can see in the ingredients which make each of these balls 7g of protein. Thank you again for your feedback, and I hope you’ll give other recipes a try in the future.


About me

Hello! My name is Ioana Borcea, and I'm here to provide you with mouthwatering recipes. This blog is all about sharing my favorite tested easy to make, delicious low-carb & keto, nutrient-dense recipes.

Connect with us on Social Media

Do not use the contents of this website as medical or nutrition advice. This website is only intended for informational and educational purpose.

LowCarbSpark.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

Copyright © 2015-2024 LowCarbSpark. All Rights Reserved.