Green Smoothie Gourmet

  • Recipe Index
  • Summer
  • About
  • Free eBook
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipe Index
  • Summer
  • About
  • Free eBook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipe Index
    • Summer
    • About
    • Free eBook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
  • ×
    Home / Recipes / High Protein Snacks

    How to Make Oatmeal Protein Balls (no bake)

    Mar 11, 2017 · Updated: Feb 14, 2025 by Dee Dine · Affliate links disclosure.

    • Bluesky
    • Share
    • Reddit
    Jump to Recipe
    rows of chickpea protein balls on a white board

    These no bake oatmeal protein balls taste like oatmeal cookies, and are ready in minutes. I use 5 simple ingredients, including peanut butter and even chickpeas to boost protein. No dates, protein powder or refined sugar. A healthy no bake snack.

    a row of no bake oatmeal energy balls.

    These no bake peanut butter oatmeal protein balls, also called oat balls or oatmeal bites, are chewy and filling, as well as high in protein and fiber. Like my protein bar recipe, my no bake cashew bars, peanut butter swirl brownies from scratch, and my chocolate rice cakes, these portable snacks can be whipped up in a bowl or processor or blender, and be ready in minutes. And like my tutorial on how to make candied grapes, these balls are made with few steps.

    While these peanut butter oatmeal balls are sweet, they don't use dates. Dates are delicious and healthy but require soaking time to pit them and equipment to break them down so I opted to make these balls without them. Like with many of my no bake snack recipes, I think you will love the ease and nutrition of these easy energy balls. And, like my cinnamon roll overnight oats, and my cookie dough bites, and my oatmeal chocolate chip bars, and my pumpkin oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, they make a great grab-and-go breakfast!

    Why You'll Love These

    • Taste delicious. These peanut butter oatmeal balls are creamy and sweet, although will not give you a sugar crash because they are naturally sweetened. They are also filling so provide you with sustained energy and a feeling of fullness even though they are only 1 inch around.
    • High in nutrition. The protein balls have 4 grams of protein and 2 grams of fiber per ball, both thanks to chickpeas and rolled oats respectively, making this snack a quick source of energy.
    • Easy to customize. These 5 ingredient rolled balls are easy to customize in two ways, either mix in things like chocolate chips, raisins, cinnamon, nuts, or coat in crushed nuts, drizzled chocolate or cocoa powder, cinnamon, orange peel and even cookie crumbs.

    Ingredients

    overhead of no bake oatmeal energy balls ingredients.

    • Rolled oats. Rolled oats are excellent for no bake rolled balls because they easily absorb liquid and soften in the dough, making them easy on the digestion.
    • Peanut butter. Any nut butter works. Choose a natural runny one that has only the nut and maybe oil and salt as ingredients.
    • Chickpeas. Use canned, organic and unsalted.
    • Maple syrup. I don't use dates in my oatmeal energy balls even though they are health and a common binder in protein ball recipes because they require a food processor or blender. Maple syrup is refined-sugar-free and high in iron, a wonderfully nutritious sweetener and binder.
    • Almond flour. Use almond flour to bring another source of protein to these bites, and a dry base.
    • Mix-ins & Coatings. Your choice! Chocolate chips, puffed quinoa, raisins, nuts, shredded coconut, dried fruit, chopped nuts, cinnamon, beetroot powder.

    Substitutions

    • Chickpeas. Instead, use more nut butter, but increase the almond flour by a few tablespoons full to correct the texture if needed to make it rollable.
    • Maple syrup. You can use any liquid sweetener, including date syrup, agave, and even honey if you don't need the protein balls to be vegan although I've heard honey makes them very sweet.
    oatmeal balls on a table with two bitten.

    Steps to Make Oatmeal Protein Balls

    For more detail, visit the complete recipe at the bottom of this post, but here are general steps.

    Step One. Measure Ingredients and add all ingredient to either a food processor or blender. (Image 1)

    1. Measure out oats.
    2. Stir up peanut butter in the jar if the oils have separated, and then measure. Microwave jar for just 10 seconds to help with stirring. Add the measured amount of peanut butter to the oats and chickpeas.
    3. Open a can of chickpeas, pour off liquid (aquafaba) into ice cube trays and freeze, then rinse the chickpeas, measure and refrigerate the left-over beans for two days. Pat dry the measured beans with paper towels.
    4. Measure out the maple syrup from the bottle.
    5. Measure out the almond flour by fluffing the flour in the bag with a fork, then spooning flour into a measuring cup.

    Step Two. Process the ingredients into a chunky batter. (Image 2) Taste the batter and add more maple syrup if you need a sweeter flavor. Or you can add water if the mixture is crumbly and isn't sticky enough to roll balls.

    steps one and two to make rolled balls.

    Step Three. If adding mix-ins, add them now, and use a spoon or spatula to fold them in uniformly.

    Step Four. Rub hands in rolled oats and scoop batter into balls using a small cookie scoop. Roll the batter into balls with your hands. (Image 3)

    Step Five. Coat the balls in any coating you choose, and line them up to set. (Image 4)

    scoop oatmeal energy bites being coated.

    Recipe Tips

    1.The recipe creates 12 oatmeal energy balls and can easily be doubled or tripled.

    👉Want to Save This Recipe?

    Enter your email below and we'll send the recipe straight to your inbox.

    2. During your taste test, if you feel the bean flavor is too prominent, add up to 1 teaspoon of cinnamon to disguise it.

    3. Be sure your peanut butter or nut butter is runny, otherwise your batter may turn out too dry. Microwave it for 15 seconds and stir if separated.

    4. You can scoop the balls using a tablespoon or a number 40 or small cookie/ice cream scoop. Before you roll the balls, wet your hands.

    energy bites in a row on a table

    Additional Mix ins

    Mix in the following ingredients to increase nutrition and flavor:

    • Cocoa powder. Use this to roll the balls in.
    • Chia Seeds & Flax Seeds. Mix in to increase protein and fiber.
    • Chocolate chips. Mix in mini chips.
    • Raisins. Increase the sweet flavor while adding fiber.
    • Cinnamon. Mix in to offset the flavor of beans.
    • Nuts. Mix in to increase protein and add crunch.
    • Beetroot powder. Useful to roll in and create a pink energy bite. Pitaya powder works as well.
    • Shredded coconut. Useful to roll in and mixin and provides healthy fats.
    • Puffed quinoa. To make puffed quinoa, dry toast raw dry quinoa for a few minutes in a dry skillet. It will smell nutty and make a small popping noise. Allow it to cool and use it as a mix-in.
    overhead of energy bite mix ins

    Variations

    Customize to create the following flavors:

    To make Chocolate Oatmeal Energy Balls, to this recipe add:

    • 2 tablespoon cocoa
    • 2 extra tablespoon maple syrup
    • ¼ cup mini chocolate chips

    To make Almond Coconut Oatmeal Energy Balls, to this recipe add:

    • 2 tablespoon almonds
    • 2 extra tablespoon maple syrup
    • 2 tablespoon shredded coconut, unsweetened

    To make Cinnamon Roll Oatmeal Energy Balls, to this recipe add:

    • 1 tablespoon cinnamon
    • 1 tablespoon raisins

    FAQS

    How to store these peanut butter oatmeal balls?

    Line the oatmeal protein balls up in a storage container and refrigerate for two weeks or freeze for up to a month.

    Are rolled oats the same thing as old fashioned oats?

    Yes they are! Rolled oats are oats that are flattened and cut into flakes. It is a nutritious, less processed form of oatmeal and is the kind of oats that you want for this recipe.

    Do you need to chill the batter before rolling the balls out?

    No, there is no need to chill energy ball dough first before enjoying, however the energy bites do need to be refrigerated to store.

    Can I use quick oats to make these?

    Quick oats can be used but you might want to hold back the liquid at first as quick oats get mushy fast. They are also slightly more processed and thus less nutritious than rolled oats.

    More Energy Balls

    • chocolate fudge truffles.
      Chocolate Fudge Truffles
    • Chocolate Protein Balls
      Vegan Bliss Balls
    • three cookie dough balls stacked on a table
      Edible Cookie Dough Bites (no bake)
    • chocolate chickpea clusters, one sliced open
      Chocolate Covered Chickpeas

    If you tried this no bake oatmeal protein balls recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!

    📖 Recipe

    a row of oatmeal protein balls.

    Peanut Butter Oatmeal Protein Balls (no bake)

    Created by Dee Dine
    These peanut butter oatmeal protein balls taste like oatmeal cookies, are nutrient dense and are ready in minutes. I use 5 simple ingredients, including peanut butter and even chickpeas to boost protein. No dates, protein powder or refined sugar. A healthy no bake snack.
    5 from 20 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe SaveSaved! Rate Recipe
    Prep Time 15 minutes mins
    Cook Time 30 minutes mins
    Total Time 40 minutes mins
    Course Snack
    Cuisine American
    Servings 12
    Calories 113 kcal

    Equipment

    • 1 Bowl
    • 1 Cookie sheet
    • parchment paper

    Ingredients
     
     

    Chickpea protein ball

    • ¾ cup (60g) rolled oats
    • ¼ cup (41g) chickpeas
    • ¼ cup (59ml) peanut butter
    • ¼ cup (59ml) maple syrup
    • ¼ cup (24g) almond flour
    • ¼-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon optional**
    • pinch of salt
    • water as needed

    Optional Mix-ins

    • 1 tablespoon chia seeds
    • 1 tablespoon flax seeds
    • 1 tablespoon mini chocolate chips
    • 2 tablespoon raisins
    • 2 tablespoon crushed nuts

    Optional Coatings

    • mini chocolate chips, cocoa powder, cookie crumbs, cinnamon, beetroot powder
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    👉Want to Save This Recipe?

    Enter your email below and we'll send the recipe straight to your inbox.

    Instructions
     

    Prep

    • Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

    Measure ingredients

    • Measure out oats and add them to a blender or food processor.
      ¾ cup (60g) rolled oats
    • Open a can of chickpeas, pour off liquid (aquafaba) into ice cube trays and freeze, then rinse the chickpeas, measure and refrigerate the left over beans for two days.
      Pat dry the measured beans with paper towels. Add them to the oats.
      ¼ cup (41g) chickpeas
    • Stir up peanut butter in the jar if the oils have separated, and then measure. Microwave jar for just 10 seconds to help with stirring. Add the measured amount of peanut butter to the oats and chickpeas.
      ¼ cup (59ml) peanut butter
    • Measure out the maple syrup from the bottle and add that.
      ¼ cup (59ml) maple syrup
    • Measure out the almond flour by fluffing the flour in the bag with a fork, then spooning into a tablespoon measuring spoon twice, adding each spoonful of flour to the mixture.
      ¼ cup (24g) almond flour, pinch of salt

    Mix dough

    • If using a food processor, run it, if using a spoon, stir until all ingredients are combined.
    • Taste-test. Taste the batter and add more maple syrup if you need a sweeter flavor. Add a few tablespoons of water if the texture needs to be wetter to be rolled. Or add more flour if the texture is too wet. If the bean flavor is too strong, mix in up to 1 teaspoon of cinnamon to hide it.
      water as needed
    • If adding mix-ins, add them now, and use a spoon or spatula to fold them in uniformly.
      1 tablespoon chia seeds, 1 tablespoon mini chocolate chips, 2 tablespoon raisins, ¼-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 2 tablespoon crushed nuts, 1 tablespoon flax seeds
    • Using a 1 tablespoon measuring spoon or scoop, scoop and roll into balls with your hands.
    • If rolling a coating, do that now. Enjoy now, or store in the refrigerator.
      mini chocolate chips, cocoa powder, cookie crumbs, cinnamon, beetroot powder

    How to Store Energy Balls

    • Line the balls up in a storage container and refrigerate for two weeks, or freeze for up to a month.

    Video

    Notes

    1.The recipe creates 12 peanut butter oatmeal balls and can easily be doubled or tripled.
    2. During your taste test, if you feel the bean flavor is too prominent, add up to 1 teaspoon of cinnamon to disguise it.
    3. Be sure your peanut butter or nut butter is runny, otherwise your batter may turn out too dry.
    4. You can roll the balls by portioning with a number 40 or small cookie/ice cream scoop, or a simple tablespoon. Before you roll the balls, wet your hands.
    Mix in the following ingredients to increase nutrition and flavor:
    • Chia Seeds & Flax Seeds. Increases protein and fiber.
    • Chocolate chips. More chocolate is always a good thing.
    • Raisins. Increase the sweet flavor while adding fiber.
    • Cinnamon. Add to offset the flavor of beans.
    • Nuts. Add to increase protein and add crunch.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 113kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 4gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 23mgPotassium: 107mgFiber: 2gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 1IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 20mgIron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    More High Protein Snacks

    • baked banana oatmeal cookies.
      Banana Oatmeal Cookies with Chocolate Chips (3 Ingredients)
    • snickerdoodles ice cream bars.
      Snickerdoodle Ice Cream Bars (dairy free, no churn)
    • dairy free pistachio ice cream with dubai toppings.
      Healthy Pistachio Ice Cream (no churn, dairy free)
    • cookie dough smoothie.
      Cookie Dough Smoothie (no banana, dairy-free)

    Comments

    1. Merrilee says

      October 10, 2023 at 9:15 pm

      5 stars
      I made an earlier comment that I thought these were too sweet, for my liking. Once I let them thorougly chill, they tasted awesome, and were not too sweet! Great recipe! Thanks!

      Reply
      • Dee Dine says

        October 10, 2023 at 9:46 pm

        That's so nice you returned to update. Thanks Merrilee!

        Reply
    2. Merrilee says

      October 10, 2023 at 12:28 pm

      5 stars
      Next time I make these, I'll definitly cut back on the maple syrup, as they too sweet, for my liking. Definitely a keeper recipe, however! Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
      • Dee Dine says

        October 10, 2023 at 2:03 pm

        Thanks for the rating Merrilee! Glad you liked it and can customize the sweetness level to your liking.

        Reply
    3. Kelsie says

      May 01, 2022 at 6:43 pm

      5 stars
      Yum! These are delish! I made a few changes though - particularly because the chickpea flavour was strong. I added 1 tsp cinnamon as per your suggestion in tips, I used half cashew butter half almond butter and reduced the maple syrup to 1 tablespoon. Yum! I like that using the chickpeas is healthy and also higher in protein without using protein powder!

      Reply
      • Dee Dine says

        May 02, 2022 at 3:05 pm

        Awesome! Thank you for sharing!

        Reply
    4. dawn says

      February 05, 2021 at 6:19 pm

      is the nutrition info per serving?

      Reply
      • Dee Dine says

        February 07, 2021 at 10:47 pm

        Yes, but the nutrition information is for the oat bliss ball only. The chickpea recipe has similar nutrition although higher protein. The fat will vary depending on the nut butter you use.

        Reply
    5. Keyden says

      December 20, 2020 at 10:20 pm

      5 stars
      These chickpea BLISS balls are truly DEEvine. My grandchildren especially love them! Australian grandma says Thank you for sharing!

      Reply
      • Dee says

        December 20, 2020 at 10:27 pm

        Glad you love them!

        Reply
    6. Stacey says

      April 11, 2020 at 2:31 am

      I love these. I’m onto my second batch with oats. Thanks for sharing!
      Stacey😊

      Reply
      • Dee Dine says

        April 11, 2020 at 9:07 am

        Thanks for telling me Stacey! Dee

        Reply
    7. Nadia says

      November 01, 2017 at 7:30 pm

      5 stars
      Both recipes sound delicious Dee! I love bliss balls made with chickpeas 😀 Great that you provided options without dates for people who don't like them.

      Reply
      • Dee says

        November 01, 2017 at 11:05 pm

        Nadia! I'm so glad you love bliss balls with chickpeas too!

        Reply
    8. Ela says

      April 02, 2017 at 2:36 pm

      5 stars
      Dee! You are a genius! I never ever thought about using chickpeas in my bliss balls, definitely going to try this soon. Thanks for sharing your wonderful recipes 🙂

      Reply
      • Dee says

        April 04, 2017 at 3:27 pm

        Ela, thank you! Yes, I was so excited these ingredients worked so well. Dee xx.

        Reply
    9. Nisha says

      March 18, 2017 at 3:56 pm

      5 stars
      These are right up my alley! They look so delicious and make the perfect snack!

      Reply
      • Dee says

        March 19, 2017 at 3:38 pm

        Hi Nisha, thank you so much! Dee xx.

        Reply
    10. Izzy says

      March 12, 2017 at 8:27 am

      5 stars
      These look so good - I cant wait to try them!
      Izzy

      Reply
      • Dee says

        March 13, 2017 at 4:07 pm

        Thank you Izzy, I hope you do! Dee xx.

        Reply
    5 from 20 votes (8 ratings without comment)

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    rows of chickpea protein balls on a white board
    dee dine

    My name is Dee Dine and I’m a two-time cookbook author and certified nutritionist. Here you’ll find clean healthy recipes made with few ingredients, dairy free, & gluten free. About Dee →

    Clean Simple Recipes

    • coffee syrup in a bottle.
      How to Make Coffee Syrup (Coffee Concentrate)
    • samoa ice cream.
      Samoa Caramel Ice Cream (no churn, dairy free)
    • baked banana oatmeal cookies.
      Banana Oatmeal Cookies with Chocolate Chips (3 Ingredients)
    • chocolate cookie granola in a jar.
      Double Chocolate Cookie Granola (Purely Elizabeth copycat)

    No Bake Desserts

    • chocolate coated hearts with others behind it
      Marzipan Chocolates
    • vanilla date smoothie.
      Vanilla Date Smoothie (salted caramel milkshake)
    • twix cups on white board.
      Healthy Twix Cups
    • a row of oatmeal protein balls.
      How to Make Oatmeal Protein Balls (no bake)
    logos of publications that shared green smoothie gourmet content

    Footer

    rows of chickpea protein balls on a white board

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About the Author
    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility

    Connect

    • Newsletter
    • Cookbooks
    • Stress Relief Coloring Books
    • Stories

    Follow

    • Instagram
    • TikTok
    • Youtube
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest

    an amazon associate member

    Copyright © 2025

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.