Vegan Protein Balls (5 Ingredients!)

• Quick oats – Quick oats are essential for making vegan protein balls. Rolled oats and steel cut oats will not work! Quick oats are a more broken version of rolled oats and they allow the protein balls to hold together better. If you don’t have quick oats on hand, you can always pulse some rolled oats in a food processor until they break into small pieces. If you want to make these vegan protein balls gluten-free, make sure to buy certified gluten-free quick oats!
• Ground hemp seeds – I always add flaxseed to my protein balls. They help hold everything together and add lots of fiber and extra nutrients. If you don’t have flaxseed on hand, you can always grind whole flaxseeds until they reach a fine flour consistency. Don’t forget to store your flaxseed in the fridge so it doesn’t go bad!
• Vegan protein powder – Obviously to make these protein balls vegan, you need to use a vegan protein powder. I love to use vanilla or chocolate protein powder, but any flavor you enjoy with peanut butter should work! My favorite brands of vegan protein powder are Women’s Best Chocolate Protein Powder and Organ Protein Powder.
• Nut butter – I almost always use peanut butter when I make these vegan protein balls. Peanut butter is cheap and I can easily make it at home (learn how to make homemade peanut butter!) It adds more protein than other nut butters!
• Sticky liquid sweetener – I personally like to use honey, but if you are vegetarian, brown rice syrup or even maple syrup will work great.

🔀 Variations and substitutions

🔀 Nut butter – Also, if you are allergic to peanut butter or don’t care for the taste, you can always use another nut or seed butter. I like to use natural, melted butter for this recipe. If your nut butter is really thick or thick or contains hydrogenated vegetable oils, you may need to add more nut butter or sweetener to make the batter. For a nut-free alternative, try tahini or sun butter!

🔀 Liquid sweetener – Honey, agave, brown rice syrup and maple syrup should work in this recipe.

🔀 You don’t answer – As I mentioned above, most protein powders will work in this recipe. I usually use flavored and sweetened vegan protein powders, so I’m not sure how a simple soy or pea protein would taste.

🔀 Mix-in – If you want to add some extra texture, you can also include some mix-ins like dried fruit, chocolate chips, cacao nibs, etc.

Fridge: To store these protein balls in the fridge, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. They can last even longer than that, but they will harden as long as they sit in the fridge.

Freezer: If you want to prepare a lot of these protein balls at once, you can always store some in the freezer and thaw them as needed. To freeze them, place the protein balls on a cookie sheet and freeze for 1-2 hours. Then transfer the partially frozen balls to a freezer zip-lock bag and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.

To thaw frozen protein balls, remove them from the freezer the night before you need them and let them thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Or you can leave it at room temperature until soft enough to eat.

Expert tips

👉 Be sure Use quick oats Instead of rolled oats or steel cut oats. Quick oats are broken into smaller pieces to help the protein balls hold their shape better, so they don’t break apart.

👉 If your dough seems dry after mixing all the ingredients together for a while, you can Try adding a small splash of water or more nut butter and liquid sweetener. I just pour a little extra peanut butter into my dry flour until I get a sticky dough that holds together when you pinch it between your fingers.

I am Keep a small bowl with water next to me When I start rolling the dough into balls. Whenever the dough starts to stick to my hands, I dip my hands in water to moisten them again. Works like a charm to keep the dough from sticking!