These vegan chocolate coconut protein balls are indulgent, sweet and chewy, yet are super easy to fix and ready 15 minutes! Made with protein powder, these protein bites are high in protein, yet lower in sugar than store-bought ones. Makes a great healthy snack that is portable and can be taken on-the-go.
These vegan protein balls have been one of my favorite go-to snack recently, and are the higher protein chocolate version of my vanilla coconut bliss balls!
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💚Why you will love this recipe
- High in fiber and protein - They a great snack to have that are actually filling to hold you over your next meal!
- Super quick and easy to make - All you need to do is whisk everything together in your food processor and portion mixture out into balls.
- Easily portable and transport well - Hence, you will have something wholesome to snack on at school or work when that hunger strikes. You can even take vegan protein balls along for road trips or on long hikes!
- Stores really well - They will last a week in the fridge, and months in the freezer. You can also doubled or tripled this recipe easily to make a larger batch as part of your meal prep.
🥥What you will need
📃Notes / substitutions
- Oats - You can use equal parts oat flour or quick oats in place.
- Shredded coconut - It is recommended to use unsweetened shredded coconut. You can also use coconut flakes in place, but chop them into smaller pieces along with the oats first.
- Protein powder - I am using chocolate flavored pea protein powder, but you can use other kinds of plant based protein powder like chia, hemp or soy. If using unflavored or vanilla flavored ones, you might need to add 1-2 tablespoons more cocoa powder.
- Cocoa powder - Feel free to use cacao powder or carob powder in place.
- Gluten-free - Make sure that your oats and protein powder are certified gluten-free.
🔪How to make
Place rolled oats into the food processor. Blend until they are finely chopped and resembles the texture of flour.
Next, add in rest of the ingredients along with 2 tablespoons of plant milk. Blend until smooth, adding milk a tablespoon at a time if the mixture is too dry. (I ended up adding ¼ cup)
Using a cookie dough scoop or measuring spoon, scoop out around 1.5 tablespoons of dough at a time and shape them into balls. Optionally, roll them in some extra shredded coconut.
You can enjoy immediately, or let vegan protein balls firm up in the fridge for 30 minutes before digging in!
✔Helpful tips
- If your dates are dry, soak them in hot water for 20 minutes before using to soften them.
- Depending on the type of protein powder used, you might need to add more liquid. If your mixture is dry and not sticking together, gradually add in more milk, a tablespoon at a time. The reverse is also true, so do add more oats or protein powder if your dough is sticky and wet!
- If you are not a fan of protein powder, feel free to omit. You might need to add more oats. I recommend starting with an additional ¼ cup, then adding more from there.
- You can also make vegan protein balls into bars, if desired. Press dough evenly into a lined square pan, then slice into squares.
🥜Optional add-ins
Here are some add-in ideas to spice up your chocolate coconut protein balls:
- Chocolate chips of choice - I especially love these enjoy life morsel as they are vegan and gluten-free!
- Chopped nuts like roasted cashews or peanuts for some extra crunch
- Chia or flax seeds
- Dried fruits
- Complimentary spices and flavoring like cinnamon and vanilla extract
- Superfoods powder - Maca powder, spirulina powder, acai powder
❔Commonly asked questions
If the mixture of your vegan protein balls is dry and not sticking together properly, add more milk, a tablespoon at a time. As different brands and types of protein powder have different absorbency, you will need to adjust the amount of liquid used accordingly.
You can either store vegan protein balls in the fridge or freezer in a sealed container. They will last for a week in the fridge, and can be frozen for up to 3 months.
As they will harden when frozen, you can choose to let them thaw for 10-15 minutes on countertop before enjoying.
It is definitely possible to make chocolate coconut protein balls in a blender, but you will need to stop and scape down the sides multiple times to make sure that everything blends evenly. I do highly recommend using a food processor if you own one.
You can certainly make these vegan protein balls without protein powder, but you might need to add more oats if the mixture is too wet. Do keep in mind that the protein content will decrease significantly when protein powder is omitted.
Yes, it is generally safe to eat raw oats, and the oats in these vegan protein balls are chopped into really tiny pieces making them easier to eat and gentler on your gut.
🍽More high protein vegan snacks
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📖 Recipe
Vegan Chocolate Coconut Protein Balls
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup rolled oats ( use gluten-free if needed )*
- 1 cup dates pitted
- ⅓ cup shredded coconut unsweetened **
- ⅓ cup chocolate protein powder ***
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 3-6 tablespoons plant milk
Instructions
- Place rolled oats into the food processor. Blend until they are finely chopped and resembles the texture of flour.½ cup rolled oats
- Next, add in rest of the ingredients along with 2 tablespoons of plant milk. Blend until a smooth, adding milk a tablespoon at a time if the mixture is too dry. (I ended up adding ¼ cup)1 cup dates , ⅓ cup shredded coconut , ⅓ cup chocolate protein powder , 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- Using a cookie dough scoop or measuring spoon, scoop out around 1.5 tablespoons of dough at a time and shape them into balls. Optionally, roll them in some extra shredded coconut.
- You can enjoy immediately, or let vegan protein balls firm up in the fridge for 30 minutes before digging in!
Notes
- If your dates are dry, soak them in hot water for 20 minutes before using to soften them.
- Depending on the type of protein powder used, you might need to add more liquid. If your mixture is dry and not sticking together, gradually add in more milk, a tablespoon at a time. The reverse is also true, so do add more oats or protein powder if your dough is sticky and wet!
- If you are not a fan of protein powder, feel free to omit. You might need to add more oats. I recommend starting with an additional ¼ cup, then adding more from there.
As these vegan protein balls will harden when frozen, you can choose to let them thaw for 10-15 minutes on countertop before enjoying.
Join the discussion !