No-Bake Cottage Cheese Brownie Batter Protein Balls Recipe
These No-Bake Cottage Cheese Brownie Batter Protein Balls are a delicious and nutritious snack that packs 6 grams of protein per ball. Made with cottage cheese, peanut butter, protein powder, and cocoa, they’re creamy, rich in flavor, and require no baking. Perfect as a pre- or post-workout snack, or anytime you want a healthy, protein-packed treat that tastes like brownie batter.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes (including chilling time)
- Yield: 12 protein balls 1x
- Category: Snack
- Method: No-Cook
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1/2 cup cottage cheese (2% or 4% fat works best)
- 1/2 cup Justin’s Classic Peanut Butter (or almond butter)
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 scoop Orgain chocolate protein powder (about 30g)
- 1/4 cup Anthony’s almond flour
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Optional Chocolate Coating
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil
Instructions
- Blend Your Base: Add cottage cheese, peanut butter, maple syrup, and vanilla extract to your food processor. Blend for 30 seconds until completely smooth with no lumps. This is crucial for the perfect creamy texture.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Add protein powder, cocoa powder, almond flour, and salt to the food processor. Pulse until the mixture forms a thick dough that sticks together when pressed but is not wet. Adjust consistency by adding a teaspoon of water if too dry or more almond flour if too wet.
- Roll Into Balls: Scoop 1 to 1.5 tablespoons of dough per ball using a small cookie scoop for uniform size. Roll each portion between your palms until smooth and place the balls on a parchment-lined plate. This recipe yields exactly 12 balls.
- Chill: Refrigerate the balls for 30 minutes or freeze for 15 minutes. Chilling firms them up and dramatically improves the texture. Do not skip this step.
- Optional Chocolate Coating: Melt dark chocolate chips with coconut oil in 30-second bursts in the microwave. Dip each ball into the melted chocolate, let excess drip off, and return to the parchment-lined plate. Refrigerate for an additional 5 minutes to let the chocolate set.
Notes
- Use room temperature cottage cheese for smoother blending.
- Wet your hands slightly when rolling balls to prevent sticking.
- Over-processing the dough can cause dense protein balls, so stop blending once dough forms.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days; they improve in flavor after 2 days.
- Freeze for up to 3 months for a fudgy truffle-like texture.
- These protein balls are kid-friendly and great for lunchboxes or gym bags (good at room temperature for 2-3 hours).
- Use high-quality ingredients like real peanut butter and good cocoa powder for the best taste.
Keywords: no bake, protein balls, cottage cheese, brownie batter, healthy snack, high protein, gluten free, easy recipe
