Lemon Protein Balls (No-Bake!)
Soft, citrusy, and so versatile! These Lemon Protein Balls are the perfect healthy snack! They’re gluten-free, vegan, and no-bake! Such a refreshing little treat to have on hand!
Easy Lemon Protein Balls Recipe
Similar to my No-Bake Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Bars, You only need 6 main ingredients to make these lemon protein balls! Well, technically 4 because lemon juice and lemon zest both come from 1 lemon and does water count as an ingredient? But, I digress. The point is, these protein balls are so easy to make! Oh, and if you love lemon as much as I do, definitely check out my Vegan Lemon Cookies and Lemon Baked Oatmeal!
Protein Ball Recipe Without Nut-Butter!
This recipe is 100% nut free. You don’t even need a seed butter either! We only use honey and water to help hold these protein balls together. No peanut butter or almond butter necessary. Perfect for all my nut allergy friends!
How to Make Vegan Gluten-Free Lemon Protein Balls
These protein balls are both vegan and gluten-free! Just like all of my overnight oat recipes, we use vanilla plant-based protein powder. Oat flour is another base ingredient that’s gluten-free! Learn more about the benefits of oat flour here! You simply add all the ingredients to a medium sized bowl, mix it up, and BAM! You have your healthy snacks ready to go! No more grabbing for that chip bag or cookie… these will be your new go-to!
Ingredients for Lemon Protein Bites
Here are the other simple ingredients you’ll need:
- Vanilla Protein Powder (I use Plant-Based)
- Oat Flour (I make my own in 3 steps!)
- Honey or Pure Maple Syrup
- Lemon Juice & Lemon Zest- Packed with vitamins
- Water
- Mix-ins of choice! (See a list of yummy options below)
Full measurements are listed in the recipe below.
Fun Lemon Protein Ball Add-Ins
You can totally jazz up these lemon protein balls by adding some of these optional ingredients:
- Poppy seeds– Rich in folate, thiamin, and essential minerals. Read more.
- Shredded Unsweetened Coconut or Coconut Flakes– I also love this on my pancakes!
- Dairy-Free Chocolate Chips– My favorite affordable brand!
- Lavender– Contains antioxidants and may improve sleep. Read more.
- Chia Seeds– High in Fiber and Omega 3’s. Read more about the benefits of chia seeds.
- Blueberries– Antioxidant powerhouse.
More Healthy No Bake Snack Ideas:
I cannot wait for you to give this Lemon Protein Ball Recipe a try! Please snap a picture and share it with me! Seeing your kitchen creations makes my day and encourages me to keep creating new recipes for you!
Happy Protein Ballin’!
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Lemon Protein Balls (No-Bake!)
Instructions
- 1. In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients together until a dough forms (see notes below for tips).
- 2. Scoop out about 2 tsp of dough and roll between palms to form protein balls. Makes about 38 protein balls.
- 3. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or in the freezer for up to 3 months (protein balls do get hard in freezer, so leave them out to thaw for a few minutes before enjoying).
Notes
- Protein Powder: All protein powders absorb different amounts of moisture. Dough Consistency: If your protein ball dough is too dry, add a little more water. If it’s too wet, add a little more oat flour until you have desired consistency to roll into protein balls. I love using Clean Simple Eats Simple Vanilla protein powder (code "CLAIRE" for discount). My favorite plant-based protein powder is Garden of Life.
- Sweetness: Every protein powder is different in flavor and sweetness too so adjust the honey or maple syrup to fit your taste.
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20 Comments
Devika
I tried to make these and 2+1/4 cups is WAY too much flour so I had to dump everything out! I halved the flour and it was a MUCH better consistency.
Claire
Hi Devika! Awh I’m so sorry you had to dump out your first batch 🙁 So glad you tried it again and it worked! Protein powder is tricky to work with sometimes because every protein powder is so different and absorbs different amounts of liquid. What brand of protein powder did you use?
Glad you enjoyed them in the end 🙂
jasminsaharala
Very nice and yummy. I have made twelve balls. I will try other taste of protein balls.
Claire
I am so glad you enjoyed them! 🙂
Amanda
I had to dump this whole recipe out. Unfortunately that oat flour makes them too gritty and chalky. I’m used to a protein ball that’s more creamy. The lemon flavor was wonderful it was just the texture that did not go well.
Claire
Hi Amanda! So sorry these didn’t turn out well for you. How did you grind your oats? If the oat flour isn’t finely ground it could cause the texture to be less smooth. Also, what protein powder did you end up using? This also plays a large part in the texture and flavor of the bites. I hope you try another recipe of mine in the future! This one is tricky with the varying ingredients if you don’t use exactly what the recipe calls for. So sorry about that!
Magalie
Meh. Don’t waste ingredients on this. I’ve put half the flour and it was still too dry. Had to improvise and it’s not really good. Really wanted to like it.
Angie
The lemon flavor was delicious like a lemon bar. However, the balls were sticky and flattened a little. I will try again, love lemon dessert! Thanks
Claire
So glad you loved the flavor! Yes, depending on your protein powder you may need more or less oat flour. So just try adding more oat flour next time 🙂
Christine Pedersen
Recipe says one scoop. I have 2 types of protein powders with 2 different sizes of scoops. What is the actual measurement in tablespoons?
Recipe sounds great!
Thanks
Claire
Great question Angie! I use Clean Simple Eats protein powder and that scoop is 33grams or 3.5-4 Tbs. I hope that helps!
Sonya
I made these last night for my family and they are SO GOOD. Both my husband and my kids loved them. I will definitely be making these again.
Thank you!
Erica Bynoe
I am allergic to oatmeal, what other gf flour can I substitute?
Claire
Sorry to hear that! You can try using blanched almond flour 🙂 Let me know how they turn out! I would use a little less almond flour and keep adding a little more at a time until you get the desired texture.
Princess
How many protein balls equals one serving?
Claire
Hi! It’s 42 calories for protein ball 🙂 And the rest of the macros are at the bottom of the recipe. I hope you make them. Let me know what you think!
Μaro
Hi, thank you very much for this recipe. I just bought my first protein powder ever and I almost gave up on it as an ingredient cause of another recipe. Those are great and I think I will also make a variation of protein bars with similar ingredients.
Thanks a lot! 🙂
Claire
I’m so glad this recipe made you like your protein powder again! haha. It can be tricky to find a protein you like. I always use clean simple eats 🙂 It’s truly the best!! You can use code “CLAIRE” for a discount if you want to try it too.
Cj
Wayyyy too much flour. Was a total pain to work with. I more than doubled the water and didn’t incorporate approx the last 1/4th cup oat flour. Thankfully I didn’t incorporate all the dry and wet at once. Don’t know why you didn’t include that very common and often crucial step of making cookie dough ( or any baking type recipe in general). I think you have some more work to do
Claire
Sorry this recipe gave you some trouble! In the recipe notes I make sure to address the fact that all protein powders are different and will absorb different amounts of liquid. For this reason it’s hard to make the perfect measurements for everyone based on the protein powder they use. I hope you try them again 🙂