No Bake Protein Balls: Monster Cookie Edition

This healthy and fun snack is loved by kids and adults. It provides 5 grams of protein per ball for lasting energy in a delicious and nutritious form and is great for lunch boxes, after-school snacks, or a quick energy boost anytime.

Health Benefits of Monster Cookie Protein Balls

Not only are these protein balls a colorful and delicious snack to satisfy any kid or adult sweet tooth, but they’re full of good-for-you, real-food ingredients.

The ingredients include wholesome high-fiber oats, whey protein powder, plus other superstar nutrition powerhouses, including peanut butter, flaxseed, and chia seeds. This combination provides just the right nutritional balance of protein, fiber, and brain-promoting healthy fats.

Ingredients to Make Monster Cookie Protein Balls

Our monster cookie protein balls are a quick “mix and roll” recipe that comes together easily with real food ingredients:

• Old-fashioned rolled oats – For the right texture, we recommend starting with old-fashioned oats, though you can use quick-cooking oats (if that’s what you have on hand) and skip the food processor step.
• Vanilla protein powder – Whey protein is our go-to for these protein balls because it’s a high-quality protein from milk that adds nutrition to each energy ball and blends in easily and smoothly without leaving a chalky texture. Plant-based protein will also work (more on that below). Be cautious using chocolate protein powder or other flavors, as this will significantly change the taste of the final product.
• Natural creamy peanut butter – You can use any seed or nut butter of your choice, from natural peanut butter to almond butter to cashew butter. When making protein balls with peanut butter, we like to use a PB that has a nice drizzly and runny consistency, such as Trader Joe’s, Target’s Good & Gather peanut butter, Whole Foods 365 peanut butter, or Old Home Peanut Butter, a refrigerated peanut butter found in the Midwest.
• Ground flaxseed – You can purchase ground flaxseed or grind your own using a spice grinder.
• Chia seeds – These nutritious seeds add a fun crunch to every bite. Plus, they’re an excellent source of fiber, minerals, antioxidants, and omega-3 fats.
• Honey –  See the FAQs below about substituting maple syrup for honey if you’re looking for a vegan option.
• Vanilla extract
• Candy-coated chocolate pieces – We like Trader Joe’s Candy Coated Chocolate Drops or UNREAL brands, which contain no artificial colors.
• Mini chocolate chips

How to Make Monster Cookie Protein Balls

In less than 25 minutes, you can have a batch of cute and delicious peanut butter protein balls. Keep them at the ready for healthy snacks and on-the-go nutrition. Follow these easy directions:

1. In a food processor or blender, pulse the dry ingredients (the oats, ground flaxseed, chia seeds, and salt).
2. Transfer the blended oat mixture to a bowl and stir in the protein powder. 
3. Add the wet ingredients (the peanut butter, honey, and vanilla). 
4. Next, stir in the candy-coated chocolate pieces and chocolate chips. 
5. Roll the no-bake dough into 20 balls. 
6. Store balls in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

For serving size and the complete directions and ingredient amounts, scroll down to the recipe card below. All of our recipes include the nutrition analysis, listing calories (kcals), protein, carbohydrates/carb, fiber, sugar, sodium, cholesterol, and more per serving.

Make It Dairy-Free

To make these Monster Cookie Protein Balls dairy-free, simply use your favorite plant-based protein in place of the whey protein powder called for in the recipe.

With so many options available, it can be hard to know if your plant protein powder is healthy and provides well-rounded nutrition, truly harnessing the power of plants. We did the work so you don’t have to – see which plant-based protein powders we found to be the best.

Make It Vegan

If you’re following a totally plant-based diet, you can adjust this recipe to be fully vegan by using plant-based protein powder and substituting brown rice syrup for honey.

How to Store

Store these protein energy balls in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Like cookie dough, they may also be frozen for up to 3 months for longer storage. 

To thaw, simply place the desired number of protein balls in an airtight container with a lid in the refrigerator and allow them to thaw overnight. They can also be enjoyed frozen, but do give them a few minutes at room temperature to soften before biting in.

The photos in this blog post were taken by Rachel Cook of Half Acre House.

For ultimate success, we highly recommend reading the tips in the full blog post above. All photos and content are copyright protected. Please do not use our photos without prior written permission. If you wish to republish a recipe, please rewrite the recipe in your own unique words. Link back to the source recipe here on The Real Food Dietitians. Thank you!