These little adorable Ghibli-inspired Soot Spirit Chocolate Protein Balls will be a hit at any Halloween-themed gathering! Made with protein powder, oat flour, cocoa, peanut (or almond) butter, these protein-packed treats are a quick and fun way to celebrate the spooky season. And the best part? You only need six simple ingredients.
Here's why I love this recipe
- no-bake and so easy to prepare - only takes a few minutes!
- high-protein and high-fiber, so it'll keep you fuller longer
- low calorie and low carb, to support your weight loss goals
- the best dessert alternative & post-workout snack
These little delights can also be a hit at any Halloween-themed gathering! Happy munching!
Ingredients Used to Make Soot Spirit Chocolate Protein Balls
**I've linked some of these ingredients to amazon.com to give you an idea of what they are, but you should also be able to find them in your local grocery store (usually, the natural & organic food section). They are also affiliate links, which means that I earn a commission as an Amazon Associate if you decide to purchase the items. The price will be the same for you, link or no link 🙂
- Protein Powder – You can use any protein powder for this, but for this recipe I used a plant-based chocolate protein powder, like this one below. You can also use vanilla protein powder, too. Just add an extra teaspoon of cocoa powder.
- Cocoa Powder – optional. You can omit cocoa powder if you're using chocolate protein powder, but the color will be much lighter without.
- Oatmeal / Oat Flour - Oat flour is a whole grain flour that’s made out of rolled oats. You can buy from the store, or online, but it's easy to make your own oat flour by blitzing either old-fashioned (rolled) or quick-cooking oats in a blender (like how I made it below with my mini blender). If you want to keep this strictly gluten-free (some oats are produced in the same facility as wheat), be sure to buy the one with the GF label like this one.
- Peanut Butter - The peanut butter works as a binder in this recipe and also gives the protein balls a nice boost of flavor as well as some protein and fiber. If you don't have peanut butter at home, not to worry! This recipe works just fine with other nut butters like almond butter or cashew butter.
- Almond Milk - I used unsweetened almond milk, but any milk (dairy or dairy free) works in this recipe. You can even use water.
- Candy eyes - I used Wilton's mini sized candy eyes (link HERE)
More Protein Powder Recipes (HERE)
Step by Step
How to Make Soot Spirit Chocolate Protein Balls
STEP 1
In a clean bowl, mix the dry ingredients: chocolate protein powder and oat flour. Add additional cocoa powder for the best color.
Note: you can also use vanilla protein powder. Just add additional 1 tsp of cocoa powder!
STEP 2
Next, add in the peanut butter and the milk, using your hands to knead and get the dough to combine together.
NOTE: Add more oat flour if the dough is too soft, add more of milk or water if the dough is too thick. TRY TO ADD A TEASPOON AT A TIME! The final dough should be firm, but soft enough that you can roll the dough into a ball without it falling apart.
STEP 3
Roll into balls
STEP 4
Attach the candy eyes on each protein ball
STEP 5
Enjoy!
Recipe Variations and Optional Add Ins:
- Feel free to experiment with natural flavoring / extracts. Add a teaspoon of vanilla extract (I didn't feel like it was essential so I left it out in this recipe), or other flavorings or extracts, such as lemon extract or raspberry extract
Just keep in mind that some extracts contain alcohol, and since this is a no-bake recipe, the alcohol won't have a chance to fully evaporate. If serving this to kids, or if you're sensitive to alcohol, be sure to use non-alcoholic extracts or flavorings. Here are some non-alcoholic brands, here: Non-alcoholic peppermint extract, non-alcoholic vanilla extract
How to Make this Healthier
- Make this even healthier by adding a handful of nuts, seeds and old-fashioned oats to add texture and nutrition. Even better, add a tablespoon of ground flaxseed, hemp seeds, or chia seeds.
Delicious Add-In Ideas for Protein Balls
Adding color, texture and variety to your grab-and-go snacks is one way to keep protein balls fun and interesting. From dried fruits to confetti sprinkles, the options are pretty much endless. For more delicious add ins and flavoring ideas for your protein balls, check out this post for 10+ Amazing Add Ins & Flavor Variations for Protein Balls
How to Store Chocolate Protein Balls
- You can keep the protein balls out at room temperature for 1-2 days but for maximum freshness and best texture, it's best to store these covered in the fridge. They'll be fresh for up to 5-7 days.
- These protein balls also freeze very well! Seal them inside an airtight container or Ziploc bag and freeze them in a single layer so that they don't stick together. I recommend double-bagging if you want to keep out the fridge smell. They can be frozen for up to 4 months.
Final Tips
- For best results, use cream cheese that's softened to room temperature
Ghibli's Soot Spirit Easy Chocolate Protein Balls for Halloween
Ingredients
- ¼ cup plant based protein powder* , chocolate or vanilla flavored*
- ¼ cup oat flour read notes** on how to make at home
- 1 Tbsp cocoa powder
- ¼ cup creamy peanut butter (64g) , can also use almond butter
- 2-3 Tbsp unsweetened almond milk or milk of choice
Deco
- 12 small edible eye deco
Instructions
- In a clean bowl, mix the dry ingredients: protein powder, oat flour and cocoa powderNote: if using vanilla protein powder. Add additional 1 tsp of cocoa powder to get a darker color.
- Next, add in the peanut butter and the milk, using your hands to knead and get the dough to combine together.NOTE: Add more oat flour if the dough is too soft, add more milk if the dough is too thick. TRY TO ADD A TEASPOON AT A TIME! The final dough should be firm, but soft enough that you can roll the dough into a ball without it falling apart.
- Roll the batter into tablespoon sized balls, and press in the edible eyes on the protein balls
- Let set in the fridge for 15 minutes before eating. Enjoy!
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