Made with cottage cheese, peanut butter, and chocolate chips, these no-bake protein balls are an easy, portionable snack when you want something sweet with a little extra protein.
Unlike many Protein Cookie Dough Balls, this version uses cottage cheese, almond flour, vanilla protein powder, and peanut butter for the base. They’re easy to prepare ahead for snacks throughout the week. For another homemade protein snack, try these Keto Protein Bars with berries, coconut, and a rich chocolate coating.
Quick Look: Cookie Dough Protein Balls
- ⏱️ Prep Time: 15 minutes
- ❄️ Resting Time: 30 minutes
- ⏲️ Total Time: 45 minutes
- 🥗 Nutrition at a glance: Each ball provides approximately 4.1 grams of protein. Pair a serving with fruit or another protein-rich food for a more substantial snack.
- 🍪 Yield: 45 protein balls
- 🥣 Base: Cottage cheese and almond flour
- 💪 Protein: Vanilla protein powder and peanut butter
- 🍁 Sweetener: Maple syrup
- 🍫 Chocolate: Mini chocolate chips
- ❄️ Method: No-bake and chilled
- ✨ Texture: Soft and doughy
- 🍫 Optional Finish: Chocolate coating, peanut butter drizzle, and sea salt
- ⭐ Difficulty: Easy
- Why This Recipe Works: These have a soft cookie dough center with peanut butter, vanilla, and mini chocolate chips. They’re no-bake and can be served plain or finished with a chocolate shell and peanut butter drizzle. Homemade Crunch Bars are another easy make-ahead snack.
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Ingredients
- Low-fat cottage cheese – 16 oz (454 g). Blended cottage cheese gives the cookie dough its creamy consistency. Blend it completely smooth in a high-speed blender or food processor to avoid lumps in the dough.
- Sugar-free maple syrup – ½ cup. Helps keep the dough soft enough to roll without making it too loose.
- Pure vanilla extract – 1 teaspoon. Vanilla gives these protein balls the classic cookie dough flavor that works well with the peanut butter and chocolate chips.
- Almond flour – 2 ⅔ cups. Its fine texture works well for the soft cookie dough and helps the balls hold their shape.
- Isolate vanilla protein powder – ½ cup. Vanilla complements the peanut butter and chocolate chips and gives the mixture more of a chocolate chip cookie dough flavor.
- Ground cinnamon – a dash. A small amount gives the cookie dough a subtle hint of spice.
- Creamy peanut butter – ⅓ cup. Choose a smooth, creamy peanut butter that mixes easily into the dough.
- Mini chocolate chips – 1 cup. Mini chips distribute more evenly throughout the small protein balls than regular-size chocolate chips. If you have leftover mini chocolate chips, use them in my no-bake Pumpkin Cookies.
- Chocolate chips – 1 ½ cups or more, optional. Melt them for the outer chocolate shell. Semisweet, dark, milk, or sugar-free chocolate chips can be used.
- Raw coconut oil – 1 ½ teaspoons. Coconut oil thins the melted chocolate and makes the protein balls easier to dip and coat.
- Creamy peanut butter – ¼ cup, melted, optional. Use a smooth peanut butter that melts easily for drizzling.
- Sea salt flakes – to taste, optional. Sprinkle them on before the chocolate and peanut butter drizzle have completely set.
Are protein balls good for weight loss? Protein balls can fit into a balanced eating plan, but portion size matters. These cookie dough protein balls combine cottage cheese and peanut butter with chocolate chips, making them a convenient sweet snack. For readers watching calorie intake, use the nutrition information in the recipe card to choose an appropriate serving.
How to Make Cookie Dough Protein Balls
- Blend the cottage cheese mixture: Add the cottage cheese, maple syrup, and vanilla to a food processor or high-speed blender. Blend until smooth and creamy. PIC. 1
- Make the cookie dough: Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Add the almond flour, protein powder, cinnamon, and peanut butter. Mix until combined. PIC. 2
- Add the chocolate chips: Fold the mini chocolate chips through the cookie dough until evenly distributed. PIC. 3
- Shape and freeze: Scoop and roll the dough into balls. Place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze for 20–30 minutes, or until firm. PIC. 4
- Add the optional chocolate coating: For chocolate-coated protein balls, melt the chocolate chips and coconut oil in 30-second intervals, stirring until smooth. Dip the chilled balls into the melted chocolate, shake off the excess, and refrigerate for about 5 minutes, or until set. PIC. 5
- Add optional toppings: If desired, drizzle with melted peanut butter and sprinkle with sea salt flakes. Refrigerate for another 5 minutes, or until set. PIC. 6
Frequently Asked Questions
No, the cottage cheese flavor isn’t noticeable once everything is mixed together. Peanut butter, vanilla, maple syrup, and chocolate chips give the protein balls their cookie dough flavor.
Almond butter or cashew butter work well in its place. For a nut-free option, use sunflower seed butter or tahini.
This recipe uses vanilla whey protein isolate, which blends easily with the other ingredients and complements the peanut butter and chocolate chips. Whey concentrate, casein, or plant-based protein powder can also work, though the texture and flavor may vary depending on the type you use.
Arrange them in a single layer or place parchment paper between layers. Keep them refrigerated, especially if you add the optional chocolate coating.
More Easy Homemade Snacks
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Cookie Dough Protein Balls
Equipment
- 2 Mixing bowls
- 1 Rubber Spatula
- 1 cookie scoop
- 1 baking sheet
- 1 freezer
- 1 Refrigerator
Ingredients
For the Cookie Dough Balls
- 16 oz low-fat cottage cheese – Substitute with Greek yogurt if you prefer.
- ½ cup sugar-free maple syrup – If you're not following a keto diet, regular maple syrup works well. You can also use honey.
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or try almond extract
- 2 ⅔ cups almond flour If you have a nut allergy – try oat flour instead
- ½ cup isolate vanilla protein powder – Any flavor of protein powder can be used.
- A dash of ground cinnamon. Alternatively, try allspice, cardamom, nutmeg, or cloves.
- ⅓ cup creamy peanut butter, preferably with no added sugar - You can also use almond butter, cashew butter, sunflower seed butter, or tahini.
- 1 cup mini chocolate chips – I used semisweet, but milk chocolate works too. For a keto option, use a keto-friendly or sugar-free variety.
For Dipping and Topping (Optional)
- 1.5 cups chocolate chips or more – for dipping (I used semisweet, but milk chocolate works too. For a keto option, use a keto-friendly or sugar-free variety.)
- 1 ½ teaspoon raw coconut oil
- ¼ cup creamy peanut butter – melted (for drizzling), preferably with no added sugar
- sea salt flakes
Instructions
- Blend the cottage cheese mixture: Add the cottage cheese, maple syrup, and vanilla to a food processor or high-speed blender. Blend until smooth and creamy.
- Make the cookie dough: Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Add the almond flour, protein powder, cinnamon, and peanut butter. Mix until combined.
- Add the chocolate chips: Fold the mini chocolate chips through the cookie dough until evenly distributed.
- Shape and freeze: Scoop and roll the dough into balls. Place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze for 20–30 minutes, or until firm.
- Add the optional chocolate coating: For chocolate-coated protein balls, melt the chocolate chips and coconut oil in 30-second intervals, stirring until smooth. Dip the chilled balls into the melted chocolate, shake off the excess, and refrigerate for about 5 minutes, or until set.
- Add optional toppings: If desired, drizzle with melted peanut butter and sprinkle with sea salt flakes. Refrigerate for another 5 minutes, or until set.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
- Enjoy the protein balls plain after chilling, or continue with the optional chocolate coating and toppings.
- Optional chocolate coating and toppings are not included in the nutritional values.
Storage and Make-Ahead
Fridge: Store protein balls in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Freezer: Freeze them in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 3 months. Make-ahead: Prepare a batch in advance and store it in the fridge or freezer until ready to serve.Nutrition
** Nutrition labels on easyanddelish.com are for educational purposes only. This info is provided as a courtesy and is only an estimate, since the nutrition content of recipes can vary based on ingredient brand or source, portion sizes, recipe changes/variations, and other factors. We suggest making your own calculations using your preferred calculator, based on which ingredients you use, or consulting with a registered dietitian to determine nutritional values more precisely.
Please note that health-focused and diet information provided on easyanddelish.com is for educational purposes and does not constitute medical advice, nor is it intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. Consult with your doctor or other qualified health professional prior to initiating any significant change in your diet or exercise regimen, or for any other issue necessitating medical advice.
These were really good, and the peanut butter drizzle made them even better!
For the dough balls, ingredients list says chocolate chips “divided” but instructions don’t specify using them in two parts — just “fold chips into raw dough.” Misprint?
Thank you so much for calling this out. Yes it was a misprint. I initially included the chocolate chips added to the dough and also to the topping together in the list of ingredients. Then I decided to separate them because some people would enjoy these protein balls without the melted chocolate topping. Although I divided the amounts, I forgot to remove the term "divided". I apologize for the confusion! Thanks again!
Wow, this recipe for Cookie Dough Protein Balls from Easy and Delish looks absolutely amazing! The combination of flavors and the healthful ingredients make it a perfect treat. I can imagine how delightful it would be to bite into these little balls of goodness, with their soft texture and indulgent taste. The presentation is simply beautiful, with the dusting of cocoa powder and the garnish of mini chocolate chips, making them even more irresistible. I can't wait to try this recipe and enjoy these guilt-free treats. Kudos to Easy and Delish for creating such a wonderful and visually appealing recipe!