Snickerdoodle energy bites have a classic snickerdoodle flavor with a satisfying cinnamon-sugar crunch-ready in 10 minutes! So easy it's ridiculous. Makes 20-22 balls.
We LOVE healthy make ahead snacks like these, and bonus: they're freezer friendly. These taste like no bake snickerdoodle cookies, are packed with protein, AND satisfy sweets cravings. Here's a snapshot of macros. They're super nutrient dense at about 5g of protein, 14g of healthy carbs, and 8g of healthy fats per serving, similar to pistachio protein balls.
Another recipe for protein balls with almond butter I have uses dates and is smoother in texture with blended oats. This one uses honey as a sweetener and lets the oats be free, along with the rice crispy cereal that makes the nice little crunch.
We looooove protein balls and the kids eat them like crazy here, so I make them on repeat! We really like Lemon Coconut Protein Balls during the summer. I make a lot with almond butter because it's a neutral flavor, the possibilities are endless!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Taste: Cinnamon + vanilla + honey + nice little crunchies.
- Ease: Beginner! No cooking or chilling required. Just mix and scoop.
- Time: 10 minutes start to finish.
🛒 Key Ingredients
- Vanilla Protein Powder - whey based or plant based, in my experience whey based powders taste the best for these protein balls.
- Almond butter - for the neutral taste, peanut butter is too strong and overpowers the cinnamon.
- Crispy Bits - I use crispy rice cereal but protein crisps or crushed cinnamon crunch cereal would work great too.
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
✏️ Substitutions & Variations
- Cashew butter or sun butter in place of the almond butter will work as well!
- Optional cinnamon sugar "roll" in a coconut sugar + cinnamon mixture. I'd use ¼ cup of coconut sugar and ½ teaspoon of cinnamon.
- Pure maple syrup or agave nectar in place of honey.
- Raise protein: use high protein crisps or add collagen peptides.
🧑🍳 Instructions
- Step 1. In a bowl, combine the oats, rice cereal, protein powder, and salt. (You can wait until the end to stir in the crispies if you like more crunch. )
- Step 2. Warm up the almond butter in the microwave for 30 seconds to make it easier to mix. Pour into the bowl with the honey, cinnamon, and vanilla. Mix well. Adjust texture with more almond butter or honey as needed.
TIP: Warming up the almond butter and/or honey for 30-60 seconds makes it MUCH easier to mix the ingredients together without crushing all the crispies!
- Step 3. Scoop onto a lined baking sheet or into an airtight container. Store at room temperature for 3-5 days, refrigerate for up to 2 weeks, or freeze for up to 3 months.
📌 Troubleshooting
- Mixture is too thick to mix: warm up the almond butter and honey for 30 -60 seconds to help them thin out enough to mix.
- Too sticky? add 1-2 Tablespoons oat flour or protein powder. Refrigerating the balls helps them become a little more firm and less sticky.
- Crunch went soft? Stir in another handful of crisps right before scooping.
❓Frequently Asked Questions
Yes!
Freeze: up to 3 months, thaw at room temperature. The crunch stays crisp even when thawed! Just don't warm them up in the microwave, they'll melt.
Refrigerate: airtight container up to 2 weeks.
- Don't add milk or water to adjust the texture, instead use honey or warm up your almond butter.
- Fold in the crispy cereal last and carefully if you want more of a crunch.
Yes - use almond flour + a little more protein powder for structure, and extra cinnamon for flavor.
Whey based protein mixes in easily with other ingredients, plant based can absorb more liquid, so you may need to add a little more honey or even a little coconut oil warmed up, 1-2 teaspoons.
💪🏻 More High Protein Recipes
Did You Try This Recipe? ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Make sure to leave a star rating and a comment below the recipe card. I love hearing from you, and it is so helpful to other readers! Better yet, share it with family and friends. Thank you!!
📝 Printable Recipe
Snickerdoodle Crunch Protein Balls
Ingredients
- 1 cup oats
- 1 cup rice krispies
- 2 servings vanilla protein powder (about ½ cup depending on brand)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup almond butter
- ½ cup honey
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1½ teaspoons cinnamon
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine the 1 cup oats, 1 cup rice krispies, 2 servings vanilla protein powder, and ¼ teaspoon salt
- Warm up the 1 cup almond butter in the microwave for 30 seconds to make it easier to mix. Pour into the bowl with the ½ cup honey,2 teaspoons vanilla extracta, and1½ teaspoons cinnamon . Mix well. Adjust texture with 1-2 teaspoons of honey or melted coconut oil.
- Scoop onto a lined baking sheet or into an airtight container.
Notes
Nutrition
Hi, I'm Sara!
Registered Nurse by day, food blogger by weekend. Perfect dip tester & snack quester. I love short walks on the beach and long naps. Sharing my love for food, one bite at a time.
Sara says
These are THE BEST for school/work snacks, so easy to prep quickly and put in snack boxes. I love that they don't have to be refrigerated.