5-Ingredient Vegan Protein Balls

Oats. The perfect slow-releasing energy carb. Old-fashioned rolled oats work best for this recipe (I used Bob's Red Mill organic quick-cooking rolled oats). I find them easier to chew and digest for no-bake recipes, and they also happen to be gluten-free!

Nut butter. Acts as a binding agent. I prefer to use peanut butter because it’s my all-time favourite. Any nut (or seed) butter will work, as long as it's natural (which means no added sugars or oils). Extra calories are a reason too, but nut butters with oils don’t incorporate as easily as drippy nut butter.

Protein powder. You have plenty of options here. Soya or pea protein, peanut protein powder, brown rice protein powder, quinoa protein, etc. I personally recommend Nuzest if you’re in the US as It has a clean ingredient list, which I’m a huge fan of, and it also adds some fun flavours, like vanilla. In the UK I usually go for MyVegan and I can also personally vouch for Free SOUL vegan protein blend as it’s uniquely formulated for women.

Agave or maple syrup. The glue that holds the protein balls together (and adds moisture to them). It brings just the right amount of sweetness to these energy bites, and pairs perfectly with the nut butter. Other sweeteners like rice syrup or coconut nectar are also accepted, but you might need to tweak the recipe since the consistency will be different.

Goodies, like nuts, seeds, cacao nibs, dried fruit, dark chocolate chips, chia seeds—or whatever you like. I use them as a crunchy addition to the protein ball mixture, and as a delicious topping at the end.