No-Bake Protein Powerballs You'll Make Weekly

These are the snack I make more than anything else. No oven, no complicated steps, and they hold up in the fridge for a week or in the freezer for three months. I bring them on road trips, pack them before workouts, and eat them when I need something real instead of reaching for a protein bar I don't enjoy.

They are filling, they travel well, and they take about ten minutes to put together before the fridge does the rest of the work.

What You Need

Makes 20 to 25 balls

• 1 cup old-fashioned oats

• 2/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

• 1/2 cup powdered peanut butter, prepared according to package directions [PLACEHOLDER: confirm exact water ratio before publishing, currently testing]

• 1/2 cup Lily's semisweet chocolate chips

• 1/3 cup honey

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 tablespoon chia seeds (optional)

A note on the powdered peanut butter: follow the package directions for mixing the powder with water before adding it to the bowl. You want it fully combined before it goes in, not dry powder mixed into the batch.

How to Make Them

1. Combine everything in a large mixing bowl and stir until all ingredients are fully incorporated. It takes a minute, keep going until nothing is sitting at the bottom of the bowl.

2. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for one to two hours. Do not skip this step. The chill time is what makes the mixture hold together when you roll it.

3. Roll into one-inch balls once the mixture is cold and firm.

4. Eat immediately or store. Refrigerate in a sealed container for up to one week, or freeze for up to three months.

A Few Notes

On the coconut. Use unsweetened shredded coconut. Sweetened coconut throws off the balance and these are already plenty satisfying without extra sugar.

On the chocolate chips. Lily's are sweetened with stevia, so you get the chocolate without the sugar spike. Regular semisweet chips work too if that's what you have, but Lily's is worth grabbing if you are already at the store.

On the chia seeds. Totally optional. I add them when I have them and skip them when I don't. They add a little fiber and help with the texture but the recipe works either way.

Why Powdered PB Instead of Regular

Regular peanut butter makes these wetter and harder to roll. Powdered peanut butter gives you the flavor and the protein without adding excess oil to the mixture, which means the balls hold their shape better and store more cleanly. It also keeps the calorie count lower if you are tracking.

Storage

Refrigerate in a sealed container for up to one week. Freeze for up to three months. Pull them straight from the freezer and let them sit for a few minutes before eating, or eat them cold. Both work.

Bringing these on a road trip? See the full list of what I pack in my road trip snack post.