Peanut Butter Protein Energy Bites are made with oats, dark chocolate chips, chia seeds, and flax! A great source of protein, fiber, and healthy fats. They’re perfect as a snack or breakfast on the go. Filling, requires no baking, healthy, and delicious!
These peanut butter protein energy bites are known as many things: protein balls, power bites, energy balls, etc. There’s a crap ton of recipes for energy balls on the internet, but this one just happens to be my favorite.
Look, I love variety as much as the next guy, but keeping it simple is always best. How simple? No baking, less than 10 ingredients and 10 minutes of your time. That’s how easy! Shall we?
Start With Your Base Ingredients
Oats and peanut butter make up the base for the peanut butter protein energy bites. Why?
Oats are filling, super healthy, versatile and cheap. I love Bob’s Red Mill Organic Oats.
Peanut butter works as the binder, but also provides sustaining energy, healthy fats, and kids love it. My favorite natural peanut butter is Smucker’s. It’s just peanuts, a little salt, and rather inexpensive. (Feel free to use other types of nut butter)
Flavor & Extras
Next, it’s all about the extras. And, as long as they’re healthy preferences you can’t go wrong. But, here is what I chose.
I used coconut, non-dairy chocolate chips, some maple syrup, and a little splash of vanilla for my flavors. And, for the “super food” add-ins I used ground flax and chia seeds. Flax and chia are super healthy and a great source of Omega-3’s, protein, and fiber.
Great For Adults & Kids
No doubt these Peanut Butter Protein Energy Bites are a great midday snack for adults. But, they’re even better for kids.
Let me explain.
What happens when you take your kids shopping and they get hungry? It has the potential to be a miserable time. But, there’s no need to worry. Just keep a few of these on hand and problem solved. You’re welcome.
Peanut Butter Protein Energy Bites
Try these Peanut Butter Protein Energy Bites, I’m sure you’ll love them. They’re…
- Delicious
- Sweet
- Healthy
- Full of protein and healthy fats
- Easy to make
- Filling
- & sustaining
Here are some more delicious, peanut buttery, and healthy snacks you and your kids will love! Try my Grilled Peanut Butter Banana & Jelly Sandwich, Chocolate Peanut Butter Hummus, and No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie!
Did you make this recipe? Let me know! Be sure and leave a comment below with a STAR rating. And, share a picture by tagging me on Instagram and use the hashtag #shaneandsimple. I want to see your work. Enjoy!
Peanut Butter Protein Energy Bites (Vegan, Gluten-Free)
- Total Time40 minutes
- Yield12 balls 1x
- DietVegan
Peanut Butter Protein Energy Bites made with oats, dark chocolate chips, chia seeds and flax! A great source of protein, fiber, and healthy fats. They're perfect as a snack or breakfast on the go. Filling, require no baking, healthy, and delicious!
Ingredients
- 1 cup rolled oats
- ⅔ cup shredded coconut
- ½ cup natural peanut butter or nut butter of choice
- ½ cup ground flax seed (flax meal)
- ½ cup non-dairy chocolate chips (optional)
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- 1 Tbsp chia seeds
- 1 tsp vanilla
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a food processor.
- Blend until the oats are chopped and a dough is formed. Usually about 30 seconds.
- Scoop out 2 Tbsp. of the mixture and form into a ball. Set on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Chill in the fridge for about 30 minutes or until ready to eat. Can be kept in the fridge up to a week.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cookie
- Calories: 216
- Sugar: 11.2 g
- Sodium: 49 mg
- Fat: 10.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 20.8 g
- Fiber: 4.5 g
- Protein: 4.6 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins.
- Category: Snacks
- Cuisine: Vegan
Does putting the chocolate chips in the food processor not pulverize them? Or should they be stirred in after everything else is mixed together in the processor?
Looking for on the go snacks for husband and G’baby to take on their adventures! This one was perfect! No bake, easy and quick! I usually look at your recipes when I’m needing inspiration! Everything I’ve tried is AMAZING! Thank you so much!
Perfect every time and so satisfying!
These are outstanding. I make them every week. We don’t care for coconut, so I substituted 1/2 cup of hemp and 1 1/2 tbsp chia. We also buy creamy peanut butter, so I add peanuts. Thank you for another great recipe!
Shane these are the bomb! I just made with crunchy peanut butter and no coconut. Absolutely love these and they won’t last much past 30 minutes! Thanks again Shane!
Thank you!
I make these every week and my son takes them to school in his lunch! Thank goodness for this recipe. I have a hard time finding vegetarian/vegan things my kids will eat. We also loved your Shepard pie recipe and I make your mayo regularly as well. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
I Loved this fast healthy no bake recipe. I didn’t have coconut so left out. They are absolutely delicious! Thank you Shane!!!
Oh my gosh, these are delicious!! I had almost everything in the bowl when I discovered that my flax seed had gone bad, so I used hemp seed instead and they are fantastic! They remind me of the girl scout cookie – Samoas with the chocolate and coconut 🙂 Thank you so much for the recipe, these will be in my regular rotation!
Just made these again this evening. Love them! Once made, I seal them in a Ziplock bag and put them in the freezer, taking them out just one at a time–usually!
I have a natural peanut butter that is quite dry. Do I need to add anything to make this recipe work?
Marg, it would depend on how dry it is. If it is very firm, you might want to try mixing with a little non-dairy milk a bit. This recipe, in order to hold together, depends on the moisture from the peanut butter. Good luck!
I’ve made these 3 times already. And have had to share the recipe because they were liked so much!
So good for afternoon coffee breaks. Love the flaxmeal in it, to help with feeling full and satisfied!
Highly recommend!
Made this recipe several times, Our family and friends love these as do we. Quick and healthy ! Thanks so much for all of your recipes and ideas.
Absolutely delicious.. Made for my husband to take when he is on road and he loved them, Thanks for the great recipe.
I make these all the time but I don’t bake them.. I toast the coconut first then mix everything together and make balls. I store in the fridge.
I made these with cacoa nibs , coconut flavoring. And PB Fit peanut butter to lower the fat content. They are delish!!
Hi! Did you make the PB powder into peanut butter consistency or just add the powder into the mix?
This was the first close to sweet treat I’ve made since going WFPB the first of last month. They were easy to make and just one is enough to satisfy my desire for something sweet (and chocolatey). I love that I can make and enjoy having treats that aren’t filled with chemicals. Thanks again, Shane for helping make this way of life sustainable. I am grateful for not only your recipes, but for your passion and commitment.
Lisa, thank you so much for the kind words. I’m so glad you enjoyed the treats:)
The flavor is amazing! I do have a question on consistency. What do you mean when you say it’ll form a batter in about 30 sec? I did recipe as printed, including the chocolate chips. But for me it made a fine crumbly texture. They did hold together well if I kept them small (I made 23) and really packed them together in my hand. Should it have made a more cohesive texture? Should I add a bit of water?
Thanks – and I love your recipes!!
Judy, that sounds right. I could change the terminology. But, it’s not batter as in cookie “batter” but just as you described.
Hi Shane. I made these delicious bites yesterday. My husband & I both 💕 looove them. I’ all be making more this week to share with my family out on the boat this weekend. I just know they’re all going to love them too. Thank you so much for all your great recipes. 👍
Thank you, Maureen!
I just made these and they were delicious! I’ve made hundreds of peanut butter balls in my many years in the kitchen but these are THE BEST yet, hands down. I’m delighted to have discovered your website and am looking forward to trying more of your recipes.
Thank you so much, Martha!
I’m assuming you use unsweetened coconut; do you have a favorite brand?
Thanks for all the recipes!
Not really any brand in particular. But, I usually grab Bob’s Red Mill. After that, it’s whatever is on the shelf:)
These look delish! If I leave out the coconut will I need to replace it with something else? I’m excited to try them!
They will work just fine without the coconut.
These are so delicious – I can’t stop eating!
I feel your pain:)
I’m making my 3rd batch this week today, they are the perfect grab snack for my 4 kids. I double the recipe each time I make them and do half the flax seed meal and replace with hemp hearts and more chia seeds. I also do half the recommended chocolate chips.
Might try adding a scoop of protein powder. Thoughts on how this may impact the recipe and any adjustments that might need to made to keep them intact?
It shouldn’t impact it all. But, honestly, if you’re doing it because you’re concerned about protein there’s really no need.
So delicious! This is a great recipe! I didn’t have any maple syrup so I used yacon syrup for a gut-friendly boost. I didn’t have any choc chips so added a dash of cinnamon. Reminded me of eating oatmeal cookie dough as a child and didn’t miss the flour, sugar and eggs at all! Keep these terrific recipes coming!
Sounds great, Lisa! Thanks so much for reaching out. Blessings
Hi Shane, Thank you for sharing… I am allergic to flax seed What can I use as an alternative to flax?
Chia seeds are a great alternative.
I just stumbled across your site and I am SO thrilled. These are the kind of recipes I have been looking for as I transition my vegetarian family of 5 to WFPB. Thank you so much for sharing your talents with us!! I have one question about the vegan chocolate chips…What kind / brand do you like best and where to you purchase them? Thanks in advance!
Hi, Sarah! Thank you so much and I’m just as thrilled and honored to have you here. I hope you enjoy the recipes. We typically use Trader Joe’s dark chocolate chips. But, we also use Nestle’s new brand that is dairy-free. And, most of the time I just get those dark chocolate Bakers’ Bars at the grocery store and chope them up:) Hope this helps. Please don’t hesitate to reach out with questions or comments. Blessings.
Oh, yeah!
I made these except with almond flour instead of shredded coconut and they tasted great.
Nice. Sounds great!
Fantastic recipe, loved by both kids and adults in our home. My family does not always appriciate eating vegan but this was a home run hit!. I am now on the hook to double the recipe every time I make it because their only complaint is that I don’t make enough!
Fantastic recipe. My family does not always appriciate eating vegan but this was a home run hit!. I am now on the hook to double the recipe every time I make it because their only complaint is that I don’t make enough! This is loved by kids and adults!
Renee, that is fantastic! Thanks so much for sharing and I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe. Peace.
Good morning from Virginia I just made these and I love them I ended up with about 18 also and they’re sitting my refrigerator right now should we put them in a airtight container
Well, HELLO Denise from Virginia! Thanks so much saying “HI!” If you plan on eating them today I would just leave them out, but if you made them to keep over a couple days, I would store them.
Can I use honey instead of maple syrup? ☺️
Yes, if that is your preference. By all means.
And if you don’t have a good processor or refrigerator?
No worries. Just toss everything in a bowl and mix together by hand. The oats don’t “have” to be chopped. Should work just fine. Just cover and store and room temp. for a couple days. Should be good to go.
These are wonderful. I ended up with 18 but that is because I used my hands to form them and that was the best size for my hand. My kids and husband love these.
Awww. So glad you all enjoyed them. Thanks so much for sharing, Sandra! Peace.
Hey Shane do you know the calorie content ?
Hey Dave, yes. There’s a nutrition label below the recipe. It’s about 200 calories per ball or 2 Tbsp.
Simple and delicious. The kids love them.