Bite-Sized Mango Coconut Protein Balls
Need a quick and balanced snack you can make ahead to enjoy on the go? Then I know you’ll love these bite-sized mango coconut protein balls. Whole grain oats, creamy cashew butter, dried mango, shredded coconut, and protein powder make these bites tasty and nutritious.
Let’s make a batch!
Reasons to Love this Recipe
You may have tried no-bake energy bites before – oats, plus nut butter and some sweet mix-ins – but these coconut protein balls offer a flavorful and tropical twist on the snack you love.
They’re slightly sweet, perfectly soft, chewy, and nutty. Basically the perfect balanced bite!
These bites are the ideal grab-and-go snack option because they’re tasty and filling, but also balanced and nutritious. More on that in a sec…
Nutrition Tidbits
Have you ever eaten a snack like a cookie or chips, thinking it would tide you over until mealtime, but ended up ravenously hungry soon after?
It’s not your fault – blame the snack.
For a balanced snack that keeps you full for as long as possible, be sure to include protein, fiber, and a bit of fat. These nutrients digest slowly, physically fill up your stomach, and send chemical signals to your brain to tell it you’ve eaten.
This snack ticks all of the boxes – it has fiber from whole grain oats, protein from protein powder, and fat from nut butter and coconut.
Want more snacking tips? I wrote all about my favorite filling snacks and tips on the blog!
Preparation Tips
For the full recipe with ingredient amounts, be sure to scroll down to the recipe card!
Combine the wet ingredients
In a large microwave-safe bowl, microwave the cashew butter for 30-60 seconds until it is warm and soft.
Then, add honey to the bowl and mix to combine.
Mix, mix, mix
Add ¼ cup of the shredded coconut and all of the whey protein powder, old-fashioned oats, and dried mango to the bowl and mix until everything is thoroughly combined.
Pro tip: You should be able to squish the mixture into a ball at this point. If it’s too crumbly, add a tablespoon of water at a time until you reach your desired consistency.
Scoop & roll
Use a cookie scoop (or clean hands) to form your protein balls. I used a 3-tablespoon cookie scoop. If you use a different size, you may end up with more or less than 12 servings.
Fill the cookie scooper and press the mixture in with your hand to make it as compact as possible. (Really get in there!) Add more of the mixture if needed until the entire cookie scoop is full.
Using clean hands, roll the scoop into a round ball.
Pro tip: If the mixture is sticking to your hands or crumbly, wet your hands and add a sprinkling of water to each ball.
Roll each ball in the remaining shredded coconut, then enjoy or store in an airtight container in the fridge for later.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. The ingredients are all shelf-stable. However, they will last longer and hold together better if refrigerated.
About 2 weeks. (But they’re so tasty, I doubt they’ll last that long!)
Yes! You can keep protein balls frozen for about 1 month in an airtight container.
Recipe Modifications
- Use different dried fruit – Dried pineapple, cranberries, cherries, or apricots also work here! Just be sure to dice them up so you get an even amount of dried fruit with each bite.
- Gluten-free version – Use certified gluten-free oats.
- Vegan/dairy-free – Use a vegan protein powder (or omit it) and swap maple syrup in place of the honey.
- Use a different nut butter – Cashew butter is my personal favorite for this recipe (so creamy!) but other milder-flavored nut/seed butters (almond, sunflower seed) will also work.
- Sweeter version – Add in a bit of extra honey and dried fruit if you like your protein balls to taste more like a sweet treat.
- Less sweet version – Cutting down on sugar? Cut the honey and dried mango in half. Keep in mind, you will most likely need to add a bit of water to the mixture to make it sticky enough.
- Use a different sweetener – Liquid sweeteners like honey, agave, and maple syrup all work in this recipe.
- Make without protein powder – These bites will be lower in protein without added protein powder, but they’ll still be yummy!
- Higher-protein – Double the protein powder if desired. (I haven’t tested this method myself yet, but you will most likely need to add a bit of water to the mixture to make it sticky enough.)
Mango Coconut Protein Balls
Equipment
- cookie scoop (3 tablespoon size preferred)
Ingredients
- ½ cup cashew butter
- ¼ cup honey
- ⅓ cup shredded coconut divided
- 1 scoop whey protein powder vanilla
- 2 cups old-fashioned oats
- ⅓ cup dried mango diced
Instructions
- In a large microwave-safe bowl, microwave cashew butter for 30-60 seconds until warm and soft.
- Add honey to the bowl and mix to combine.
- Add the remaining ingredients (¼ cup of the shredded coconut, and all of the whey protein powder, old-fashioned oats, and dried mango) and mix until thoroughly combined. (You should be able to squish the mixture into a ball at this point. If it's too crumbly, add a tablespoon of water at a time until you reach your desired consistency.)
- Use a cookie scoop (or clean hands) to form your protein balls. Stuff the cookie scooper and press the mixture in to make it as compact as possible. Using clean hands, roll the scoop into a round ball. (If the mixture is sticking to your hands or crumbly, wet your hands and add a sprinkling of water to each ball.)
- Roll each ball in the remaining shredded coconut, then enjoy or store in an airtight container in the fridge for later.
Notes
- Please note that nutrition facts are an estimate and can vary widely based on amounts and specific types used.
Nutrition
