Cinnamon Vegan Protein Balls [No Bake + Gluten Free]

C

protein balls on tray

There aren’t many good high protein vegan snacks, but protein balls are among my favorites to make.

They are easy to make, you just toss some ingredients in a bowl and mix them together. And they’re also perfect if you’re looking for gluten-free vegan protein foods.

This particular recipe is one that I’ve developed after trying and modifying other recipes that didn’t quite have the macros I was looking for. Each of these protein balls has 5 grams of protein and about 60 calories.

How To Make Vegan Protein Balls

You can use any vegan protein powder here, however, the one you choose will have a large effect on the final taste. In other words, make sure that you use a vegan protein powder that tastes good.

It will also affect the macros significantly, so keep that in mind if you’re looking for a particular level of protein.

Ingredients

There’s only a handful of ingredients here, and you essentially just need to mix them together in a bowl, no fancy equipment needed:

  • Vegan protein powder – I recommend vanilla or chocolate
  • Almond flour – You can substitute it for coconut or oat flour, but the macros will be worse
  • Cinnamon – My favorite spice
  • Peanut butter – Feel free to substitute any other nut or seed butter in equal amounts
  • Maple syrup – There are sugar-free liquid sweeteners that you could use instead if you want a lower level of carbohydrates

Step-By-Step Instructions

Start by tossing in all the dry ingredients into a sizeable mixing bowl. That’s your almond flour, protein powder, and cinnamon.

protein ball ingredients

Whisk these up well, and then add the rest of the ingredient list.

Use a spatula to combine everything well, don’t worry about overmixing. If it seems too dry still, add non-dairy milk (i.e. soy, almond) in tablespoon intervals until it starts to clump together. It should not be too moist, you want it just to stick together.

You can see my final dough still has clumps and crumbs in it.

vegan protein balls dough

Pick up a ball-sized amount and then compress it in your hands. That will make everything stick together, and then you can roll it gently into a ball shape.

At this point you can stick it on a freezer safe plate or tray, or you can roll it in more cinnamon. If the latter, dust a small plate or bowl with about a tablespoon of cinnamon and roll each ball in it.

protein balls roll in cinnamon

If you plan on eating the protein balls shortly, you can use a tray that doesn’t have a lid.

Otherwise, put the balls in a freezer-safe container that has a lid, and that can store them for weeks with no problem.

protein balls on tray

Once they’re in the freezer for about 30 minutes, they should be done. You can eat them at any time.

Enjoy!

single vegan protein ball

Cinnamon Vegan Protein Balls Recipe

single vegan protein ball

Cinnamon Vegan Protein Balls

These plant-based protein balls are easy to make and convenient snacks with decent macros. The amount of protein will depend on the specific protein powder that you use.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Servings 8 balls
Calories 61 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1/4 cup 40 grams Vegan Protein Powder
  • 1/2 cup Almond Flour
  • 1 tablespoon Ground Cinnamon plus extra for coating
  • 80 g Peanut Butter or other smooth nut butter
  • 1 tsp Vanilla extract
  • 30 g Maple Syrup

Instructions
 

  • Add all dry ingredients to medium or large mixing bowl and whisk together: vegan protein powder, almond flour, and cinnamon.
  • Add rest of ingredients and mix together with spatula until completely combined.
  • *If the mixture will not stick together when you try to form a ball, add a tbsp of non-dairy milk.
  • Use your hands to compress small clump of dough and roll it into a ball in your hands
  • (Optional) Line small plate with cinnamon and roll protein balls in it before putting on freezer-safe tray
  • Freeze for 30 minutes before eating or transfer to a covered freezer-safe container and keep for up to 4 weeks.

Notes

Per ball: 61 calories, 3g fat, 5g carbohydrate (2g sugar), 5g protein

Here’s a link to some of our other vegan recipes with pea protein.

About the author

Dale Cudmore

Your friendly neighborhood vegan from Toronto. I've spent over 6 years as a freelance nutrition writer and researcher. During this time, I've tested over 50 vegan protein powders, and over 100 other types of vegan supplements.