Think oreo cheesecake, in a healthy, protein-packed bite-sized form!
I’m in a love-hate relationship with Oreo cookies, they’re so tasty, and at the same time, they always make me feel a bit guilty. Well, not when I use them for this recipe; here, they play their part beautifully.
Below, you’ll find a recipe for creamy and luscious Oreo protein balls, they’re ready in ten minutes, and you only need six ingredients, all of them gluten-free. The result? Creamy balls with crunchy bits and a chocolatey mouthfeel — they’re packed with protein too, so they’re an easy go-to snack to satisfy your sweet cravings guilt-free and keep you energized. You don’t even have to bake these. See why I love these protein balls so much?
There’s a catch. These are just too good to eat just one, so have a chaperon slap your hand if you lose control. No, really, these are as healthy as protein balls come, and they’ll be a great ace to have up your sleeve.
Keep these in the fridge and pop one when you come back from the gym or from walking your dogs. Get energized while giving your body the protein it needs!
Ingredients used to make this
**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 🙂
- Cream Cheese – I’ve tried using both dairy and vegan cream cheese made from almond milk, and both turn out delicious.
- Protein Powder – You can use any protein powder for this, but in this recipe I used a vanilla plant-based protein powder, like this one below.
- Coconut Flour – you can use any brand of coconut flour for this recipe. Here is a brand of coconut flour I like to use.
- Oreo cookies – use gluten-free if desired
For the Decoration
- White chocolate chips – you can use any white chocolate chips (or chopped white chocolate), but to make these low-carb, use a lower sugar, stevia sweetened brand instead. For a dairy-free, vegan alternative, try this brand.
Step by Step
How to Make Easy Oreo Cookies and Cream Protein Balls
STEP 1
Chop oreo cookies with a sharp knife. Some large chunks are okay, but for the best flavor, try to chop the cookies finely to get some the oreo cookie crumb “flour”
STEP 2
Mix all the dry ingredients together – protein powder, coconut flour, sugar
STEP 3
Add the cream cheese and oreo cookie crumbs
STEP 4
Mix together until evenly mixed. You can add 1-2 Tbsp of milk or almond milk if the mixture is too thick
STEP 5
Roll into tablespoon sized balls, and drizzle with melted white chocolate if desired
STEP 6
Enjoy!
Recipe Variations and Optional Add Ins:
- You can use any cookie of choice! Try Biscoff cookies, golden oreos or chocolate chip cookies!
- 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
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.
How to Store
- You can keep the protein balls out at room temperature for about 1 day but for the best freshness and texture, it’s best to store these protein balls 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
- Coconut flour and protein powders are all very different depending on brands, so if you find that the dough is too soft, add more coconut flour; if the dough is too thick, add a teaspoon or more of water, honey or liquid sweetener of choice.
Here’s Protein Bar Version of the Oreo Balls! Recipe HERE
Cookies and Cream Oreo Protein Balls
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup vanilla protein powder
- 1/4 cup coconut flour
- 3 Tbsp granulated sugar of choice*
- 6 Tbsp cream cheese of choice** (6 Tbsp is about 3 oz)
- 4 oreo cookies, crushed
- 3-4 Tbsp white chocolate chips, melted (optional)
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients together (except the white chocolate). Add more coconut flour if the dough is too soft, add a teaspoon or more of water, or almond milk if the dough is too thick*
- Roll the batter into tablespoon sized balls, refrigerate for 15 minutes to set
- Optional: melt white chocolate chips and drizzle over the protein balls
I love this recipe so so much, but can this really be vegan if we’re using oreos (non-vegan)?
Interestingly, Oreos are vegan! They do not contain any animal-derived ingredients such as milk, cream, eggs, or butter, so in the technical sense, no, they’re not non-vegan. It’s a shame they’re still not organic, whole food or healthy. This recipe is perfect since I get an excuse to eat them anyway 🙂
I used tofutti cream cheese for this recipe and chocolate protein powder instead and it was delicious!
Glad you liked it! I haven’t tried tofutti for this recipe yet so it’s nice to know 🙂
Easy to make and delicious!!
Glad you liked it!
I love your recipes but the only thing I don’t like is if I do them for my family i have to 6 x it
Hey Kathy, I actually just got a similar comment from Pinterest! I wanted my recipe card to reflect what’s on the photos, but I guess more people want larger servings so I’m going to be updating this one very soon. Thanks for making this recipe!
Made with stevia sugar &oat flour. Doubled it and it came out fantastic! I would just add a bit more oat flower next time so it’s not so sticky. It is Nice and sweet for my sweet tooth 🤤
Thanks for trying it out! Glad you enjoyed it.
Can almond flour or all purpose flower be substituted for coconut flour?
Thank you
Hi Kathleen, thanks for the question! Sometimes raw wheat flour can be contaminated with e.coli, so it’s not recommended to be used in no-bake recipes like this one. I’ve had readers tell me that oat flour worked, so this could be a better option if you don’t have coconut flour at home. Hope this helps!
I have the plan in my head, but want an opinion before I make them in case they won’t come out right. I have cookies and cream protein powder. Could I just use this instead of the vanilla protein powder and Oreos? I’m thinking yes, but don’t want to mess them up!
Hi CGos, I haven’t tried but I’m more than happy to give an opinion! I think the cookies and cream protein powder sounds fantastic, and as long as you add 1-2 Tbsp more of your protein powder to take account of the fact you’ll be leaving out the oreo cookie crumbs (one of the dry ingredients) you’ll be totally fine with the substitution. If by chance the recipe turns out drier than expected, I’d probably just knead in more cream cheese. Hope it goes well!
Are the nutrition facts per protein ball?
Yes, it’s for one protein ball
How about using almond flour in place of coconut flour?
Hi Mary, almond flour works, but I usually don’t recommend it. The protein balls made with almond flour will turn out softer and needs to be kept in the freezer for them to be the right texture!
Definitely 5 stars! I wanted to make a healthier, protein version of the Oreo mini cheesecakes that I love to eat, and this taste near the same, but better for you! I was not expecting it to be so good. Thank you for sharing!
Hi Mary, that’s awesome! Glad you enjoyed it 🙂
HOW LONG WILL THESE LAST IN THE FRIDGE AFTER MADE?