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Peanut butter protein balls are made with creamy peanut butter, vanilla protein powder, honey, and crispy rice cereal. Store these 15-minute no-bake energy bites in the fridge or freeze for a quick, healthy snack that even your kids will love!
I know you usually come here for chewy chocolate chip cookies (my favorite is the New York Times chocolate chip cookie recipe, by the way) or decadent cheesecake recipes. And we eat plenty of all of those things at our house.
But at the end of the day, I’m also just a mom trying to get her kids to eat snacks that get some protein in them without a fight.
That’s where these peanut butter protein balls come in. I’ve been making this recipe for years. I can throw them together in about 15 minutes while meal prepping on the weekend and store them in the fridge or freezer for quick snacks throughout the week.
My kids (and husband) think they taste like cookie dough. I’m the only one who really needs to know that their afternoon treat has protein to keep them full until dinner time.
Ingredient notes
⬇️ For the full recipe, including ingredient amounts, scroll down to the recipe card below!
This recipe is made with 5 simple ingredients. All you have to do is stir them together—no food processor required. Roll into balls and you’re ready to go!
- Creamy peanut butter: This is a great chance to use your favorite natural peanut butter, even the ones I don’t usually recommend for recipes like peanut butter blossoms.
- Honey: I love honey paired with peanut butter, like in my honey peanut butter cookies recipe. Local honey from your farmer’s market would be especially good here!
- Vanilla protein powder: I like whey-based protein powder. Make sure to use a vanilla-flavored one to really give these energy bites that cookie dough vibe. My favorite is the Clean Simple Eats vanilla protein powder, but I have used multiple brands successfully here.
- Salt: Just a pinch to help round out the flavors.
- Rice Krispies: These help the balls hold together and give a nice crispy texture.
I will often add a few mini chocolate chips or mini M&M’s to the top of each of the peanut butter balls to make them feel extra special for my kids. That’s totally optional, though! You could also roll the balls in unsweetened shredded coconut.
Dietary substitutions
One of the great things about this peanut butter protein balls recipe is that you can easily make some swaps based on your family’s allergies or dietary restrictions.
- Peanut-free or nut-free: The peanut butter can easily be swapped with your favorite creamy nut butter (such as almond butter or cashew butter) or sunflower seed butter. Just keep in mind that peanut butter is higher in protein, so this swap will change the protein per serving.
- Vegan: Swap the honey for maple syrup or agave nectar. You can also use your favorite plant-based protein powder. Remember that the amount of protein per ball will vary based on the protein powder you use.
- Gluten-free: Name-brand Rice Krispies contain malt flavoring, so use a brand of crispy rice cereal that is gluten-free certified. You’ll also want to use certified gluten-free protein powder.
Storage tips
As I roll each of these peanut butter energy balls, I place them in an airtight container lined with parchment paper.
Cover and store the bites in the fridge for up to 1 week.
If you want to keep them longer, you can freeze them for up to 1 month. I actually enjoy them straight from the freezer!
Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Protein Balls
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup creamy natural peanut butter
- ½ cup honey
- ¾ cup vanilla whey protein powder
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 ¼ cup Rice Krispies cereal
Optional toppings
- Mini chocolate chips or mini M&M's
Instructions
- Line a lidded storage container with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, mix together the peanut butter, honey, protein powder and salt until combined. This might look a little dry at first, but it will come together. I find that the best way to mix this is with clean hands, but if that’s not for you, a stiff spatula or wooden spoon will work just fine. Add in the Rice Krispies cereal and mix until incorporated.½ cup creamy natural peanut butter, ½ cup honey, ¾ cup vanilla whey protein powder, 1 pinch salt, 1 ¼ cup Rice Krispies cereal
- Use a small cookie scoop (2 teaspoons) to portion each protein ball. After scooping, give them a quick roll in your hands and place in the parchment-lined storage container. At this point, I often add a couple of mini chocolate chips or mini M&M candies on top of each protein ball to entice my kiddos, but that is totally optional.Mini chocolate chips or mini M&M's
- Store covered within the refrigerator for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 1 month.
Notes
Ingredients
- I typically use the Kirkland Signature Organic Creamy Peanut Butter from Costco.
- If you are allergic to peanuts, other nut butters and seed butters (such as almond butter or SunButter) can be used, but keep in mind that the amount of protein in each serving will decrease slightly.
- My favorite protein powder for this recipe is the Clean Simple Eats vanilla protein powder, but I have also used Ryse, FlavCity and Herbalife brands with success.
- If you need these bites to be gluten free, be sure to use a different brand of crispy rice cereal that is certified gluten free, as Kellogg’s Rice Krispies contain malt from barley.
Yield
- Makes about 24 (2-teaspoon) bites.
Nutrition information
- The nutritional information provided here is an estimate; final nutrition details will vary depending upon the ingredient brands that you choose to use, but you can easily plug those into an app such as My Fitness Pal to get your exact nutritional information per serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Frequently asked questions
You could press the mixture firmly into a parchment-lined baking pan, then let it chill in the fridge for several hours before cutting it into squares or bars. Remember that these are not shelf-stable and will soften at room temperature, so keep them chilled.
My kids are more likely to eat these energy balls when I make them with Rice Krispies. But if you like peanut butter oatmeal cookies, you could absolutely make these with rolled oats instead of the cereal!
