Chickpea Protein Balls
These chickpea protein balls are wholesome and so delicious that they taste like cookie dough! Soft, fudgy, and made with just 6 ingredients, the protein balls come together in minutes.
These energy balls need no cooking or baking. They are quick to make, naturally sweetened, and no one will ever know that they use chickpeas! The chickpeas just make these protein balls wonderfully soft and creamy.
These little bites are perfect for breakfast, any time snacking, and even dessert. They are also great for gifting, like my chocolate peanut butter balls, almond butter cups, and peanut butter oat cups.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- There's no waiting for the oven to heat up. Blend, roll, chill, and enjoy these no-bake protein balls.
- They're perfect for busy mornings, an afternoon pick-me-up, or those moments when you're craving something sweet but still nourishing.
- A wonderful addition to your snack rotation because the chickpea protein balls are very kid-friendly and equally loved by adults.
- These easy protein bliss balls are naturally vegan and made with simple ingredients.
- The chickpea protein balls recipe is so easy to customize. Add your favorite nuts, seeds, or spices, or use any of my granola recipes to make these energy balls.
Reader Love ❤️
"Great recipe, thanks. I added some cacao nibs, a tablespoon of maple syrup, and a pinch of sea salt, and they were perfect!" - Nicola
Recipe Ingredients
Chickpeas give these homemade protein balls a creamy base that tastes and feels very much like cookie dough. I love to keep cooked chickpeas in the freezer because they’re so handy for recipes like an easy smashed chickpea salad. Canned chickpeas will do in a pinch. Just be sure to drain and rinse them.
Oats add texture, giving the bliss balls a crunchy and chewy bite. I prefer rolled oats, but you can use quick-cooking oats too.
Nut Butter: I prefer the classic creamy peanut butter. But whether you use peanut, almond, or cashew butter, they all add the perfect gooeyness and help everything glue together.
Sweetener: I love using dates. Their rich, caramel-like sweetness tastes so good. Soak them in warm water first to soften them up.
Coconut: I love to add desiccated coconut into chickpea energy balls. You can even leave it out if you don’t care for the taste of coconut. Or you can roll the balls in it as I did with my rose bliss balls.
Vanilla: Don’t skip the vanilla. It rounds out all the flavors beautifully. Use good-quality store-bought or homemade vanilla extract.
Please see the recipe card below for full information about the ingredients and quantities.
Variations
Chocolate: You can dip the energy bites into dairy-free dark chocolate to make chickpea chocolate protein balls. I prefer 55% or 70% chocolate. You can use one with less cocoa content or even milk chocolate. Or mix in a handful of chopped chocolate.
Spice: Cardamom would make the chickpea protein balls wonderfully warm, like it did my plum cardamom muffins. Cinnamon is equally delicious.
Nuts: Mix in chopped almonds, walnuts, or pumpkin seeds for extra texture.
Nut-Free: In case you’re allergic to nuts or don’t want them, switch to a seed butter like sunflower or even tahini.
Extra protein: If you'd like even more protein, you can add a scoop of your favorite protein powder to this recipe for energy balls. You may need an extra peanut butter or a splash of plant milk to keep the mixture soft enough to roll.
How To Make Chickpea Protein Balls
Step 1: Soak the pitted dates in warm water for 5-10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Step 2: Add the chickpeas, rolled oats, soaked dates, peanut butter, desiccated coconut, and vanilla extract to a blender. Blend until well combined.
Step 3: Refrigerate the dough for 15-20 minutes for easier handling.
Step 4: Once the dough is chilled a bit, roll into even-sized balls.
Step 5: Enjoy as-is or dip in melted chocolate. Let it set and serve.
Top Tips
- Soak the dates in warm water for 5-10 minutes to soften them.
- If the dough is too wet or sticky, add more oats, a spoonful at a time.
- If the dough is too dry or crumbly, mix in more peanut butter or a splash of plant-based milk or the water in which you soaked the dates.
- Chill the dough for 15-20 minutes before shaping. This will help firm up and make rolling easier.
- Wet your hands before rolling the dough. This will prevent the dough from sticking to your hands.
- If using canned chickpeas, drain them very well. Extra moisture in the chickpeas can make the dough too wet to work with.
Recipe FAQs
Garbanzo beans vs chickpeas: what’s the difference?
Chickpea comes from Latin and is the name most commonly used in the U.S. and Britain. Garbanzo is the Spanish term, and you’ll often see it used on the West Coast. The traditional Indian name for them is safed chana or simply chana.
Can I use chickpea flour?
I haven't tested this recipe with chickpea flour, but I recommend sticking with cooked chickpeas.
How long do they last?
You can store these in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
Can I freeze chickpea protein balls?
These should freeze well, as most protein balls do. Freeze them without the chocolate coating in an airtight container. Thaw in the fridge or at room temperature for 10-15 minutes.
More Easy No-Bake Treats
Recipe
Chickpea Protein Balls
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups Cooked chickpeas You can use canned chickpeas. Please drain them well.
- 3/4 cup Rolled oats You can use quick cooking oast too.
- 8-10 Dates, pitted and soaked in warm water for 5 minutes
- 3 tbsp Peanut butter
- 2 tbsp Desiccated coconut
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
Topping ( optional)
- 1/3 cup Dairy-free dark 70% chocolate You can use regular dark chocolate too.
Instructions
- Soak the dates in warm water for 5-10 minutes. Drain and set aside.8-10 Dates, pitted and soaked in warm water for 5 minutes
- Place all the ingredients - chickpeas, rolled oats, dates, peanut butter, desiccated coconut and vanilla extract in a blender. Blend until well combined.1.5 cups Cooked chickpeas, 3/4 cup Rolled oats, 8-10 Dates, 3 tbsp Peanut butter, 2 tbsp Desiccated coconut, 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- If the mixture is too dry, add water in which the dates were soaked, or more peanut butter, a spoonful at a time, until you get a slightly sticky dough - like consistency.If the mixture seems too sticky, add some more oats.
- Refrigerate the dough for 15-20 minutes. It makes handling it easier.
- Once the dough is chilled a bit, roll into even-sized balls.
- The chickpea protein balls are ready to eat!
Chocolate Dip ( Optional)
- Melt the chocolate in a microwave or in a double boiler.1/3 cup Dairy-free dark 70% chocolate
- Dip the bliss balls and place them on a baking paper-lined tray. Refrigerate till the chocolate sets.
Notes
- Soak the dates in warm water for 5-10 minutes to soften them.
- If the dough is too wet or sticky, add more oats, a spoonful at a time.
- If the dough is too dry or crumbly, mix in more peanut butter or a splash of plant-based milk or the water in which you soaked the dates.
- Chill the dough for 15-20 minutes before shaping. This will help firm up and make rolling easier.
- Wet your hands before rolling the dough. This will prevent the dough from sticking to your hands.
- If using canned chickpeas, drain them very well. Extra moisture in the chickpeas can make the dough too wet to work with.
Great recipe thanks, I added some cacao nibs, a tablespoon of maple syrup, pinch of sea salt and they were perfect!
Natasha Author
That's wonderful Nicola! So glad you enjoyed them, thank you for your lovely feedback xx
I made these exactly to the recipe weighing with a kitchen scale in metrics and the taste was not agreeable. I'm wondering if I could doctor these to 'next-level'. Any ideas? They already have chocolate on them. Maybe I could throw them all into a bowl, mash it up, add flax seed, and seeds. 🤔
Natasha Author
Hi Kelly, I'm sorry you didn't enjoy their taste, but thank you for trying out the recipe. You're right, you can mash them up and add maybe some finely chopped nuts or seeds of your choice. Maybe even some mini chocolate chips. Add a couple tablespoons of honey or maple syrup if you think the blissballs aren't sweet enough. Shape the modified mixture into balls or use it as a crumble to top your yogurt or ice cream! Hope this helps. 🙏🏻
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Do they need to be refrigerated?
Natasha Author
Hi Barbara, yes, I would recommend refrigerating these. Thank you for your interest in this recipe.:)
Hi Natasha, wonderful recipe. I’ve been thinking of ways of sneaking in chickpeas into my son’s menu. Hope this does the trick. Do you think roasted chickpeas flour can be used instead of cooked?
Thanks
Resm
Natasha Author
Hi Resmi, Thank you so much! I'm not sure if the flour will work as well in this recipe. The chickpeas give a softer, heartier texture to these bliss balls. You can't really taste them, if that's a concern. They mix in rather well with the rest of the ingredients and have a lovely fudgy texture. Hope this helps. 🙂
Ingrid
This recipe looks interesting. I'm always on the lookout for recipes utilizing chick peas. However, I try to limit carbs. Do you have the nutrition facts; calories, carbs, and fiber for these?
Natasha Author
Oh, thank you so much, Ingrid! I'm so glad you find this recipe interesting. Unfortunately, I don't have the nutrition facts for any of my recipes yet. I hope to be able to add them sometime in the future.
Can you substitute the dates with raw sugar?
Natasha Author
Hi Kinya, I suppose you could, but the texture will be different as dates make the bliss balls very gooey and fudgy. 🙂
Kinya Mogaka
Thanks for reply. Have you tried raisin paste, can it serve as a substitute for date paste?
Natasha Author
Sure 🙂 I've never tried raisin paste, but I'm quite certain it will work.