Cookie dough protein balls are a fun and simple way to get in your daily dose of protein. Whether you’re looking to build muscle, lose weight, or simply want to increase the amount of protein you’re getting in your diet, making protein cookie dough balls are a perfectly delicious way to get the job done. In this post, I’ve offered several protein cookie dough ball recipes. Bear in mind that not all of my recipes include whey protein powder, but instead, may rely on nut butters or sunflower seed butter to get you the protein you need. Also, know that many of these recipes can be converted into vegan protein balls, but you’ll need to make a few alterations, like using vegan protein powder instead of regular, to make them truly vegan. Ready to learn more about this fun and easy snack? If so, then let’s get started.

Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love These Cookie Dough Protein Bites Recipes
- How to Make the Best Healthy Cookie Dough Protein Balls
- How to Eat & What to Eat With Cookie Dough Protein Bites
- Can You Freeze Cookie Dough Protein Balls?
- Cookie Dough Protein Balls: So Many Good Protein Ball Recipes!
- FAQs
Why You’ll Love These Cookie Dough Protein Bites Recipes
Cookie dough protein bites are an awesome way to get protein in, but I understand that many of you have differing health restrictions that may require you to include or forgo certain ingredients.
Because of that, I’ve tried to provide you with at least a few different tried-and-true edible cookie dough recipes that are protein packed and full of flavor. They’re also all no-bake cookie dough protein balls, so there’s no need to worry about firing up your oven.
Alright, enough of the chatter. Let’s dive into these delectable protein ball recipes now!
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Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Protein Balls (No Protein Powder)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup drippy almond butter
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 2 scoops collagen peptides
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup chopped dark chocolate or mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Combine your drippy almond butter with the almond flour and maple syrup in a large mixing bowl. Stir until smooth.
- To this, add your collagen peptide powder along with your vanilla extract, cinnamon (optional), and salt.
- Once mixed, gently fold in your chopped dark chocolate.
- Spoon 1-2 tablespoons of flour cookie dough mixture and form into balls using your hands. Place your cookie dough balls on a lined baking sheet and refrigerate until firm.
- Enjoy on its own or see our tips in this post for other ways to enjoy your protein packed cookie dough balls!
Notes
- These protein cookie dough bites will last 2 weeks in the fridge in an airtight container.
Keywords: no protein powder chocolate chip cookie dough protein balls
Cookie Dough Protein Balls With Oats
Ingredients
- 2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (fine ground in blender)
- 1/3 cup protein powder
- 1/2 cup drippy almond butter (or nut butter of choice)
- 4 Tablespoons maple syrup or honey
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/3 cup chopped dark chocolate or mini chocolate chips
How to Make This Recipe
- Start by blending your oat flour until it reaches a fine powdery consistency. Alternatively, you can use oat flour. Either or is fine!
- Place your ground oats into a bowl and add to it your protein powder.
- Stir your drippy almond butter well along with your maple syrup and add it to your protein powder and rolled oats mixture.
- Sprinkle in your cinnamon (optional) and milk (as needed). Combine all ingredients until the batter forms a dough-like consistency.
- Fold in 1/3 cup of chopped dark chocolate or miniature chocolate chips.
- Portion the dough into bite-sized balls using your hand and a tablespoon (or cookie dough scoop).
- Place the balls on a lined baking sheet to chill in the refrigerator until firm.
- Remove the dough balls and enjoy.
Note: These protein cookie dough bites will last 1 week in the fridge in an airtight container.
Cookie Dough Protein Balls No Nuts
Ingredients for This Recipe
- 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (fine ground in blender)
- 1/4 cup vegan vanilla protein powder (can also use “regular” or chocolate protein powder if you wish)
- 1/3 cup chia seeds (or an equal amount more blended oats)
- 1 cup creamy sunflower butter
- 1/3 cup + 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 tablespoons milk (traditional or dairy free)
- 1/2 cup chopped dark chocolate or mini chocolate chips
How to Make This Recipe
- Place your old-fashioned rolled roast in a blender and blend until the oats resemble a fine powder.
- In a bowl, combine your chia seeds, creamy sunflower butter, maple syrup, salt, vanilla, and milk together.
- Combine your wet mixture into your blended oats along with the vegan vanilla protein powder until well combined.
- Using a tablespoon or cookie scoop, form the cookie dough mixture into a ball and place on a prepared baking sheet.
- Place the baking sheet in the refrigerator until firm.
- Enjoy chilled.
Note: These will keep up to 10 days in the fridge in an airtight container.
Protein Cookie Dough No Peanut Butter
Ingredients for This Recipe
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons drippy almond butter
- 2 scoops vanilla or chocolate protein powder (can sub out for vegan, if desired)
- 1/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats (ground in blender)
- 1/4 cup maple syrup (use sugar-free variety for keto-friendly option)
- 1 Tbsp granular sweetener (use sugar-free variety for keto-friendly option)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 cup chopped dark chocolate or mini chocolate chips
How to Make This Recipe
- Start by blending your old-fashioned rolled oats in a blender until it resembles a fine powder. Alternatively, you can use oat flour, as these are simply oats that have already been ground.
- Combine your drippy almond butter with your maple syrup, granular sweetener, and ground oats until well combined.
- To this, add your vanilla extract and sea salt until your dough reaches the desired cookie dough consistency. If you find the dough too dry, try adding a tablespoon of milk at a time until it pulls together.
- Gently fold in your chopped dark chocolate or miniature chocolate chips.
- Note: Store the dough balls in the fridge for up to one week in an airtight container.
How to Make the Best Healthy Cookie Dough Protein Balls
Making the best healthy cookie dough protein balls isn’t hard. It really just depends on your flavor and dietary preferences when it comes to perfecting your protein balls.
In most cases, you’ll be able to pack the most protein into your no bake protein cookies by either adding a nut butter of your choice or using a protein powder.
When selecting either or, be sure to do so according to your preferences. So, if you’re allergic to peanuts, you can freely use almond or cashew butter in its place with little to no issues.
You’ll also notice that the upcoming recipes don’t have any traditional wheat flour in them. Instead, they utilize oat flour or almond flour. This makes most recipes gluten-free (assuming you use gluten-free protein powders) and in some cases, you may even find the recipes to be keto-friendly.
If you don’t have any of these flour on hand it may be possible to use regular flour, but be careful. The consistency of your cookie dough may turn out a bit different, and you’ll also need to heat treat your flour to at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit to kill the germs and bacteria in it before using.

How to Eat & What to Eat With Cookie Dough Protein Bites
Aside from eating your cookie dough on its own, you can also do several other things with protein cookie dough balls. Consider the following:
- Sprinkle them over ice cream (such as my gf cookie dough ice cream)
- Break them apart and swirl them into your brownie or cake batter before baking.
- Eat them alongside your favorite party mix, like popcorn, pretzels, and M&Ms.
- Plant a few of them atop your pancakes with a bit of whipped cream and maple syrup.
- Place some over your cupcakes or cake icing as a topper.
Can You Freeze Cookie Dough Protein Balls?
Yes, in most cases you can totally freeze protein balls. That’s because the ingredients in them tend to freeze well anyway. Peanut butter, almond butter, and even protein powder are all freezable, but make sure you place your protein balls with these ingredients in the right container before doing so.
I recommend using freezer-safe airtight glass containers or using Ziploc freezer bags instead. This will keep your cookie dough bites fresh tasting and in good shape.
Freeze your cookie dough protein balls for up to 2 months for the freshest taste and best consistency.
Cookie Dough Protein Balls: So Many Good Protein Ball Recipes!
Making cookie dough protein bites is an easy way to amp up your protein intake. By using a few simple ingredients you can easily throw these together, and even keep them for up to 2 months if you freeze them. Also, don’t forget how easy it is to make substitutions for ingredients like nut butters or protein powders. Try sunflower seed butter if you’re going for no nuts or plant based protein powder if you’re on a vegan journey.
I hope this has helped! See you next time!
FAQs
What is the point of protein balls?
Protein balls make it easy to increase your intake of protein in a way that’s more fun than drinking protein shakes all the time. Protein can help increase muscle growth, help you lose weight, and is overall a necessity for proper health. Thus, many opt to take protein in various forms to help assist with their overall fitness goals.
When do you eat protein balls?
You can eat protein balls anytime you wish! However, for fitness purposes, try eating them at least 4 hours before a workout or approximately one hour after.
Are protein balls good for you?
Yes, protein balls can be good for you. Just know that as with anything, there is such a thing as getting too much protein. Protein supplements are great for working out, but if you have no real reason to consume more protein, you may consider making regular cookie dough bites instead!
Can I give protein balls to kids?
Protein balls can be given to kids but I don’t recommend giving them the kind that have protein powder in them. Instead, consider using a recipe that utilizes nut butter or sunflower butter to give them a healthy dose of protein without overwhelming their system.
Does sunflower butter have protein in it?
Yes, sunflower butter has protein in it, though at a slightly lesser amount than peanut butter and other nut butters. Still, it is a very viable option for those who want an extra dose of protein but cannot have nut butters.
What are cookie dough energy balls?
Energy balls typically have nut butter, seeds, fruit, and other goodies in them. In the case of cookie dough energy balls, you can expect chocolate chips and nut butter. They may not pack the same nutritional punch as typical energy balls, but boy, do they taste good!