Name: Protein Balls
Ingredients: 1 cup gluten free oats; 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes; 1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips; 1/2 cup peanut butter (or your favorite nut-butter substitute); 1/3 cup honey; 1/4 cupt ground flax seed; 1 scoop plant-based protein powder; 1 tbsp chia seeds; 1 tsp vanilla

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My husband, Ryan, and I have been looking for ways to get more protein in our diets, and so I decided to make these protein balls. They’re the perfect combo of flavors and texture, and they’re packed full of nutrients – perfect for any snack especially post-workout.

Living with allergies, it can feel difficult to figure out different foods to eat, especially if you have your set of comfort foods you KNOW are safe. But we like some variety in our diets, and I hate buying packaged snacks all the time – they’re expensive and even when they don’t include our allergens, they’re often packed full of junk. Nobody likes extra work though, so I love how easy these are to make for a snack. They don’t require any cooking, you just mix the ingredients together and shape them into balls.

Because these protein balls are free of my son’s allergens, he’s able to eat them too! I gave him one to try and he loved it, which was surprising to me. As a picky toddler – he really hates when foods are all touching and mixed together so I really wasn’t expecting him to even taste it, but he asked for more.

This recipe does include peanut butter, and I know that’s a huge allergen for a lot of people. If you have a favorite peanut butter replacement, please substitute out the peanut butter for your replacement and give these a try!

What Makes This Recipe So Great

Easily Adaptable: This recipe can be easily modified to fit a peanut-free diet, just swap out the peanut butter for a different favorite allergen-friendly peanut butter replacement.
Easy To Make: Just plop all the ingredients in a bowl and mix with your hands. Sometimes I even eyeball the proportions to not dirty any measuring cups!
It’s Nutritious: These protein balls include a scoop of your favorite plant-based protein as well as a host of other healthy ingredients to give your body a delicious boost of energy and nutrients.

Ingredients & How to Substitute

Oats – If you’re gluten-free, be sure to buy specified gluten free oats!
Coconut Flakes – I get the unsweetened kind. If you can’t have coconut just leave it out, I make them without coconut sometimes if I don’t have it on hand.
Vegan Chocolate Chips – This isn’t a necessary ingredient, but I love chocolate!
Peanut Butter – This is a pretty essential ingredient because it holds the whole thing together, but you can definitely use any favorite peanut butter substitute you like that works for your allergies or diet!
Honey – This also helps with binding the ingredients together and adds some sweetness.
Ground Flax Seed – This is an optional ingredient but I include it for the added nutritional benefits!
Plant-Based Protein Powder – This adds some extra protein, but it’s not necessary if you want to leave it out.
Chia Seeds – This is another optional ingredient I include for added nutrients.
Vanilla – This adds a little more flavor and helps all the other flavors blend together nicely.