4-Ingredient Peanut Butter Protein Balls

Name: 4-Ingredient Peanut Butter Protein Balls
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1/2 cup natural peanut butter; 1/2 cup oats; 1/2 cup nonfat dry milk powder; 3 tablespoons honey

BySally Kuzemchak, MS, RDN Published: April 26, 2023February 20, 2024 Updated onFebruary 20, 2024

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Inside: Get a simple recipe for 4 ingredient protein balls that are great in lunchboxes or as a quick snack or dessert.

A small blue bowl holds a pile of 4 ingredient protein balls on a white countertop. — 4 Ingredient Protein Balls, with or without chocolate chips.

The dilemma: Everyone wants something quick to grab and eat. You’d like that something to provide nutrition, especially for growing kids.

Around here, I solve this by having some kind of homemade snack bar or bite on hand, which can quickly pinch-hit for breakfast, a lunchbox treat, easy healthy snack, or even a satisfying two-bite dessert.

I’ve been making these no bake energy bites for a long time, usually as part of Sunday snack prep and meal prep for the week. I typically have all the simple ingredients in my pantry, and keeping a “little something” like this around tends to make my week a bit easier.

I think these no bake energy balls taste a bit like peanut butter cookie dough. They also remind me of the peanut butter Perfect Bar (but cost a lot less!). Here’s the easy recipe.

Ingredients needed for 4 ingredient protein balls sit on a white countertop: A bag of powdered milk, a jar of peanut butter, a jar of honey, and a canister of oats. — These are the four basic ingredients you need.

Ingredients in No-Bake Peanut Butter Balls

Peanut butter: I use creamy natural peanut butter, that’s made with only peanuts and salt. You can also use almond butter or cashew butter instead.
Oats: I like the chew of old-fashioned rolled oats, but you can use quick oats as well.
Powdered milk: Find this in the baking aisle. The kind at my store is nonfat. This gives added texture to the energy bites.
Honey: You can swap this for pure maple syrup if you prefer.

How To Make 4 Ingredient Protein Balls

Combine all ingredients in a medium mixing bowl and stir well. (You don’t need a food processor for this recipe!) If your mixture seems too dry to roll into balls, add a little bit of peanut butter, a drizzle at a time, until it’s the right consistency. If it’s too wet, add a tablespoon of oats at a time.

If the mixture is a little sticky when you’re rolling it, having slightly wet hands can make this easier.

The ingredients for protein balls in a glass mixing bowl sitting on a white countertop. — The powdered milk gives these protein bites added texture and nutrition.

If you’d like to add chocolate chips, stir in about 3 tablespoons of mini chocolate chips, which I think work best with these bites.

Ingredients for 4 ingredient protein balls, plus chocolate chips, in a medium glass mixing bowl. — Mini chocolate chips are a great addition.

I like to use a cookie scoop to make uniform snack bites. Scoop the right amount, then use your hands to roll them into balls. You can put them place on a baking sheet as you’re making them or straight into a sealed container. I get about 12 snack bites with one recipe, 24 with a double batch.

Overhead shot of 4 ingredient protein balls on a silver baking tray. — These protein bites make easy snacks or two-bite desserts.

What is powdered milk?

Powdered milk (aka dry milk powder) is made by evaporating the liquid from milk and turning it into a powder. I keep it in my pantry to make Homemade Hot Cocoa Mix. You can also add it to recipes to give some extra calcium and protein, such as:

Smoothies
Pancakes
Muffins
Oatmeal

What can I use besides powdered milk?

If you don’t have powdered milk, you can also use protein powder (such as vanilla protein powder) or peanut powder (such as PB2) instead.

Protein balls on a silver baking tray on a white countertop. — These snack bites have about 4 grams of protein per ball.

Can I use maple syrup instead of honey?

Yes, just swap the sweeteners one-for-one.

How do I make these vegan?

To make these peanut butter energy balls vegan, swap out the powdered milk for peanut powder or a plant-based protein powder, sweeten them with maple syrup instead of honey, and use dairy-free chocolate chips if adding chocolate.

How much protein do these bites have?

Each of these 4-ingredient protein balls contains about four grams of protein. Need other ideas for protein-rich snacks? See my list of 35 Protein Snacks.

A small bowl holds protein balls with and without chocolate chips. — You can keep these at room temperature or in the fridge.

How do I store these 4 ingredient protein balls?

Keep these protein balls in an airtight container. You can keep them at room temperature, but I think they taste best kept in the refrigerator. They’re best eaten within a week or so.

Other ideas for swaps & substitutions

Swap a tablespoon of the powdered milk for chia seeds, ground flax seed, or hemp seeds for extra healthy fats.
Use sunflower seed butter instead of peanut butter to make these nut-free and peanut-free (check labels on all other ingredients to be safe)
Swap chocolate protein powder for the powdered milk to make chocolate energy bites
Trade mini chocolate chips for white chocolate chips