These delicious Peanut Butter Protein Balls give you a quick energy boost any time you need it. With 12g of protein and only 3.8g carbs per serving, this keto friendly snack helps you stay focused on your day.
In keeping with my promise to bring you more low carb high protein recipes, I present to you these delicious and ridiculously easy Peanut Butter Protein Balls. I have been munching on these daily for the past few weeks. And I don’t plan to stop any time soon!
These really are the ultimate easy keto snack idea. They require no special equipment and no baking. Just you, your ingredients, and a good silicone spatula. And they pack a significant protein punch, with plenty of healthy fats too.
These keto protein balls are great any time of day. I like to grab a few before I work out in the mornings. But they can be breakfast, snack, or even dessert.
Keto Protein Bombs!
Remember the days of the fat bomb? Well, I am calling these Protein Bombs, and they are my new snack of choice. I am coining a new term for the keto diet. You with me?
Gone are the days when I eat fat with abandon. As an aging but active woman, I find my protein needs are much higher than they used to be. And eating fat simply for the sake of eating fat no longer sits well with me.
Don’t get me wrong, I still don’t advocate for low fat. I eat plenty of fats, both from animal and plant sources. But I no longer make it the focus of my snacks and meals every day. And I feel far healthier and more energetic with a higher protein focus.
I have so many followers and readers finding the same these days. If you’re stalling on keto with a high fat focus, try increasing your protein and lowering the fat a little.
And grab some Keto Protein Balls to keep you on track!
Ingredients you need
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- Peanut butter: Use a natural creamy peanut butter. If it’s the kind that separates and has a lot of oil at the top, mix it in well. Other nut butters, like almond butter, will also work.
- Protein powder: I recommend a protein isolate like this Grassfed whey from Opportuniteas, as it will give you a higher protein count. See expert tips for more protein options.
- Sweetener: Powdered sweeteners like Swerve Confectioners work best, so they don’t get gritty. Check out the expert tips for more sweetener options.
- Almond flour: You do need some flour to add bulk and create a dough. But it doesn’t have to be almond flour. You can use a few tablespoons of peanut flour or coconut flour too.
- Hemp seeds: Hemp seeds have a surprising amount of protein and add a nutty crunch to the protein balls. But this ingredient is entirely optional.
- Chocolate chips: Mini chocolate chips, like the ones from The People’s Keto, work best in these balls. But ChocZero chips are on the small side as well.
- Pantry staples: Butter or oil, vanilla extract, salt.
Step by Step Directions
Peanut Butter Protein Balls couldn’t be easier to make! Check it out:
- In a large microwave safe bowl, melt the peanut butter with the butter until it can be stirred together.
- Add the protein powder, sweetener, almond flour, hemp seeds, and vanilla extract. Mix until a cohesive dough forms and you can roll into firm balls
- Stir in the chocolate chips until well distributed.
- Roll into balls about 1 inch in diameter. You should get 20 balls. Refrigerate until firm.
Expert Tips
You have a lot of choices for these keto protein balls, so you can customize and adjust as you see fit. You can use other nut or seed butters and different kinds of protein. And you can sweeten them more or less, according to your tastes.
If your dough is too stiff and won’t hold together, add a bit more oil. If the dough is too goopy and you can’t roll it into balls, work in a bit more flour.
Protein Options
- Whey protein: I like a whey protein isolate as it has a higher protein content and a lower carb count. You can use vanilla or unflavored. If using vanilla, you may want to reduce the sweetener and the added vanilla extract.
- Egg white protein powder: I find that plain egg white protein gives these protein balls a funny flavor. So if you want to use it, go for the vanilla variety and reduce sweetener and vanilla accordingly.
- Plant protein: Pea protein, hemp protein, and other plant based protein powders should also work well here. Make sure they don’t have a greenish tinge as some do.
- Collagen protein: You can also use collagen protein (aka collagen peptides) but it has a different consistency in recipes like this. So you will likely have to add additional flour to firm up the dough.
Sweetener Options
You can use your preferred sweetener for these Peanut Butter Protein Balls, but you may need to make some adjustments to get the correct consistency.
Confectioner’s style powdered sweeteners add bulk without grittiness, so they are my preference. But it can be erythritol, allulose, or BochaSweet. I don’t recommend granular sweeteners as they just won’t mix in well enough.
Concentrated extracts like stevia and monk fruit also work, but they don’t add any bulk and you may need to add some additional flour. Liquid allulose will throw off the liquid/dry balance, so you would need to add more flour there as well.
Frequently Asked Questions
These protein bombs, as I call them, have a number of advantages. They are easy to make and extremely portable for on-the-go snacks. And they are an excellent source of energy, with the ideal combination of protein, healthy fats, and fiber. They keep you full and satisfied for whatever the day throws your way!
This recipe for peanut butter protein balls has 6.8g of carbs and 3g of fiber. The net carb count comes to 3.8g for 2 balls.
Store the balls in a covered container on the counter for up to 5 days, or in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. They can also be frozen for several months.
More high protein recipes
Peanut Butter Protein Balls Recipe
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 tablespoon butter or oil (avocado or coconut oil)
- ¾ cup whey protein isolate unflavored or vanilla
- ⅓ cup Swerve Confectioners See blog post for options
- ¼ cup almond flour
- 2 tablespoon hemp seeds (optional)
- ⅛ teaspoon salt (if peanut butter is unsalted)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (less if using vanilla protein)
- ¼ cup mini keto chocolate chips (optional)
Instructions
- In a large microwave safe bowl, melt the peanut butter with the butter until it can be stirred together.
- Add the protein powder, sweetener, almond flour, hemp seeds, and vanilla extract. Mix until a cohesive dough forms and you can roll into firm balls (see notes for any adjustments).
- Stir in the chocolate chips until well distributed.
- Roll into balls about 1 inch in diameter. You should get 20 balls. Refrigerate until firm.
Teresa Heckel says
This recipe sounds fantastic, as all of yours do! I also love your cookbooks, which I use often. I am a post-menopausal, very active 62 yo woman who is often in need of a high protein snack to fuel me between activities. Like you, I find that higher fat does not seem to serve me well these days and have significantly increased my protein intake (140 gr/day) while lowering my fat intake over my “keto” days. I’m going to try and adapt your recipe using Naked Peanut Butter Powder reconstituted with some coconut milk to maintain the moistness and a bit less butter – maybe just use some MCT. Any advice you have is appreciated!
Nancy Gordon says
If I use Equip Prime Protein which is all Grass-Fed Beef not whey, would I need to make any adjustments? Would it be the same consistency as whey protein?
Carolyn says
I haven’t used it so I think you will need to experiment.
Claudia says
Just last week I discovered peanut butter chocolate chip bites at the local Superstore, but a tiny bag was $10! So you can just imagine how thrilled I was when you posted this easy and yummy recipe! Many thanks for sharing 🙂
Carolyn says
Ugh and trust me, those bites do NOT taste nearly as good. I’ve been suckered in and disappointed!
Jeannine says
Peanut Butter protein balls popped on my screen today and I realized I had all the ingredients so these quick, no-bake treats became a lunchtime effort for me. Wowowow! My only challenge now is not eating them all! Thank you for this recipe – delicious, satisfying and EASY.
Nikki D. in Chicago says
I have a dangerous sweet tooth, so I always need healthy options around. These were great, easy to make and really hit the sweet spot! I used MRM chocolate egg white protein powder and chia seeds since I don’t have hemp seeds. I needed an extra tbsp of almond flour to get a good dough. I just hope I don’t eat them like popcorn now. 🙂
Linnie says
Yum! Fun to make, fun to eat! TY
Robin Morgan says
Very good with chocolate protein powder!
Debbie says
If I use peanut flour (Anthony’s organic), would I use the same amount as the almond flour?
Carolyn says
Less, it’s much more powdery. Add a few tbsp to start and work from there.
Debbie says
Thanks so much!
Mary says
can i use further food collegen instead of whey protein? or equip? those i already have in my cupboard.
Carolyn says
yes, I think so.
B Parkhill says
Easy to make and delicious! A wonderful quick snack to have around.
Joy B says
I love this recipe so much that I’ve been making these amazing protein balls once a week! They are super yummy & they’re SO easy to make. I’m a competitive cyclist & runner who’s also post-menopausal so I’m always looking for low carb, high protein options. Here are some variations I’ve made that really work well: 1) substitute Nut-Zo (either creamy or chunky) for the peanut butter and 2) substitute my favorite pumpkin spice protein powder OR vanilla protein powder with some pumpkin spice added into the mix. Oh and I live in a very hot part of the country, so after I roll my balls, I keep them in the freezer. This makes for a very satisfying, frozen & protein-rich treat! Thanks, Carolyn, for coming up with this awesome recipe! PS I really enjoy your YouTube channel & I think I’ve purchased every single one of your cookbooks…all are FAB!
Carolyn says
So glad you like them and they work for your active lifestyle!
Lianna says
Just made a batch of these !!! Didn’t have Hemp seeds so I used Chia seeds. And I used Lily’s Unicorn chips because I got a smokin’ deal on them at my Grocery Outlet, so I have a pantry full !!!! Anyway, these are a super yummy treat or a
grab n go snack/breakfast.
GAYLE BROWN says
Greetings from a few miles south in Eugene. love these! My husband loves these as well. For me I follow the keto version and add your sweetened cranberries and nut granola instead of the hemp and chocolate chips. He likes a bit of crunch so I add some homemade low sugar oatmeal granola, dried cranberries and a few roasted unsalted sunflower seeds. I love that they taste like peanut butter cookie dough which I have a weakness for.
Stephanie says
Do you use salted or unsalted butter?
Carolyn says
Doesn’t really matter. I like salted.
Elizabeth Phelps says
I tried this recipe as written first – with Hemp Hearts and it was delish! But then decided to try it with Keto Chow instead of the Whey Protein Isolate. I am finding it less “gritty” with the Keto Chow . . . I used a combination of Vanilla and Salted Caramel. Am thinking it would be super yummy with the Chocolate Toffee as well! Yum! I also did half butter and half MCT oil. Perfect bites!!! Note: I did have to add a bit more MCT to get good consistency – but not much.
Susan says
YUMMO! I cannot wait to try these. Would substituting Collagen powder for the protein powder work?
Susan says
I just re-read the post! I missed the info on collagen the first time through.
I’ll be adding more flour.
Thank you for creating such wonderful recipes, Carolyn! Yours are my constant go-to because they ALWAYS turn out exactly right and I can count on them to be a hit with any crowd.
Jana says
Thank you for this recipe! I’ve been trying to recreate the “Think! Keto Protein bars” at home for a while now. I sub the almond flour in your recipe for defatted Peanut Butter Flour and add some of the old High Key cereal for a tiny bit of crunch – and they are PERFECT replacements. I have dipped some (omitted the chocolate chips) and eaten some without dipping (from the freezer). I want to eat them all day!!
Carolyn says
Nice! I love those bars but this option is probably even healthier!
Nancy says
Is the nutritional information with or without the optional ingredients?
Carolyn says
With… if I make it a certain way, I always include those.
Marydee says
Sounds delicious! If substituting Egg White Protein Powder, if we don’t have the vanilla egg white protein, can we simply keep the vanilla extract the same amount?…or would it still have a funny flavor in your opinion?