This easy recipe for low carb peanut butter balls made with protein powder makes a great after school or ketogenic snack when you an energy bite.
I grew up on the 70’s when being “crunchy” was the new thing. My first and second grade combined classroom had a cooking rotation every week. We made things like friendship salad, friendship soup and peanut butter balls, which were made with peanut butter, non-fat dry milk, and honey. I loved them!
I frequently make these low carb peanut butter balls for my kids. They are a fast and easy recipe the whole family loves.
Low Carb Peanut Butter Balls Recipe
Today I’m sharing an easy low carb snack recipe that is completely sugar-free – peanut butter balls. The original 70’s recipe needed some updating for my low carb lifestyle. Since powdered milk contains a lot of sugar, I swapped it with whey isolate protein powder. My favorite brand is Isopure which has zero carbs. I get the plain because I can use it in savory applications, too.
To make the low carb peanut butter balls, I simply mixed peanut butter and plain whey isolate protein powder (I like Isopure Zero Carb) together and sweetened to taste with Stevia glycerite.
Stevia glycerite is one of my favorite sweeteners. It’s a thick viscous liquid form of stevia that I don’t find bitter. Because it’s so concentrated, a bottle will last me a year, making it a smart purchase for my baking needs.
These low carb peanut butter balls are very easy to make and they are even easier to eat! They are nutritionally dense, so make sure to remember the carbs per ball before over indulging. My kids love popping a couple of these as an after school snack. Of course I triple the batch.
Variations:
Use any nut butter you like. Thinner nut butters will require more whey protein or you can add some unsweetened dessicated coconut.
Flavored protein powder is fun. I prefer vanilla or chocolate.
Cocoa powder or cinnamon can be added to the recipe.
They are soft so keep them in the refrigerator. Sometimes I roll them in chopped nuts and to be fun in sprinkles for the kids.
Low Carb Peanut Butter Balls are 1 net carb each.
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Low Carb Peanut Butter Balls
Ingredients
- 1 cup smooth peanut butter
- 1 1/3 cup whey protein powder (116 g) (I use unflavored Isopure zero carb)
- 1/2 tsp stevia glycerite* (your favorite powdered sweetener to taste)
Instructions
- NOTE: Depending on the brand of peanut butter and protein powder you use, you may need LESS protein powder. Start with adding half, then continue adding until a nice consistency is achieved. It will be firm enough to roll into balls, but soft enough that they will squish down a little when stacked on top of each other. Some protein powders are more chalky than others. I like Isopure zero carb whey protein isolate. There will be a slight crystalline feel to the protein balls when you bite into them.
- Add the ingredients to a medium bowl and mix (knead) together with a rubber spatula until thoroughly combined.
- Pinch-off walnut sized portions of the dough and roll into balls.
- Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 10 days.
Variations:
- ADD: Cinnamon, cocoa powder, extracts and flavorings, nuts, coconut, seedsROLL-IN: Crushed nuts, seeds, shredded coconut, chocolate sprinkles (for kids)FLAVORED PROTEIN POWDER: Use any flavored protein powder you have that would taste great with peanut butter. Additional sweeteners can be omitted.DIFFERENT NUT AND SEED BUTTERS: Depending on the consistency of alternate nut butters, more or less protein powder may be needed to get a less sticky dough-like consistency.
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Nutrition
Hey i definitely thought these would be weird but they turned out pretty tasty!! I used Dynamix ISO100 brand protein powder, fudge brownie flavor. They’re a little hard to get perfectly round before you chill them so mine look kinda lumpy, but after chilling they could be rolled more smoothly (I just don’t care enough to do it). I started with 2/3c powder added to the peanut butter and just kept adding as needed. Very quick & easy recipe.
I’m always looking for healthy low-carb snacks. I’m going to try the peanut butter balls today!
These tasted great and my kids had fun playing/making these into little balls. We used my homemade sunflower seed butter that has palm shortening added to it and it blended up just fine. Great healthy snacks to have for the kids!
Hello. I made this recipe and followed it to the t. What I found is that the protein powder covered the 1cup of peanut butter and had a hard time folding it all together without adding more peanut butter. I think we ended up with 3 cups of peanut butter. Thoughts?
Hi Jennifer. It is dry and it takes some mixing, but it will come together. Different brands of peanut butter and protein powder may need adjustments. Try adding a little MCT or olive oil or just using half of the amount of protein powder and adding until the mixture is firm enough to roll into balls without cracking (too dry). -Kim
could you melt lo carb chocolate and dip these to make buckeye’s ..
Hi Eva. I wouldn’t use this recipe for buckeye’s. -Kim
I find these balls very grainy in texture and difficult to swallow unless in very small bites.
The protein powder does give them a “crystalline” texture. Different protein powders will produce different results (if they contain casein or pea protein or a mixture of proteins). Also, the kind of peanut butter used will effect the end texture – i.e. a natural peanut butter vs a commercial brand. If the protein balls are a little dry, try adding more peanut butter. These are quite filling, so small bites are best. Thanks Bec. -Kim
Can you use Powdered PB (PB2) instead of the peanut butter? If so, what would the sub measurement be?
Hi Jo-Lynn. I have never used PB2. I don’t know if it would work in this recipe or not. PB2 has had the oil pressed out since it is a byproduct of the peanut oil industry. This recipe works in part because of the oil in the peanut butter. -Kim
What are the macros for these?
Hi Heather. It’s 1 net carb per ball. I forgot to add the code that lets the nutritional info be seen. Thanks for letting me know it was missing. Have a great day! -Kim
Hello. Approximately how many carbs are in them? I’m sorry if you already stated it. I couldn’t find it. Thank you.
Hi Alea. It’s 1 net carb per ball. I forgot to add the code that lets the nutritional info be seen. Thanks for letting me know it was missing. Have a great day! -Kim
Could I use Oat Fiber 500 instead of the whey protein isolate, maybe in a lesser amount? I have made a couple of your other recipes and loved them, I can’t wait to try more.
Thank you!!
Hi Lexi. Great, I’m so happy you have found some recipes that you enjoy! I’m not sure you could do a full sub. I have’t tried oat fiber raw in a recipe like this. I would try subbing 1/4 of the amount at first to see if you like it. You would be trading fiber carbs for protein. You can also use Egg White Protein Powder. I like Jay Robb very much. I hope this helps. -Kim
Do you use smooth regular peanut butter or organic? Doesn’t t the peanut butter have enough sugar in it thus no need for any sweetener? Thanks
Actually, I used smooth low sugar peanut butter from the store. My kids are really the only ones who eat it unless I make a dessert. I used unflavored protein powder and used the sweetener because my kids like these with a hint of sweetness. I don’t usually roll in anything, I just leave them as is. -Kim
I used to make something similar. This recipe look really easy. Thanks for sharing.