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These simple and healthy no bake oatmeal protein balls are perfect for an easy snack on-the-go! With rolled oats, protein powder, peanut butter and a touch of honey, these no-bake protein balls recipe will keep you satisfied for hours!

These 5-star protein balls have been a staple on the blog since 2014. This post was updated in January 2025 with added details and pictures. Read on for more!

No bake oatmeal protein balls in a colorful bowl.
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Table of Contents

The BEST Protein Balls!

No really, these are actually the best. So what makes these the best energy ball recipe? Hear me out:

No Bake. That’s right! No baking is required. Better yet not heavy duty kitchen utensils are required. Just a bowl and mixing spoon!

High in protein. There is roughly ~5 grams of protein per ball and 100 calories. I typically eat 2 at a time so about 10 grams of protein. This is a great bite-sized option for upping your protein.

Easily customizable. Feel free to get creative with the mix-ins! Raisins, chocolate chips, craisins, nuts etc… are all great!

60+ 5-Star Reviews. Don’t just trust me. These protein balls have 60+ 5 star reviews!

What You Need to Make Protein Balls

This protein balls recipe is fairly simple and uses a lot of ingredients you likely have around your house:

  • Rolled Oats – feel free to use certified gluten-free oats if necessary
  • Protein Powder – I personally find whey works best but you can use plant-based protein powders if you prefer. Vanilla protein powder is ideal but you could also sub with a different flavor.
  • Cinnamon – not essential but I prefer adding it!
  • Chia Seeds – do not SKIP! The only alternative would be ground flax seed. This is essential to get the protein balls to stay together and are also a great source of fiber
  • Peanut Butter – or other nut butter such as almond butter. Ideally natural and without added sugar and oil.
  • Raw Honey – adds sweetness and helps this protein balls recipe stick together
  • Vanilla Extract – for flavor
  • Add- ins – mini chocolate chips, raisins, dried cranberries etc…
  • Liquid – will depend on your protein powder how much liquid you add but you can use any variation of non-dairy milk or water. Keep adding until you get the desired texture.

What I love about these no bake protein balls is that NO FOOD PROCESSOR is required! These literally could not be easier to make!

How to Make No Bake Protein Balls

STEP 1: MIX ALL INGREDIENTS IN ONE BOWL

Add oats, protein powder, cinnamon and chia seeds to a large mixing bowl and stir. Add in peanut butter, honey and vanilla extract. Stir to combine. Add in raisins (or preferred add-in). Mixture should be slightly sticky but still crumbly.

Ingredients for protein balls mixed in a white bowl

STEP 2: ROLL INTO BALLS

Slowly add in liquid 1 tablespoon at a time and using hands (get dirty!) combine until it comes together in a sticky ball that holds together. If mixture is too dry, add in more liquid but not so much that it won’t hold shape. Roll into balls using hands. Roughly a tablespoon each.

rolled protein balls in a black storage container.

STEP 3: SET IN FRIDGE

Place in a container to set in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. Store in fridge until ready to eat.

This simple and healthy little no bake oatmeal protein energy balls recipe is perfect for easy snacking on-the-go! With rolled oats, protein powder, peanut butter and a touch of honey, these energy balls will keep you satisfied for hours!

Lee says:

“I tried these and they are LIFE CHANGING! These are so tasty, and so filling. I didn’t add any add ins, and they taste so much like the peanut butter rice crispie treats my mom used to make me as a kid. Definitely going to be making these again.”

–>YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED:

How Long do No Bake Protein Balls Last?

These peanut butter protein balls will last in the fridge for up to two weeks. Alternatively you can store them in the freezer for up to 3 months and pull as many as you want out roughly 30 minutes before eating.

How Much Protein is in these Energy Balls?

There is roughly ~5 grams of protein per ball. This will depend entirely on which protein powder you are using. To calculate the correct amount, determine how much protein in 2 scoops (or 1/2 cup) and divide it by the number of protein balls you made. Note: There is also some protein in the other ingredients so your amount may actually be slightly higher.

Likewise – I do not calculate nutrition facts on my recipes. You’re welcome to enter the ingredients into an online calculator if you’re looking for this information.

Can I Make these Vegan?

Yes! To make these protein balls vegan you can replace your whey protein powder with plant-based protein and the honey with brown rice syrup. DO NOT use maple syrup. It is not sticky enough to help the protein balls keep their shape.

Are These No Bake Protein Balls Portable?

Yes but I’d recommend eating them within a few hours of removing from the fridge. I’d recommend storing them in a hard glass container so that they don’t get squished in a ziploc of bag.

Can I Make These Energy Balls Nut Free?

Yes you most definitely can. Just replace the peanut butter with a seed butter like sunflower seed butter or pumpkin seed butter.

Help! My Energy Bites Are Too Dry!

You’ll just need to add a little bit more liquid 1 tablespoon at a time. Every protein powder is slightly different so some are more absorbent than others. Just slowly add your liquid until a sticky but not too wet mixture comes together.

MORE PROTEIN BALL RECIPES:

Looking for more protein energy balls recipes? Here are a few of my favorites!

Print

No-Bake Oatmeal Protein Energy Balls

Print Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

4.8 from 62 reviews

This simple and healthy no-bake oatmeal protein energy balls recipe is perfect for easy snacking on-the-go! With rolled oats, protein powder, peanut butter and a touch of honey, these energy balls will keep you satisfied for hours!

  • Author: Davida Lederle
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Total Time: 10 minutes
  • Yield: 20–24 balls (depends on size) 1x
  • Category: Snack
  • Method: Raw
  • Diet: Gluten Free

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 1/2 cups rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup vanilla whey protein powder (about 2 scoops)
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tbsp chia seeds
  • 1/2 cup smooth natural peanut butter (or any nut butter)*
  • 3 tbsp raw honey
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup raisins, chocolate chips, craisins or preferred add-in
  • 2–4 tbsp liquid (almond milk, milk, water etc…)

Instructions

  1. Add oats, protein powder, cinnamon and chia seeds to a large bowl and stir to combine.
  2. Add in peanut butter, honey and vanilla extract. Stir to combine.
  3. Add in raisins (or preferred add-in). Mixture should be slightly sticky but still crumbly.
  4. Slowly add in liquid 1 tablespoon at a time and using hands (get dirty!) combine until it comes together in a sticky ball that holds together. If mixture is too dry, add in more liquid but not so much that it won’t hold shape.
  5. Roll into balls using hands.
  6. Place in a container to set in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
  7. Store in fridge until ready to eat.

*Make sure it is drippy. If not you may need to add in extra liquid at the end.

Notes

Note: The amount of protein is just an estimate. It may fluctuate based on the type of protein powder used and the number of balls you make.

overhead image of a protein balls recipe in a colorful bowl.

Meet the Maven

Hi! I'm Davida and welcome to my corner of the internet. I'm a wellness blogger, yoga teacher, certified herbalist, and green beauty lover.

Read more about me

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262 Comments

  3. These look amazing. I am curious though if you use milk for the liquid won’t they eventually sour? How do you avoid them going bad if you don’t eat them all in a day or two?

    Reply

    1. I would recommend using water or non-dairy milk to prevent them for going bad quickly. Alternatively, store them in the freezer and take one out 10-20 minutes before eating.

      Reply

  4. I made these today following the recipe, but I included some specifics because it might slightly alter the nutritional value depending on what brands and items you use. I used jiff peanut butter, dark chocolate chips as my add-in, water as my liquid, and a tablespoon of ground flax. I made 14 good sized protein balls and calculated the nutritional information per bite as follows: Calories: 128, Fat: 7.4 g, Net Carb 10 g, Protein: 6 g

    These were so tasty and satisfied my sweet tooth! Only needed 1, because it was pretty rich with the dark chocolate 🙂

    Reply

  5. Recipe looks good, but it’s absolutely useless for any fitness enthusiasts because it doesn’t have any nutritional information to go with it.

    Reply

    1. Disagree – fitness enthusiasts can eat mindfully and intuitively and don’t base what goes in their. It’s based on numbers! Who cares about calories? Eat what your body needs.

      Reply

      1. I disagree with you Lauren. You can exercise as much as you want. But if you don’t keep track of your nutrition, all the workout goes down the tubes.



        Reply

    2. Yes!!! I need to know how much protein is in them! I could figure out everything, but I’d rather just find a recipe that gives me all of the info.

      Reply

  6. I so agree with you; anyone that doesn’t like protein balls hasn’t found the right recipe. I just made a similar recipe to yours. This one called for dried cranberries (I used raison’s), raw sun flower seeds (I used chopped pecans) & chocolate chips! I also used cinnamon honey & flax seeds. Delicious & my fav so far ??. I can’t wait to try your bberry muffin & ginger bread recipes! Thanks! Nancy

    Reply

    1. The balls you made sound delish!! I totally agree that there’s a flavor out there for everyone. Hope you enjoy the bberry muffin and gingerbread balls!

      Reply

  7. I am currently in a Speech class and I used this recipe for my demonstration speech!!! Everyone loved the balls- thanks for the great recipe 🙂

    Reply

  9. I just made these, OMG! I substituted the chia seeds for flax seeds and bran, my add in is chocolate chips. Next time trying raisins, I love raisins! I put the ingredients in the recipe section of my fitness pal for 20 servings and its about 131 calories per ball if you make 20.
    I can’t wait to try other ingredients to the base recipe.

    Reply

    1. Wonderful! So happy you liked them 🙂 Can’t wait to hear how you experiment with them some more!

      Reply

  10. Can’t wait to try them. Added the ingredients I don’t have to my grocery list. I do have a couple questions…..
    How many Energy Balls per serving and how many calories per serving? I can’t find that information on or around the recipe.

    Reply

    1. Not sure how many calories, but I only eat one or two at once depending on how hungry I am 🙂 Enjoy!

      Reply