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Our Love Language is Food > Recipes > Snacks & Apps

Published: Aug 27, 2021 · Modified: Jun 23, 2022 by Meredith · This post may contain affiliate links · 4 Comments

Birthday Cake Energy Balls (Easy, No Bake Recipe)

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Birthday cake energy balls are a fun and easy snack made with wholesome ingredients and fun colorful sprinkles. With all the deliciousness of vanilla birthday cake but the nourishment from whole food ingredients, these make a great snack for after school, on-the-go, or as a little snack between meals.

Small Glass Bowl of Birthday Cake Energy Bites.

No bake energy bites are one of my favorite snack recipes to make at home. Like our peanut butter chocolate chip energy balls, these birthday cake protein bites are full of protein, fiber, and lots of other nutrients which actually helps to tide me over until my next meal!

Since these hold up well all week long, I love making a big batch of these at the beginning of the week so I can grab a little something that I know is made with nutritious ingredients any time. These bite-sized balls make a great better-for-you dessert to satisfy your sweet tooth too!

Since rainbow sprinkles make these an extra fun snack, these may be a great way to get any picky eaters you have at home to try something new.

Jump to:
  • Why You’ll Love This Cashew Butter Protein Balls Recipe
  • Ingredients Needed
  • Recipe Variations and Substitutions
  • Step-By-Step Instructions
  • Possible Dietary Restrictions?
  • ​Storage
  • Expert Tips
  • Recipe FAQs
  • Love This Recipe? You May Also Enjoy
  • 📖 Birthday Cake Energy Balls

Why You’ll Love This Cashew Butter Protein Balls Recipe

Easy to make. A little measuring, stirring ingredients together, and then rolling into balls… it doesn’t get much easier than that! The perfect snack recipe to try for newer cooks or having little hands helping you in the kitchen.

Tasty birthday-inspired flavor. These sprinkle-filled energy bites bring you that birthday cake taste without all the extra calories and sugar.

Wholesome snack that’s fun! A fun snack that tastes like vanilla cake but it packed with good-for-you ingredients like rolled oats and chia seeds, natural sweetness from pure maple syrup, and some extra grams of protein from both nut butter and protein powder?! Sign me up!

Ingredients Needed

Ingredients needed to make birthday cake energy bites.

Cashew Butter: I have tried this recipe with peanut butter, almond butter, and cashew butter. Cashew butter simply works the best in this recipe. It has the nut butter texture you need to hold your energy balls together without having an overpowering flavor. This allows that birthday cake taste to prevail in your snack!

Old Fashioned Rolled Oats: Use your favorite old fashioned oats or rolled oats (NOT quick cook oats) to make this energy balls recipe. Old fashioned oats are less processed than quick cook oats, leaving them with a sturdier texture which make them ideal for these birthday cake protein balls.

Vanilla Protein Powder: Use your favorite vanilla protein powder in this energy bites recipe! There are a lot of protein powder options out there, and some are better for you than others. I recommend selecting a protein powder with minimal ingredients. I personally like and use this whey protein powder because I know what every ingredient listed is (and their vanilla has less than 5 ingredients total!). You can use also plant-based vanilla proteins for this recipe. I’ve used this plant-based protein in the past and enjoyed it.

Pure Maple Syrup: This natural sweetener gives your energy bites just enough sweetness. Please make sure to use real maple syrup (NOT pancake syrup) for this recipe.

Chia Seeds: Chia seeds pack a huge nutritional punch! They are loaded with fiber, protein, omega-3s, antioxidants, and so much more. They’re a superfood for a reason, and they’re relatively easy to find these days in your local grocery store. A great addition to energy bites.

Vanilla Extract: Helps to give these birthday cake energy bites that pop of birthday cake flavor you’re looking for!

Almond Extract: Optional, but highly recommended. Adding almond extract really takes these birthday cake protein balls to the next level.

Your Favorite Sprinkles: The fun twist giving these birthday cake energy balls that birthday vibe. I recommend using your favorite type of standard sprinkles (also known as sugar strands or jimmies).

See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

Recipe Variations and Substitutions

Don’t have cashew butter? Try peanut butter instead. If making this substitution, please note that peanut butter has a much stronger flavor profile than cashew butter. This results in energy bites that will have more of a peanut butter taste with birthday cake undertones. They’re still perfectly delicious (I have made them this way several times), but using peanut butter doesn’t give you that pop of birthday cake flavor you would expect.

Step-By-Step Instructions

Step 1: Pre-soak your chia seeds in a small bowl by mixing together your chia seeds and water. Set aside while you measure and mix your other ingredients. If you remember, give it a little stir part way through the next step.

Process shot showing dry ingredients and wet ingredients measured out into a mixing bowl.

Step 2: In a large bowl, mix together the oats, protein powder, maple syrup, vanilla and almond extracts, and cashew butter until mostly combined. 

Process shot showing the pre-soaked chia seeds being added to the mixing bowl.

Step 3: Add in the pre-soaked chia seeds and stir until uniform. 

Process shot showing the birthday cake energy ball dough mixed together.

Step 4: Gently stir in the sprinkles last to minimize the chances of breaking them.

Process shot showing a small cooking scoop dividing out the dough for each ball.

Step 5: Roll the energy bite dough into balls by rolling a small scoop of dough into a ball between your hands. You may need to gently press the dough together to help it form into a ball as you roll. I like to use a small cookie scoop to get evenly sized protein balls (you could also use a Tablespoon measure or wing it using a regular spoon).

Process shot showing a completed birthday cake energy bite, dipped in extra sprinkles.

Step 6: Lightly roll each energy ball into additional sprinkles to mostly coat the outside. I often will lightly dab the outside of the energy bites into the sprinkles and then roll them again in my hand to ensure the sprinkles stick.

Step 7: Place protein balls onto a lined cookie sheet, or into a storage container, and place into the refrigerator to finish setting up.

Possible Dietary Restrictions?

This protein ball recipe is vegetarian, gluten free, and vegan as written. However, a few notes:

  • For those with celiac disease it is important to verify the rolled oats you are using specifically note gluten free on the packaging. This will ensure that you are making gluten free protein balls.
  • You will also want to verify that the protein powder you are using meet your dietary needs. My go-to protein powder is this whey protein which is vegetarian friendly. I’ve also used and enjoy this vegan protein powder which is certified to be both vegan and gluten free.
  • It would also be good to double-check your sprinkles for any ingredients they may not meet your dietary requirements.
Small Glass Bowl of Birthday Cake Energy Bites.

​Storage

Store energy bites in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two weeks. They can also be frozen for up to 3 months if desired!

Expert Tips

Pre-soak your chia seeds. You may be tempted to skip this step, but don’t! Pre-soaking your chia seeds makes a HUGE difference in how this high protein snack turns out. Since chia seeds can soak up to 10x their weight in liquid, putting your chia seeds into this protein ball recipe without soaking them leaves you with a very dry energy ball. So ensure your energy balls have enough moisture by simply pre-soaking your chia seeds in water as you mix up the rest of your ingredients. 

Recipe FAQs

How do I get my cashew butter protein balls to all be the same size?

There are a couple of ways to do this. My favorite way to get uniformly sized protein bites is to use a small cookie scoop to portion them out. Alternatively, you could use a Tablespoon measure to accomplish the same goal.

Could I use collagen instead of protein powder in this energy bites recipe?

Yes! Swap out 1-to-1 if you’d prefer to use collagen.

What’s the best protein powder to use in this recipe?

My personal favorite is Simply Tera’s because it has minimal ingredients (4 total!) and it tastes great. If you are looking to make this into a vegan snack recipe, select a plant-based protein powder.

Is this high protein snack kid friendly?

Assuming your child does not have a nut allergy, yes! If you’ve been looking for protein balls made with wholesome ingredients that your kids will be excited about, give this recipe a try! Since the rainbow sprinkles make these an attractive snack, these protein bites may be a great way to get any picky eaters you have at home to try something new.

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Did you make this recipe? Leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating & comment below! You can also tag @ourlovelanguageisfood on Instagram & Facebook. Be sure to subscribe to our weekly newsletter to get free recipes sent directly to your inbox!

Small Glass Bowl of Birthday Cake Energy Bites.

📖 Birthday Cake Energy Balls

Meredith
Birthday cake protein balls are both fun and full of good-for-you ingredients. This easy, no-bake snack recipe is a great option to enjoy between meals, as a quick snack to-go, or even as a dessert substitute!
5 from 7 votes
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Prep Time 20 minutes mins
Total Time 20 minutes mins
Course Snack
Cuisine American
Servings 26 Servings
Calories 85 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tablespoon chia seeds
  • 3 tablespoon water
  • 1.5 C rolled oats
  • 3 tablespoon vanilla protein powder
  • ¼ C pure maple syrup
  • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon almond extract
  • ¾ C cashew butter
  • 2 tablespoon sprinkles + more for rolling

Instructions
 

  • In a small bowl, mix together the chia and water and set aside to pre-soak while you measure and mix the other ingredients. Give the chia a stir part way through the next step
  • In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients (except the chia, water, and sprinkles). When almost all of the way combined, add in your pre-soaked chia and any remaining water and stir until uniform. Finally, gently stir in the sprinkles until distributed throughout
  • Roll into 1″ balls by rolling a scoop of dough into a ball between your hands. You may need to gently press the dough together to help it form into a ball as you roll
  • Lightly roll each protein ball into additional sprinkles to coat the outside. Note: it is often helpful to lightly dab the outside of each energy bite into the sprinkles and then roll them again in your hands to ensure the sprinkles stick
  • Place protein balls on a lined cookie sheet (or in a storage container) and place into the refrigerator to finish setting up
  • Store protein balls in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to a week

Notes

*Note on pre-soaking your chia seeds: doing this step makes a big difference in the final texture of your protein balls! Since chia seeds can soak up to 10x their weight in liquid, putting your chia seeds into this peanut butter protein ball recipe dry leaves you with a very dry energy ball.

Nutrition

Calories: 85kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 3gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 3mgSodium: 6mgPotassium: 73mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 1IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 20mgIron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

    5 from 7 votes (5 ratings without comment)

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    How many stars would you give this recipe?




  1. Meghan says

    March 11, 2025 at 3:28 pm

    5 stars
    So good I had to share the recipe with school friends! Great for lunchboxes!

    Reply
    • Meredith says

      March 11, 2025 at 10:19 pm

      So glad these were a hit Meghan!! Thanks for giving them a try, and for sharing the recipe with friends 🙂

      Reply
  2. Serena says

    November 19, 2024 at 7:00 pm

    5 stars
    Quite tasty! Easy to make. Thank you 🙂

    Reply
    • Meredith says

      November 21, 2024 at 11:33 am

      So happy to hear you enjoyed these Serena, thanks for giving our recipe a try!

      Reply

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Photo of Meredith, creator of Our Love Language is Food, with a cookie sheet filled with dough balls ready to bake next to a stand mixer with more cookie dough.

Hi, I'm Meredith!

I am a Midwest-based foodie and mom working full time by day and sharing my passion for all things food by night. Follow along for great recipes to share with your family and friends. I've got you covered for breakfast, dinner, snack-time, parties, desserts, drinks, and more!

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