Christmas Protein Balls
These Christmas protein balls taste like a vanilla peppermint cookie, but they’re made with protein powder, almond butter and coconut flour, with no oven needed. If you want a festive treat that won’t leave you crashing an hour later, this is the one to keep in the fridge all December.
Ten minutes and one food processor is all it takes. Everything goes in at once, the peppermint candies break into tiny pink and red flecks, and the dough smells like a candy cane when you lift the lid. Then you scoop, roll, and you’re done. Bonus: they’re gluten free and dairy free.
For more no-bake protein ball recipes, be sure to also try my Biscoff balls, mint chocolate chip protein balls, or chocolate chip cookie dough protein balls.
What You’ll Love About These Christmas Protein Balls
Peppermint Protein Balls Ingredients
You’ll need the following ingredients to make this Vanilla Peppermint Protein Balls:
Ingredient Notes
Vanilla Protein Powder: I used Orgain vanilla protein powder. It’s plant based, so these stay dairy free. Want to lean into the holiday flavor? Clean Simple Eats White Chocolate Peppermint would be so good here, but it’s a whey protein, so the balls won’t be dairy free anymore.
Coconut Flour: It soaks up the honey and nut butter and turns the mix into a dough you can roll. Coconut flour is really thirsty, so don’t swap in almond flour or oat flour cup for cup. It takes a lot more of either.
Almond Butter: Smooth, natural almond butter with just almonds and salt works best. Peanut butter or cashew butter work too. The peanut butter version tastes a little less like peppermint and more like a cookie.
Honey: The recipe calls for 5 to 6 tablespoons, and it depends on your almond butter. Runny almond butter needs less honey. Maple syrup works the same way if you want them vegan.
Peppermint Candies and Extract: I use 6 round red-and-white peppermint candies. Crushed candy canes work too. Measure the peppermint extract carefully. A little goes a long way.
Holiday Protein Balls Variations
Make Them Sugar Free: Swap the honey for a sugar free syrup and use sugar free peppermint candies, or skip the candy and add a few more drops of extract. Check that your protein powder is sugar free, too.
White Chocolate Dipped: Melt ½ cup white chocolate chips with 1 teaspoon coconut oil in 30-second bursts. Dip the top of each ball and sprinkle with crushed peppermint before it sets.
Chocolate Peppermint: Use chocolate protein powder and add 1 tablespoon cocoa powder. My chocolate peanut butter protein balls are the same idea without the mint.
Roll Them in Coconut: Roll each ball in unsweetened shredded coconut so they look like little snowballs.
Add a Pinch of Sea Salt: A pinch of sea salt in the food processor makes the peppermint and vanilla taste sweeter.
How to Make Holiday Protein Balls
Here are quick visual instructions. Be sure to check out the full instructions with exact ingredients in the printable recipe card below.
Step 1: Add Everything: Put the coconut flour, protein powder, almond butter, honey, peppermint extract and peppermint candies in a food processor.
Step 2: Blend: Blend until the candies are in tiny pieces and the mix looks like damp crumbs that stick together when you pinch them.
Step 3: Roll: Scoop about 1 tablespoon at a time and roll it between your palms into a ball.
How to Fix Protein Balls That Are Too Dry or Too Sticky
Protein powders soak up liquid differently, so your dough might not match mine the first time. Give it a pinch test before you roll. It should hold together without sticking to your fingers.
Too dry and crumbly? Add the last tablespoon of honey, or a splash of almond milk, and pulse again. Too sticky? Add 1 tablespoon of coconut flour at a time, or chill the dough for 15 minutes so it firms up.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
Scoop with a tablespoon or a small cookie scoop. That way all 14 come out the same size, and the nutrition numbers stay right.
Taste the dough before rolling. Peppermint extract gets stronger as the balls sit, so add more only a drop at a time.
Wet your hands a little if the dough sticks to them. It rolls smoother and your palms stay clean.
Chill them for 30 minutes before you pack them up. Cold balls hold their shape in a container or gift tin.
What to Serve With Christmas Energy Balls
I like two of these with my morning coffee or a mug of healthy chai tea latte on a December afternoon. They’re also a good little snack before a workout.
For a holiday party, set them on a cookie plate with lighter treats so everyone has a choice. Add some clementines and a few cookies, and the plate looks full. A bowl of one of these easy Christmas dips in the middle gives everyone something to dunk. Want more ideas for the holiday season? Here are my favorite healthy holiday treats.
Frequently Asked Questions
They can be a really good snack. These have about 104 calories, 3 grams of protein and 2 grams of fiber each, with no refined flour. They do have honey and a little candy, so I think of them as a better-than-a-cookie snack, not a health food.
I stick to one or two. That’s about 100 to 200 calories, which makes a good snack. Two with coffee is my favorite way to eat them.
Yes! Swap the ½ cup coconut flour for quick oats or oat flour. Start with about 1 cup and add more until the dough holds together. Oats don’t soak up as much liquid as coconut flour, so start with 4 tablespoons of honey and add more only if the dough is dry.
If you roll a batch this holiday season, leave a comment and a star rating below. I’d love to know if you dipped yours in white chocolate!
More Healthy Christmas Treats
Vanilla Peppermint Protein Balls
Ingredients
For the protein balls
- 1/2 cup coconut flour
- 2 scoops vanilla protein powder I use Orgain
- 4 tablespoons smooth almond butter
- 5-6 tablespoons honey less if your almond butter is runny
- 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 6 peppermint candies
Instructions
- Add the ½ cup coconut flour, 2 scoops protein powder, 4 tablespoons almond butter, 5 tablespoons honey, ½ teaspoon peppermint extract and 6 peppermint candies to a food processor.
- Blend for 1 to 2 minutes, scraping down the sides once, until the candies are in tiny pieces and the mixture sticks together when pinched. If it’s still dry, add the last tablespoon of honey and blend again.
- Scoop about 1 tablespoon of dough and roll it into a ball between your palms. Repeat to make about 14 balls.
- Place them in an airtight container and chill for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional details for recipes are estimated using MyFitnessPal and can vary with different products, measurement accuracy, and source reliability. We aim to provide accurate information but cannot guarantee the precise accuracy of the nutritional data