Soft and fudgy, sweet and creamy, tangy and sweet, these blueberry cheesecake protein balls are perfect low carb snacks that you can make under 10 minutes, and just 5 ingredients!
Ingredients used to make Blueberry 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 🙂
- Blueberry Puree – I used fresh blueberries that pureed in a small blender, but you can also mash with a fork. Some chunks are ok but the finer the puree, the better since the darker color blue and purple color comes from the blueberry’s skin.
***UPDATE 3/7/2022 – For the best color, you can add a splash of lemon juice to the blueberries when mashing or pureeing. The acid in the lemon juice brightens up the blue/purple hue of the blueberries.
- 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 unflavored or vanilla is best, so that the blue-purple color of the blueberries show through.
***UPDATE 3/7/2022 – the photos you see in this updated post are protein balls I made using a plant-based vanilla protein powder, but back when I first published this post, I used an unflavored whey-casein protein powder which produced a brighter blue color. Hope that explains why there’s a discrepancy between the photos on the pin / icon image vs. what you see here. Blueberries also change color based on the acidity of the ingredients used.
- Coconut Flour – you can use any brand of coconut flour for this recipe.
- Monkfruit Sweetener, or sugar of choice – to add more sweetness if needed.
More Recipes Using Berries
Did you know?
Blueberries are an awesome source of anthocyanin, which is what gives it its dark blue color. Not only that, blueberries are rich in one of our favorite immune boosters – vitamin C. Aside from protecting our immune system, blueberries can also help decrease the risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and overall mortality. Who says delicious food can’t be healthy?
How to Make
Blueberry Protein Balls
STEP 1
Puree blueberries in a small blender, or finely mash with a fork. TIP: add a splash of lemon juice to help the blueberries keep their color
STEP 2
Mix protein powder, coconut flour, cream cheese and the prepared blueberry puree. I find that it’s best to use my hands to mix the dough because it takes some kneading and pressing to get the dough to come together.
STEP 3
Add more coconut flour if the dough is too soft, add a teaspoon or more of almond milk if the dough is too thick
STEP 4
Roll into balls, and enjoy!
Recipe Variations and Optional Add Ins:
- You can use any berries of choice. Try raspberries, strawberries using this same recipe!
- 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
- Add chocolate chips of choice (white, dark, or mini chocolate chips) for a more indulgent version
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.
Why do you add lemon juice to blueberries?
We add a splash of lemon juice to the blueberries when mashing or pureeing because the acid in the lemon juice brightens up the blue/purple hue of the blueberries. The lemon juice also brings out the sweet-tart flavors of the blueberries, not to mention how it contributes a good dose of vitamin C to the recipe.
How do you store protein balls?
- You can store these protein balls covered in the fridge for up to 3-5 days.
- For longer storage, you can store them in an airtight container and freeze them up to 3 months.
SEE ALL OF MY PROTEIN BALL RECIPES HERE
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.
Blueberry Cheesecake Protein Balls
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup protein powder*
- 1/2 cup coconut flour
- 3 Tbsp granulated sugar of choice**
- 4 Tbsp cream cheese dairy or dairy-free
- 1/4 cup blueberry puree*** read note on color
Instructions
- Mash blueberries or puree in a small blender
- Mix protein powder, coconut flour, blueberry puree, and cream cheese together, using your hands to knead and get the dough to come together.
- Give it a quick taste and add sugar (if desired).
- Add more coconut flour if the dough is too soft, add a teaspoon or more of puree, water, or almond milk if the dough is too thick
- Roll the batter into tablespoon sized balls, refrigerate for 15 minutes to set
Notes
Nutrition
Love the color on this. Can I use frozen berries?
Of course! Frozen blueberries will work just as fine.
Can I use almond flour instead of the coconut flour?
Hi Amy, yes you can but you’ll need to use 1/2 to 3/4 cup of almond flour to replace the 1/4 cup of coconut flour. Also, the protein balls will be softer with almond flour than with coconut flour. Hope this helps!
Tastes great but mine are not even close to your purple color. Any suggestions?
Hi Tina, how was the color of your puree- was it light as well? It could depend on the size of the blueberries (smaller berries have more skin = more color), but if you blend the blueberries really well the puree will be darker and I think that will help with the final result. Hope this helps!
**update 3/5/2022 ** I tried making these again, and I think it’s the protein powder! I’d forgotten that I’d used unflavored protein powder when I first made this recipe, and the unflavored has a whitish color and lighter than the vanilla protein powder. Also, because blueberries change colors depending on the pH, it helps to put a teaspoon of lemon juice to the blueberry puree so that they stay purple. I’m going to be posting these changes and new photos on the post very soon. Thanks for bringing this to my attention 🙂
Tried this last weekend and it turned out slightly sticky? Adding more coconut flour helped though, and the texture was great when the protein balls got a chance to rest in the fridge over night. No problems with the color being too light. I used blended wild blueberries which were prefrozen.
Thanks for sharing this Angela!
I made these the other night and my whole family loves them! My daughter thinks they are a desert. Can they be frozen and eaten later? Thanks!
Hey Sonya, I’m glad you and your family enjoyed them! Yes, these blueberry protein balls can definitely be frozen and eaten later. I would suggest double-bagging them in Ziploc or put in an airtight container so that they don’t get freezer burn.
For the nutrition info listed, is the serving size one or two?
It’s for one
Delicious, they taste like little blueberry cream cheese bites. I did not add any sweetener. I used 2-drops of lemon essential oil (nothing else in my pantry) for color and it work beautifully, I used frozen blueberries as well and puréed in my little chopper. Super easy to mix with hands, balls form well without putting in the fridge.
So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for all the great tips 🙂
is it 1/2 scoop or 1/2 cup of protein powder
Hi Allie, it’s 1/2 cup (about 54 grams)
Hi! I’d like to make these and give these as a gift – can they be brought somewhere and kept out of the fridge for a few hours before popping back in to be chilled again, or will the cream cheese not hold up?
Thanks!
Hi Santina, they’ll hold up for a few hours just fine at room temperature, but they can spoil a bit if it’s in a hotter temp, so I’d be careful of that. Hope this helps 🙂
Can I use maple syrup as the sweetener?
You can, but you’ll need to add more coconut flour to adjust for the additional liquid.
I used just oat flour. and baked them in the air fryer for 5mins. turned into something nicee. thanks for simple snack.
I would have never thought of air frying them. Sounds awesome!