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Peanut Butter Protein Bites

These soft & delicious peanut butter protein balls are a perfect, portable snack full of protein and healthy fats. Add some freeze-dried strawberries for a PB&J taste!

Peanut Butter Protein Bites with bits of freeze-dried strawberries in a wooden bowl. The protein ball on the top has a bite taken out.

In our little corner of the world, summer break has begun. For us, it means lots of pool time, weekend excursions, and snacking all day long.

Seriously, why are kids hungry ALLLLLL day in the summer? I swear mine are constantly asking for food, and I remind them that they didn’t eat all day when they were in school.

And then I give them a snack. #enabler

I’m bulking up our snack offerings and plan to make these peanut butter protein balls on the regular.

I have a chocolate version, too! Paleo Protein Brownie Bites. I also have an assortment of homemade Larabar knock offs that I linked to at the bottom of this post.

Peanut Butter Protein Ball Ingredients

All you need are handful of easy to find ingredients!

  • Almond flour
  • Protein powder (both vanilla and peanut butter — I like the PB Fit powder and get it in bulk at Costco.)
  • Sea salt
  • Peanut butter
  • Coconut oil
  • Honey
  • Vanilla
  • Freeze-dried strawberries (optional, but it creates a subtle peanut butter and jelly situation that’s lovely)

Tip: Make sure your coconut oil is somewhat soft, but not melted to make sure it gets incorporated well. This is especially important if you’re mixing by hand.

What is the best protein powder for protein balls?

There isn’t a “best” protein powder to make protein balls. Use whatever protein powder that you prefer, but to get the best flavor in this this recipe use some vanilla protein powder and some peanut butter protein powder.

The vanilla protein powder should be sweetened since this recipe relies on that for flavor. If you use flavorless or unsweetened protein powder instead of vanilla, you might want to add some sweetener to compensate. You could use chocolate instead, though, which would put a PB cup spin on these. Yum.

The peanut butter protein powder gives these bites a lot of peanut butter flavor as well. I like the PB Fit powder so much I buy it in the big containers at Costco.

How to make Peanut Butter Protein Balls

  1. Pulse the almond flour, protein powders, and salt together in a food processor. (If you don’t have one, no worries! Use a sturdy spoon.)
  2. Add the peanut butter, coconut oil, honey, and vanilla. Pulse for about a minute until the mixture is mostly combined.
  3. Add the strawberries and continue to pulse until the berries are crushed up the dough pinches together well with your fingers without crumbling.
  4. Roll into balls and store chilled for up to a week.

More Energy Bite Recipes

If you like this recipe, try another one of my protein/energy bite recipes!

Paleo Protein Brownie Bites also use protein powder and you can make them paleo-friendly by using my favorite paleo-friendly protein powder, Rootz. (That link will give you 10% off your order, too!)

Blueberry Muffin Larabar Copycat have bits of dried blueberry for a burst of fruity flavor.


Peanut Butter Balls with Protein Powder FAQs

Do I need a food processor to make protein balls?


Nope, but it makes it a LOT easier and quicker to get a smooth consistency. I use my food processor ALL the time. It’s one of my most-used appliances.
I love this Cuisinart 12-cup model. Psst… they have a similar one at Costco for quite a bit less!
If you’re not using a food processor, just use a sturdy spoon or your hands to blend everything.

How long do protein balls last in the fridge?

For best flavor and texture I recommend eating them within a week. (They probably won’t last that long, though.)

Can you freeze protein balls?

Sure! Put them on a baking sheet and freeze until firm and then transfer them to an airtight container or ziptop bag for freezer storage.

If you make one of my recipes, be sure to post it on social media and tag me at @perrysplate or #perrysplate so I can send you some love!

Protein Powder Peanut Butter Balls

Protein Powder Peanut Butter Balls

Yield: 19 balls
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes

These soft & delicious peanut butter protein balls are a perfect little snack full of protein and healthy fats. Add some freeze-dried strawberries for a PB&J taste!

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 cup almond flour
  • 1/4 cup vanilla protein powder
  • 1/4 cup peanut butter protein powder
  • 1/4 cup smooth or crunchy peanut butter
  • 1/4 cup coconut oil (soft, but not melted)
  • 2 Tablespoons honey or other liquid sweetener
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/3 cup freeze-dried strawberries

Instructions

  1. In the work bowl of a food processor, add the almond flour, protein powders, and salt. Pulse a few times to combine.
  2. Add the peanut butter, coconut oil, honey, and vanilla. Pulse for about a minute until the mixture is mostly combined.
  3. Add the strawberries and continue to pulse until the berries are crushed up the dough pinches together well with your fingers without crumbling. If it's too crumbly, add a tablespoon or two of water until you reach a consistency where you can form the dough into balls.
  4. Roll into roughly 19 balls. I used a tablespoon measuring spoon to scoop mine out.
  5. These are best stored chilled for up to a week, but they can be left at room temperature for a few days. If your kitchen is too warm, they may get too soft and squishy.

Notes

  1. I use PB Fit peanut butter protein powder. Costco usually has it for a great price. If you can't find it, just replace it with more vanilla protein powder. The peanut butter in the recipe should give it enough PB flavor.
  2. If you substitute the vanilla protein for unflavored, unsweetened protein powder, you'll have to add more sweetener to compensate. The resulting flavor will also be very different.
  3. You can use any kind of freeze-dried berries here or leave them out completely.
  4. If you don't have a food processor, you could still make these by hand in a bowl with a sturdy spoon or by blending the mixture with your hands. Make sure the coconut oil is softened (but not melted) to make it easier to combine thoroughly.
Nutrition Information
Yield 19 Serving Size 1 ball
Amount Per Serving Calories 127Total Fat 10gSaturated Fat 3gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 6gCholesterol 0mgSodium 65mgCarbohydrates 5gFiber 2gSugar 3gProtein 5g

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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