These chocolate peanut butter energy balls are full of protein and fiber to keep you full between meals and give you a pre or post-workout boost.
When you live with two growing boys as I do, there is no such thing as having too many snacks in the house. Am I right? Of course, the primary battle is having plenty of healthy and nutritious options available which is why I have created these rich, chewy and delicious Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Balls.
Full of protein, fiber, and nutrients, they are the perfect pre or post-workout snack. Even better? I promise they will nip your chocolate peanut butter craving right in the bud.
Naturally sweetened with ripe bananas, these energy balls are naturally vegan and gluten-free. Bananas are one of my son’s favorite snacks and as a result, we always seem to have them in the house. Perhaps it’s the inner-hoarder in me but I am always buying a few more than we need which results in perfectly ripe leftover bananas each week.
Secretly, I am thrilled, because ripe bananas are one of my favorite ways to naturally sweeten oatmeal, smoothies, muffins and more.
How long do energy balls last in the refrigerator?
They will stay fresh for up to 7 days – if they last that long!
Recipes utilizing leftover bananas:
- Whole Wheat Banana Walnut Muffins
- Pumpkin Banana Oatmeal
- Blueberry Oat Protein Pancakes
- Carrot Apple Ginger Green Smoothie
Your ripe bananas are waiting.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Energy Balls
Ingredients
- 1 ripe banana (mashed)
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons creamy natural peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons flax seed meal
- 2 tablespoons vanilla protein powder
- pinch sea salt
- 3/4 cup old fashioned oats
Instructions
- Mash banana in a medium bowl and add in cocoa powder, peanut butter, flax, protein powder and a pinch of sea salt.
- Continue to mash with fork until all ingredients are fully combined. (May seem dry at first but keep mashing!)
- Stir in oats using a rubber spatula to combine edges of the bowl.
- Using a small ice cream scooper or two teaspoons, form into 12 balls and place on a plate lined with wax paper.
- Refrigerate 30 minutes or up to 3 days covered with plastic wrap.
Video:
Nutrition:
There are more healthy snack options on my Pinterest board!
Lynn
Hi, I’d like to make these without protein powder, since I don’t have any (but I can’t add more nut butter / oil or seeds -can’t do more fat-). Should I add 2 tbsp of something dry like oat flour / more cocoa powder to compensate?
Thanks a lot! :) I love that your recipe doesn’t have any dry fruit or sticky sweetener!!
Liz DellaCroce
That would work! Or even flax meal! Enjoy!
Sam
Dunno why but I made these and they are a gooey, sticky mess, and do not hold their shape. I put them in the freezer instead cause I didn’t figure the fridge would accomplish anything. Half an hour after being out of the freezer they were smooshed and lost any shape they had. Tasty but definitely not as pictured. Very messy to eat.
Liz DellaCroce
Hi Sam – I make these all the time (made them again just last week) and have never had any issues at all. I’d love to help brainstorm what you did to see if I can help you make this a win! Did you make any substitutes at all from my recipe?
Sam
None. It could have just been that my banana was VERY ripe. And then frozen and defrosted before use so it was one of those slimy floppy bananas. :S
Liz DellaCroce
You know what if the banana was too watering from being frozen it won’t work great!
Karen
I need to make football treats for a high school team and am going to try these but there is a peanut allergy. Do you have any other protein recipes you can send me? Thanks.
Liz DellaCroce
Hi Karen – Most of my shelf stable snacks with high protein (i.e. energy balls and granola bars) have nuts I’m afraid. I do have other high protein recipes but they aren’t shelf stable (i.e. protein smoothies, yogurt dips, etc.) We also eat a lot of hummus but I’m guessing tahini is not great for the nut allergy. So sorry I’m not a great help – we love nuts!
Eva
Hi , I don’t have any flaxseed but I have ground almond-and coconut flour-would this work ?Thanks
Liz DellaCroce
Yes for sure!! The only thing with almond flour is that is absorbs a lot of liquid so you may need to add moisture back in.
Naomi
These were SO good thanks for the recipe I added a tbsp of pumpkin seeds and pecans to
Liz DellaCroce
I’m so glad you loved them Naomi! Let me know if you try any of my other recipes!
Kristen
I made these last night and I’m not sure what I did wrong but they were such a pain to roll! I would roll one fine but then the next would just disintegrate in the midst of rolling. I tried chilling the dough and that helped a little but they still gave me some trouble rolling. Any suggestions? I’m not a very good cook, so it was probably me :(
On a plus side, they taste amazing. I will be trying again!
Liz DellaCroce
Oh no!! Sometimes I find it’s helpful to add a little water to my hands. Othertimes I find that the mixture needs to be a little warmed in the hands. So sorry it was a struggle!
Danica Healy
Hi I can’t seem to source flaxseed meal. What’s a suitable alternative please? Thanks
Liz DellaCroce
Chia seeds! Did you look on Amazon for flax? https://amzn.to/32664wx
Renae
Can you freeze these?
Liz DellaCroce
Yes you can!
Franzi
I made them today and I love the creamy texture. I used a 4-nut-mush (peanut, almond, hazelnut, cashew) and it turned out great.
Great Thanks from Germany :)
Liz DellaCroce
That sounds so good!! So glad you like them!
Cynthia
I’ve been making this recipe (without the protein powder) regularly for my two kids, ages 2.5 and 4, since I discovered it about a year ago. I love that they like these as much as any dessert, yet it’s good for them. A nice variation which I recently tried was adding a dash of nutmeg – yummy!
Liz DellaCroce
Oh I’m so thrilled to hear it!! Thanks for letting me know Cynthia!
Holly
Do you think they would be fine without the protein powder?
Liz DellaCroce
Most definitely!! You could always add a little more peanut butter for added protein. :-)
Stephanie
Silly question… do you cook the oats?
Liz DellaCroce
Not silly at all but nope, raw oats! :-)
Aggie
I have got to make these Liz. I’m dying for something sweet at night, and if I give in it opens up the door to some (bad) late night snacking. The key for me is portion control…these would be perfect for that!
The Lemon Bowl
These were a huge hit and my husband loved them as well! We like them chilled in the fridge. :-)
Sunithi
Lovely ! Gonna try these too ! Need some time in the day to try all your recipes :) Seriously !!!
The Lemon Bowl
Thank you so much- these are so tasty and easy! Let me know what you think!
Geraldine
Hi there, these sound and look great, but I am just wondering why the need for protein powder? Is there a natural way to increase the protein instead of the powder?
Thank you for all you valuable tips and delicious food
Geraldine
Liz DellaCroce
There isn’t anything that would add as much protein but you’re welcome to eliminate!
Franco
Hi there, I really loved this recipe, I´m definetly going to try it. I´m wondering, how long would they last before spoiling?
Liz DellaCroce
These would last up to 7 days!!