Monster Cookie Protein Energy Bites No Bake Recipe

No Bake Monster Cookie Protein Bites are the perfect healthy snack to have on hand to both satisfy your sweet tooth and help you move the needle toward your protein goals. Made with simple ingredients like natural peanut butter, chia seeds and gluten free old-fashioned oats, these monster cookie protein balls are easy to prep for the week ahead and make the perfect snack at home or on the go!

It's no secret meal prep is an important way to set yourself up for the week if healthy, high protein eating is important to you. Personally, when I meal prep I make it a point to prep delicious treats as well because I know I have a raging sweet tooth but I also have goals that are important to me. Monster cookie dough bites are the perfect quick snack that I enjoy literally any time of the day. Sometimes I'll pop a few right after lunch for a quick treat or I'll enjoy them in the evening with a cup of Protein Hot Chocolate. 

I also love to add monster cookie energy bites as a mix in when I make this Dairy Free Ninja Creami Vanilla Protein Ice Cream! I simply crumble 1-2 protein balls up a bit and add them like I would any other mix in. It's a fun and delicious way to enjoy them the next time you're craving a sweeter treat! 

If you like protein monster cookies, I have several recipes to choose from like these original Protein Monster Cookies, these Double Chocolate, Chunky Monkey, or my favorite monster cookies, Oatmeal Chocolate Chip.

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Why You'll Love This Recipe

• It requires no baking. You can quickly prep these easy snacks without ever having to turn on the oven. It's the perfect way to enjoy the flavors of a monster cookie without much effort!

• It is healthy. Made with wholesome ingredients, no bake monster cookie energy balls are the perfect healthy snack for the entire family.

• It is perfect for meal prep. This recipe makes 18-20 protein bites and keeps well in the fridge, making it perfect for your weekly meal prep rotation.

Monster Cookie Protein Bites Ingredients & Tested Substitutions

• Gluten Free Oats. My personal preference is to use Protein Oatmeal for a little extra boost of protein, but this recipe will work with quick oats or old-fashioned oats as well. I do not recommend using steel cut oats or oat flour.

• Chia Seeds. For an extra added crunch, I like to add chia seeds to my protein bites. They're a great source of heart healthy fiber, too.

• Vanilla Protein Powder. Vanilla or unflavored protein powder actually both work really well here. A note on protein powder: I highly recommend two things when it comes to using protein powder in recipes. First, make sure you use a protein powder that you actually enjoy the taste of otherwise you're not going to enjoy the taste of your treat! Second, I recommend finding a protein powder that has clean, minimal ingredients meaning the list of ingredients isn't a mile long and confusing as heck to read. There are SO many protein powders on the market today and unfortunately many of them are just a bunch of junk ingredients disguised as a healthy option. The protein powder I personally use the most is from Equip Foods, but if this option doesn't work for you I have created a comprehensive post full of the best gut friendly protein powders you can check out. 

• Natural Peanut Butter. I use natural peanut butter for two reasons: one, in case you haven't guessed it already I am a health nut and ingredients are really important to me so I opt for a peanut butter that is simply made with peanuts & salt. The second reason natural peanut butter is important to use is because you want the natural oils to help make the consistency drippy and easier to mix. Alternatively, natural almond butter or sunflower seed butter will work as well.

• Real Maple Syrup. Opt for a high quality real maple syrup or, if you can't find it, a high quality local honey will work too.

• Dark Chocolate Chips. If you'd like a dairy free option, Enjoy Life has great chocolate chips which is what I used here. My personal favorite chocolate chips are the refined sugar free dairy free Chocolate Gems from Hu Kitchen, but they're a tad large for this recipe so you'd need to chop them. Feel free to use whatever type of chocolate chips suit your fancy! Regular size or miniature chocolate chips are perfect.

• Coated Chocolate Candies. I use Unreal Snacks chocolate candies instead of m&ms or mini m&m because they are food dye free, lower in sugar and made with better ingredients over all.

Monster Cookie Protein Balls Step by Step Instructions

1. Mix the base. Add all ingredients except for the chia seeds, chocolate chips & chocolate candies to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse on the "grind" setting or similar if your food processor has it until the ingredients are mixed fully but the texture is still thick. You should have some oat pieces still in tact. Alternatively, you can mix all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl manually with a silicone spatula. I tend to prefer the food processor method because it creates a smoother texture and the oats are less gritty.

2. Add the mix ins. Transfer the batter to a mixing bowl and add chia seeds, chocolate chips & chocolate candies. Mix using a silicone or rubber spatula to fully incorporate. Note that you may need to switch to a spoon or your hands if the batter is a little tough to manipulate to ensure the mix ins are fully incorporated.

3. Scoop the protein balls. Using a small cookie scoop, scoop the protein bites into about 1-1.5 tablespoon balls. Using your hands, roll the cookie dough into a ball and place on a cookie sheet. Repeat the process until all of the cookie dough has been used. You will have around 18-20 balls. Note: you may want to line your cookie sheet with parchment paper. I use these incredible non-stick ceramic cookie sheets that don't typically need parchment added, but if you don't have them or something similar, parchment paper will be helpful here to prevent the cookie dough bites from sticking to the tray.

Expert Tips, Tricks & Favorite Add-Ins

• When mixing the chocolate pieces into the cookie dough, you may need to use your hands to ensure all of the chocolate pieces are fully incorporated.

• If the cookie dough batter feels a bit crumbly, you may add additional maple syrup or honey a little bit at a time until it feels manageable. It should ultimately be a bit crumbly but not so much so that you can't roll it into a ball.

• I prefer to scoop the bites with a cookie scoop, but if you don't have one using a tablespoon measuring spoon will work just fine.

• Don't have protein powder? No problem! This recipe will work without it.

• Skip the chocolate chips & candies to make simple, wholesome peanut butter oatmeal energy balls.

• Not a dark chocolate fan? Use milk chocolate or white chocolate chips instead!

• No chia seeds? No problem! Swap them for flaxseed, hemp seeds or omit them entirely.

How to Store Monster Cookie Protein Energy Bites

The best way to store your energy bites is in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week. I don't recommend storing them for longer than 2 days at room temperature.

Did you have a chance to make this recipe? If so, please leave me a 5 star rating and review below. I always love and appreciate hearing from you!