These low-calorie protein balls are moist, lightly sweet oatmeal bites with delicious vanilla and peanut butter flavors, and they’re only 80 calories each.
I love having healthy snacks to satisfy my sweet cravings, especially small, bite-size ones, while also I want to teach my kids not to eat much of rafined sugars.
My gluten-free protein bars are often too big for a snack, and my cookie dough protein balls are too high in calories for rest days.
These are my favorite protein ball flavors: pumpkin protein balls for fall, vegan protein balls, and coconut chocolate protein balls.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup Quick Oats
- 3 tablespoons Peanut Butter
- 6 tablespoons Unsweetened Almond Milk
- ¼ cup Maple Syrup
- ½ cup Vanilla Protein Powder
How to Make Low-Calorie Protein Balls
These protein balls are really easy to make. Here’s how:
- Mix Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, stir together the peanut butter, unsweetened almond milk, and maple syrup until well combined. It’s normal for the peanut butter to split into small pieces when it contacts the dairy-free milk. You can add up to one teaspoon of vanilla extract at this step, but I usually skip it because my protein powder already has a strong vanilla flavor.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: Stir in the protein powder and quick oats. If the batter is too dry and difficult to bring together, add a bit more almond milk. I like to use the same protein powder I use for my high-protein bagels made with Greek yogurt to keep the flavors consistent.
- Form Balls: Use a tablespoon of batter to roll into balls and place them in an airtight container.
- Store: Repeat until you have 12 protein balls. Close the container and store in the fridge for up to one week.
Low-Calorie Add-Ons
To keep the protein balls low in calories, limit add-ons to 1/4 cup and focus on low-fat ingredients. Avoid nuts or chocolate chips and try these instead:
- Freeze-dried fruits like strawberries or raspberries
- Dried apricots
- Dried raisins or cranberries
Tips to Decrease Calories in Protein Balls
- Cut Down the Nut Butter: Most protein ball recipes use 1/2 cup of peanut butter. While nut butter are healthy, they are high in fat and calories. I reduce the amount or use powdered peanut butter as a swap.
- Avoid Add-Ons: To keep energy balls low-calorie, I make a plain batch without adding chocolate chips or nuts since they can quickly increase the calorie count.
- Swap Chocolate for Dried Fruits: Instead of chocolate chips, I use dried apricots, raisins, or cranberries. They have fewer calories per serving.
- Use Sugar-Free Syrup: Although some sugar-free syrups are high in fiber and can make the protein balls crumbly, they do cut down on calories and sugar.
- Stay Away from Added Nuts and Seeds: While chia seeds, flax seeds, and nuts are packed with healthy fats and fiber, I avoid them when I want to lower the calorie content of my energy bites.