They taste like banana bread with crunchy bits and pieces of oats and chocolate that are absolutely irresistible. I love making protein snacks, like my no-bake cookie dough protein bars, Brownie Protein Bites, or Blueberry Protein Muffins. But protein bars and muffins are often too big for a small snack. That’s why I love making a batch of these vegan, gluten-free protein balls. I’ve developed a huge amount of expertise in protein balls (try my Strawberry Protein Balls, Low Calorie Protein Balls, or Vegan Protein Balls if you don’t believe me) and I’ve used my runner husband to find out which ones are the most effective. These banana protein balls are the ones! Rich, yummy, and loaded with protein!
Ingredients and Substitutions
All you need to make these peanut butter banana energy balls are:
Banana – I highly recommend you mash and measure the amount of banana with precision so you don’t have to adjust the batter later. Old-Fashioned Rolled Oats or quick oats. Pick a gluten-free option if you are allergic or sensitive to gluten. Walnuts, almonds, or pecans. Ground Flaxseeds – I like to use ground golden flaxseed because it has no bitter or fishy taste compared to brown flax meal. Chia Seeds – loaded with goodness, chia seeds also add a bit of crunchiness. Vanilla Protein Powder – I am using a pea protein powder made with just 3 ingredients: pea protein, natural vanilla flavor, and natural sweetener. You should use a clean protein powder for the best results in this recipe. Peanut Butter or almond butter. You can also use sunflower seed butter for a nut-free option. Maple Syrup, agave syrup, or rice syrup. Cinnamon and Salt – for flavor. Dark Chocolate Chips – Mini dark chocolate chips make the rolling process easier. If the chips are too big, the batter is difficult to roll.
How To Make Banana Protein Balls
This energy balls recipe with protein powder is very easy to make with a food processor and within less than 20 minutes.
Expert Tips for Making These Balls
Without A Food Processor
If you don’t have a food processor, I recommend you replace oats with quick oats. It has a thinner texture and will stick together easily if you combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Also, make sure you chop the walnuts finely. Since the food processor is not used, the nuts won’t be chopped, and you don’t want big pieces in the balls. Or the batter break when you try to roll it.
Storage Instructions
These banana protein balls are such a healthy snack to meal prep a week of snacks pre- or post-workouts.
Place your protein balls in an airtight container in the refrigerator and store them for up to 6 days.
Or, place the protein balls in zip-lock bags and place the bag in the freezer for up to one month. Thaw in the fridge the day before serving.
Allergy Swaps
If you have food allergies or simply need to replace some of the ingredients in the recipe, try the options below.
Nut-Free – Swap walnuts for seeds like sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, or unsweetened shredded coconut. Replace the peanut butter with tahini or sunflower seed butter. Sugar-Free – You can use Monk fruit syrup instead of maple syrup. Use stevia-sweetened chocolate chips. Banana-Free – Swap the banana for sweet potato puree, unsweetened apple sauce, or pumpkin puree. Seed-Free – Skip the chia seeds and ground flaxseeds. Instead add 1/4 cup of almond flour or oat flour.
Frequently Asked questions
Below are my answers to your common questions about this protein balls recipe.
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