These Birthday Cake Protein Balls are easy to make in one bowl, protein-packed and taste like an indulgent birthday cake.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Birthday cake protein balls all day because they taste so good with zero guilt! I am trying to come up with more protein balls recipes in an effort to eliminate low-protein snacking.
- Soft texture: Birthday cake energy balls are soft and doughy, like a cookie dough everyone loves.
- Reasonable calories: My birthday cake protein balls recipe has a great balance of wholesome fats, carbs and calories – each ball has only 81 calories, 6 gr of carbs and 5 gr fat.
- Satisfy the cravings: You get your dessert and a healthy snack completely guilt-free.
- Easy to make: Just mix everything in one bowl, roll and enjoy.
Ingredients for Birthday Cake Protein Balls
- Oats: Quick oats will produce a softer bite, old-fashioned or rolled oats are more hearty. For “truffle-like” texture you can always pulse oats in a blender or food processor for a few seconds. Be sure to use certified gluten-free, if needed.
- Protein powder: I used Leanfit whey vanilla protein powder as it adds flavor. You can use plain one but add vanilla extract, or cookie dough flavor too. I recommend you stick to whey protein as plant-based proteins absorb much more liquid.
- Almond butter: It’s neutral-tasting and creamy, and I much prefer it to peanut butter for the best cake batter flavor. You can always use cashew butter or sunflower seed butter, or any nut butter. Make sure it’s room temperature.
- Almond flour: Responsible for “cake” flavor and softness. I don’t recommend to use almond meal to avoid a gritty texture. I use Kirkland super-fine blanched almond flour.
- Maple syrup: Natural sweetener. Use 100% pure maple syrup and not pancake syrup. Also honey is thicker, you may use it but be prepared to add a splash of milk.
- Almond milk: For binding. I like to use low-calorie unsweetened almond milk, you can even use water.
- Sprinkles: Just a bit of sprinkles add a lot of flavor, yet not much added sugar. Know that rainbow jimmies, long sprinkles, will bleed less than nonpareils, the tiny balls. You could use dye-free sprinkles.
How to Make Birthday Cake Protein Balls
You can find full recipe card with measurements at the end of this post.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a large bowl, mix oats, almond flour and protein powder with rubber spatula.
- Add wet ingredients: Add milk and maple syrup, and stir. This hydrates the oats right away. Only now add almond butter and mix until thick dough forms. It will take some effort and you might have to finish mixing with your hands.
- Add sprinkles: Fold in sprinkles last, just right before rolling, to avoid “bleeding”.
- Roll the balls: Using small trigger cookie dough scoop or spoon, scoop mixture and roll into balls. Dough will be a bit stiff and your scoop should be packed.
Tips for Best Results
- Check the consistency: Protein powders vary by brand, so small adjustments are normal. If dough is too dry, add 1 teaspoon of milk at a time. If it’s too wet, add 1 tablespoon of almond flour.
- Stick to whey protein: In my experience, whey and vegan protein powders require separate recipe development because of texture and flavor.
- Use runny almond butter: Be sure not to use it from the bottom of the jar, where it tends to be the thickest, or just warm up in a microwave until smooth consistency.
- Mix with your hands, if needed: Towards the end you might have to use your hands for mixing.
How to Store
Store: I recommend to keep birthday cake protein balls in an airtight container to prevent from drying out, and in the fridge, for optimal freshness for about 1 week. Because of almond butter and maple syrup, they stay soft even when cold.
Freeze: For the best results, freeze protein balls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper for 30 minutes, then transfer to a Ziploc bag. This prevents them from sticking and freezing in one big clump.
They only need 15 minutes to thaw on a counter.
Meal prep: These protein bites are perfect for road trips, lunch boxes or late evening snacks. Quick tip – keep half in refrigerator and half in freezer.
More Protein Balls Recipes to Try
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Birthday Cake Protein Balls
These Birthday Cake Protein Balls are easy to make in one bowl, protein-packed and taste like an indulgent birthday cake.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup quick or rolled oats
- 1 cup almond flour
- 2 scoops vanilla whey protein powder, 60 gr
- 1/3 cup almond milk, unsweetened
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons almond butter, runny (room temperature)
- 1 tablespoon birthday sprinkles
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add oats, almond flour and whey protein. Stir with spatula to combine.
- Add milk and maple syrup, stir. Mixture will be thick.
- Add almond butter and mix well to distribute evenly. Fold in sprinkles.
- Using small trigger cookie scoop, scoop mixture and roll into a ball. Repeat with remaining batter.
🎉 Last step! If you made this recipe, please leave a review and let us know what you think!
Notes
- Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
- Freeze: Place in Ziploc plastic bag or airtight container, freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw on a counter for 15 minutes.
Nutrition
Serving: 1ball, Calories: 81kcal, Carbohydrates: 6g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 0.3g, Sodium: 9mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 2g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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