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If you love the flavor of carrot cake, you’re going to love these carrot cake protein balls! A nutrient-packed, healthy treat made with many of the same ingredients as your favorite dessert.
This carrot cake protein balls recipe is great if you need a filling snack or a satisfying post-workout protein boost. I love the spices in carrot cake—no matter what the season—which is what inspired me to create carrot cake protein bites that could enjoyed guilt-free.
This recipe uses raw carrots, raisins, your favorite protein powder, walnuts and dates to pack a powerful and sweet nutritional punch. You’ll be glad you stocked your fridge with a batch of these for the week!
Table of Contents
Ingredients for Carrot Cake Protein Balls
Use these simple and nutritious ingredients to make this delicious carrot cake protein ball recipe.
- Carrots: you’ll need about 2-3 fresh carrots for this recipe. Either grate them by hand or use the grater attachment on your food processor to make it even easier.
- Medjool dates: soft, sticky dates are best for protein ball recipes like this one. If your dates are not super soft, soak them in hot water for 5-10 before using them in this recipe.
- Protein powder: pack these bite-sized snacks with protein by mixing in your favorite brand of protein powder. I like to use a vanilla protein powder for this no-bake protein balls recipe.
- Raisins: a classic carrot cake ingredient that adds natural sweetness to these energy balls.
- Walnuts: walnuts add just a bit of crunch to these carrot cake balls. If you don’t have walnuts, you can use pecans or almonds instead.
- Almond Butter: to help these protein balls stick together and add healthy fats, I add some nut butter. Almond butter is my favorite, but you could also use cashew butter.
- Oat Flour: these can be a little sticky, so the oat flour helps make them more rollable. Use gluten free oat flour to make these gluten free. You can substitute with coconut flour or almond flour.
- Cinnamon, Ginger & Nutmeg: classic spices to infuse these balls with the carrot cake flavor that we all love.
Carrot Cake Protein Ball Variations
Try these variations to make this protein-packed snack your own!
- Add Seeds: if you want to bump up the fiber and healthy fats in these carrot energy bites, add a couple tablespoons of chia seeds or flaxseed meal.
- Make it Vegan: use vegan protein powder for these healthy carrot cake bites.
- Make it Gluten Free: use gluten free certified oat flour or substitute with almond flour or coconut flour.
- Skip the Coconut: don’t like coconut? Skip the coconut! If you want some kind of fun topping, melt white chocolate chips in the microwave and drizzle over top of the rolled carrot cake bites instead.
How to Make No Bake Carrot Cake Protein Bites
This simple and delicious recipe follows easy instructions with no baking needed.
- Blend: add the dates, raisins, and walnuts to the bowl of a food processor and blend until it sticks together in a ball. Add the rest of the ingredients (shredded carrots, protein powder, almond butter, oat flour, and spices). Pulse until dough forms. Place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes.
- Shape: Use a tablespoon or medium cookie scoop to form them into 1.5 inch balls then place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Roll in Coconut: Roll each protein ball into the shredded coconut to coat well. Store the no bake carrot cake bites in an airtight container for up to one week or in the freezer for up to one month.
Recommended Tools for this Recipe
- Food processor
- Cookie scoop
- Airtight container for storage
When Should You Eat Protein Balls?
These carrot cake energy bites make a great healthy snack for anytime of day. You could even pair them with a smoothie for a healthy breakfast option on the go. I packed these carrot cake protein balls full of protein so they make a great option for both pre and post workout.
Are Energy Bites Good For You?
Yes, these carrot cake energy bites are a nutrient-dense, easy snack option that is the perfect little bite of carrot cake flavor. They are a good source of protein as well as fiber, healthy fats, and a variety of vitamins and minerals such as vitamin A, B vitamins, iron, potassium, and magnesium.
More Protein-Packed Snacks to Try
- No Bake Peanut Butter Energy Balls
- High Protein Overnight Oats
- Healthy Green Protein Smoothie
- Protein Bars with Peanut Butter
- Strawberry Peanut Butter Smoothie
Carrot Cake Protein Balls
Equipment
- Food processor
- Cookie scoop
- Airtight container for storage
Ingredients
- 8 medjool dates, pitted
- 1/2 cup walnuts
- 1/4 cup raisins
- 1 cup shredded carrot
- ¼ cup almond butter
- ½ cup vanilla protein powder
- ¼ cup oat flour
- 1 heaping tablespoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- Pinch sea salt
- Unsweetened, shredded coconut for rolling
Instructions
- Blend: add the dates, raisins, and walnuts to the bowl of a food processor and blend until it sticks together in a ball. Add the rest of the ingredients (shredded carrots, protein powder, almond butter, oat flour, and spices). Pulse until dough forms.. Place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 30 minutes.
- Shape: Use a tablespoon or medium cookie scoop to form them into 1.5 inch balls then place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Roll in Coconut: Add the shredded coconut to a small plate and roll each protein ball into the shredded coconut to coat well. Store in an airtight container for up to one week or in the freezer for up to one month.
So nothing is cooked here? On Dr. Mercola’s site the recipe mentions cooking. And, are they supposed to be eaten frozen, or can be thawed and still stick together? Frozen things do not agree with my teeth, or tummy! thanks!
Hi Karen – No they aren’t cooked, there was a typo on Dr. Mercola’s site saying they should be cooked and add parsley… You can thaw them if you don’t want to eat them out of the freezer. They should hold together just fine!
I’m having trouble finding organic collagen powder, my searches keep bringing up ‘whey protein’ products. Any suggestions?
Thanks for your time. 🙂
OOPS! Just saw your collagen suggestion from Amazon…sorry to have bothered you 🙂
You’re not a bother! Glad you found it 🙂