Low-Carb Peanut Butter Protein Balls are delicious little sugar-free protein bites, designed for low-carb snacking. These easy keto treats require only three ingredients and are fun and easy to prepare.
Well, hello peanut butter bites of joy!
The concept behind these easy low-carb peanut butter protein balls is a mashup between my Ketogenic Fat Balls and my Keto Peanut Butter Buckeyes.
We’re aiming for an easy small snack or treat that’s jam packed with peanut butter goodness for a sweet treat with no added sugar.
And these quick and simple peanut butter protein balls are a bullseye!
Guaranteed to be one of those favorite healthy snacks for peanut butter lovers.
Speedy quick to prepare and just an explosion of peanut butter with a protein backer to kick up the nutrient quality, this healthier snack is just a dream for the taste buds.
Let’s discuss the ingredients for these homemade protein balls!
Ingredients for Peanut Butter Energy Balls:
Peanut Butter: The star of the show here! Use unsweetened creamy peanut butter for a mouth-watering delicious protein ball. I go with natural peanut butter that is well stirred before using.
If you prefer almond butter, sunflower seed butter, or cashew butter, you can easily make the switch.
Protein Powder: In order to give these energy balls a kick of healthy protein, we must add some protein powder.
Use sugar-free protein powder to keep it low-carb, and bear in mind any added flavors in the protein powder as the flavor will shine through.
I use unflavored unsweetened goat whey protein powder, but you can use the protein powder you regularly use and love. Vanilla protein powder goes great with these balls, and hemp protein powder is an excellent dairy-free plant-based option!
The addition of protein powder is also crucial for getting the right texture, as it absorbs some of the stickiness and liquid from the peanut butter to make the balls easy to form.
Sugar-Free Confectioners Sweetener: In order to sweeten the peanut butter protein balls while keeping them low carb and sugar free, we use sugar-free confectioners sweetener.
Use your favorite brand of sugar free powdered sugar for an energy bite recipe that won’t spike blood sugar. Lakanto Confectioners Monk Fruit Sweetener is my top pick.
The reason the recipe calls for a powdered sweetener versus a standard granulated sweetener is powdered sweetener will easily dissolve into the bites, whereas a granulated sweetener gives the balls a grainy texture instead of a smooth texture.
Vanilla Extract: Adding depth of flavor and warmth to the peanut butter balls, a little vanilla extract adds something special. If you don’t have it on hand, you can skip it.
Sea Salt: A pinch of salt brings out the delicious peanut butter flavor in this tasty snack and levels up the experience.
Optional Additions:
This simple 5-ingredient recipe can be customized by adding more pantry ingredients. If you want to infuse this protein ball recipe with additional goodies, consider adding chia seeds or flax seed for healthy fats, mini chocolate chips, or cocoa powder for chocolate peanut butter protein balls.
Optional Chocolate Drizzle or Dip:
As an option, you can melt sugar-free chocolate chips and coconut oil (or butter) for a silky smooth delicious chocolate addition to the balls.
If you love the combination of peanut butter and chocolate, I highly recommend the simple chocolate drizzle and use it for dipping or drizzling on the balls.
The chocolate will dry as it cools and will create a lovely little coating. Use dark chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips or even sugar-free butterscotch chips.
If you have flaky sea salt or coarse sea salt, you can also sprinkle it on the chocolate if you’d like.
Now that we’ve covered the nutrient dense ingredients, let’s whip up a batch of these peanut butter bliss balls!
How to Make Keto No Bake Peanut Butter Protein Balls:
Add all of the ingredients for the peanut butter balls to a food processor. Process until completely smooth and a thick dough forms.
Note: you may need to stop your food processor a couple of times to scrape the sides to help it along.
If you don’t own a food processor, you can use a large bowl or medium bowl to make these balls. The mixing process will require some elbow grease, but you can always add a little bit of almond milk to help mix the ingredients if need be.
Refrigerate the peanut butter mixture for 15 minutes before rolling into balls. Note: depending on the consistency of your ball mixture, you may need to refrigerate (or freeze) for longer. Results will vary depending on how oily your peanut butter is and how absorbent your protein powder is.
If desired, make the chocolate drizzle by transferring the chocolate chips and coconut oil (or butter) to a small bowl and microwave for 20 second intervals, stirring well in between, until melted, about 60 seconds total.
Drizzle or dip the balls in chocolate and either serve immediately or transfer to a plate and refrigerate until the chocolate has set up.
Store the peanut butter protein bites in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. You can also freeze the energy bites by storing them in a zip lock bag in the freezer.
That’s it! A fun and delicious low-carb peanut butter protein balls recipe that you’ll want to put on repeat!
Nutrition Facts:
When making 16 balls, each ball contains 110 calories, 8 grams of fat, 3 net carbs, and 6 grams of protein. Note that these numbers may vary depending on the type of protein powder you use and the type of sweetener.
If you love low-carb sweet treats, also check out these delicious reader favorites!
More Keto Treat Recipes:
- Keto Chocolate Chip Cookies with Coconut Flour
- 5-Ingredient Low-Carb Cherry Pie Bars
- Keto Lemon Bars
- Low-Carb Carrot Cake Muffins
- Keto Blueberry Crumb Bars
Enjoy these delicious peanut butter energy bites!
Low-Carb Peanut Butter Protein Balls
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsweetened creamy peanut butter
- 3/4 cup protein powder*
- 1/2 cup sugar-free powdered sugar
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp sea salt to taste
Chocolate Drizzle/Dip:
- ⅓ cup sugar-free chocolate chips
- 2 tsp coconut oil or butter
- Flaky sea salt for sprinkling optional
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients for the peanut butter balls to a food processor.
- Process until completely smooth and a thick dough forms. Note: you may need to stop your food processor a couple of times to scrape the sides to help it along.
- If you don't own a food processor, you can use a large bowl or medium bowl to make these balls. The mixing process will require some elbow grease, but you can always add a little bit of almond milk to help mix the ingredients if need be.
- Refrigerate the peanut butter mixture for 15 minutes before rolling into balls. Note: depending on the consistency of your ball mixture, you may need to refrigerate (or freeze) for longer. Results will vary depending on how oily your peanut butter is and how absorbent your protein powder is.
- If desired, make the chocolate drizzle by transferring the chocolate chips and coconut oil (or butter) to a small bowl and microwave for 20 second intervals, stirring well in between, until melted, about 60 seconds total.
- Drizzle or dip the balls in chocolate and sprinkle the wet chocolate with flaky sea salt if you'd like. Either serve immediately or transfer to a plate or parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate until the chocolate has set up.
Love these because I had all the ingredients and they are delicious. Will make them again. But, next time I doubt I’d use the food processor because the peanut butter gets locked into all the crevices and took FOREVER to clean. Instead, why not just use a mixer with beaters?
Can I use vitamin b12 berry flavor as the sugar free additive as well as spirolina or regular cereal that I know the kudos (kiddos) are not allergic to
Without having tried any of those myself, I can’t guarantee how the result will turn out. I would think the berry flavor would go well with the peanut butter, although I would use only a small amount of spirulina, as it has a pretty powerful flavor. I would think adding cereal would work although you may just want to stir it in after processing the base for the balls versus blending it. Let me know how they turn out!