When we are busy during the week with family life, work and other responsibilities, it can be easy to drop our healthy eating routine. And this is especially true when it comes to what you eat for snacks in between meals. It’s sometimes more convenient to grab prepackaged foods and the thought of baking or preparing snacks for the week can feel like one more chore you don’t want to do.
These protein balls are a vegan, zero-bake, quick and easy snack that you can whip up on a Sunday night while cooking dinner. They are perfect for an on-the-go treat that is nutritious and filling. Not only is this recipe quick and easy, but it also requires 1 bowl, zero baking and is packed full of protein and no nasty refined sugars.
Protein balls are 3-4 bites of nutrient-dense yumminess and can be created in almost any flavour. By simply adding a bit of cacao to your mix, you take it from a protein ball to protein truffle, which sounds a little more decadent to us.
Our base protein ball recipe simply requires five ingredients. Then you can add an array of extras to change the taste and texture to suit your palette.
Only 5 Ingredients
Let’s start with the five core ingredients to make the base of our protein balls.
Rolled Oats - The dry ingredient base is made up of rolled oats which are packed full of fibre, vitamins and minerals. Oats are a whole grain making them high in soluble fibre which can reduce cholesterol and improve gut health by promoting the growth of good bacteria. It is also rich in antioxidants including avenanthramides which can help lower blood pressure and is great for heart health.
Peanut Butter - Any nut butter works in the recipe, we used a sugar-free natural smooth peanut butter as we found the oats gave it a lovely texture, we didn’t need any more crunch. Feel free to substitute with your favourite nut butter such as almond butter, cashew butter or even WowButter which is a nut-free, soy-based spread that tastes surprisingly like peanut butter.
Maple Syrup - The maple syrup gives the protein balls their sweetness and helps to bind the ingredients together. You can also substitute with honey, rice malt syrup, agave syrup or golden syrup. Play around with the flavours and see which one you prefer as they all alter the sweetness and taste a little.
Hemp Protein Powder - Hemp is a complete protein, meaning it contains all 9 essential amino acids that we must get from the food we eat, which you won't find in any other plant-based protein powder. Our Hemp Protein Powder has a lovely earthy, nutty taste to it and works well with the peanut butter with the added sweetness of the maple syrup.
Hemp Seeds - Adding hemp seeds to the mixture gives it an extra protein boost and also changes the texture a little. Hemp hearts are crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside and they pair well with the chewiness of the oats. Hemp Hearts also contain more Omega 3 and Omega 6 than flaxseed or chia seeds, which are traditionally used in protein ball recipes.
Added Extras
Once you have the base of your protein balls you can add little extras in and adjust according to your preferences.
Coconut - Desiccated coconut or toasted coconut is a perfect addition and will add a bit of a chewy texture to the protein balls.
Cacao Powder - Adding cacao powder in will give you a yummy chocolate truffle taste and make them a great sweet after-dinner snack that tastes like a treat but is actually good for you.
Chocolate Chips - Vegan Sweet William Baking Chips can be melted and drizzled over the top of the protein balls or added to the mixture for a little bit of extra chocolate yumminess. They are completely vegan and nut-free as well.
When adding a little coconut, cacao powder or chocolate chips, you may need to add a little more peanut butter and maple syrup if you find the mixture is a little dry.
Grab a clean bowl and a tray lined with baking paper and let's get started.
Ingredients
- 1 cup Peanut Butter
- ¼ cup Maple Syrup
- ½ cup Rolled Oats
- ¼ cup Hemp Hearts
- ½ cup Hemp Protein Powder
Optional extras
- 1 tablespoon Cacao Powder
- ¼ cup Desiccated Coconut
- ¼ cup Chocolate Chips (roughly chopped)
Steps
STEP 1: In a clean bowl, combine peanut butter and maple syrup.
STEP 2: Once wet ingredients are thoroughly mixed, add in all the dry ingredients, including your extras like chocolate chips.
STEP 3: Use wet hands and roll a spoonful of mixture into balls, and roll into the extra coconut.
STEP 4: Refrigerate for around an hour.
STEP 5: Enjoy!
These protein balls will keep for up to a week in the fridge. We suggest popping them in a container and putting them in the freezer. They will keep for up to 3 months when frozen and you can take one or two out the night before and defrost them in the fridge.
An Indulgent Tip
If you pop your protein in the microwave for 5-10 second bursts until it warms slightly, it will soften the chocolate and maple syrup and will feel more like a dessert. It is absolutely perfect when you need something sweet after a meal.
Our protein ball recipe is 100% vegan and can be made gluten-free and nut-free with a few small ingredient changes that won't alter the taste or texture of the finished products. By incorporating our Hemp Protein Powder and Hemp Heeds, you will get the added essential amino acids and vitamins that you can’t get from other plant-based protein sources.
AT Hemp has a large range of hemp products made in Australia and all our hemp is 100% organic and grown in Tasmania. We offer fast delivery Australia-wide and you can find the answer to some of our frequently asked hemp questions and shop our range of hemp food products.
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