Free Printable: Low Carb & Keto Food List
Get It NowIf you’re anything like me, you’ll love keeping a stash of these low carb keto energy balls around… they are one of my favorite low carb sweet snacks. They’ll fill you up and satisfy your sweet tooth at the same time. Plus, these keto bites are made with simple and nutritious ingredients, and the best flavor combination… peanut butter and chocolate!
If you love this combo as much as I do, give my chocolate peanut butter smoothie, chocolate peanut butter fat bombs, or chocolate chip peanut butter protein cookies a try, too. Or if you like the idea of bites like this but are more flexible in your low carb approach, you might like my bliss balls instead.
Why You Need My Keto Energy Balls Recipe

- Sweet with flavors of chocolate, peanut butter, and maple
- Perfect combo of soft and crunchy
- Ready in 15 minutes
- Keto, paleo, grain-free, dairy-free, and gluten-free
- Just 1.7g net carbs each
- No oven required (they are no bake!)

Most energy balls are sweetened with dried fruit, honey, or maple syrup, and use oats as a primary ingredient. Instead, my keto version is sweetened with Wholesome Yum Keto Maple Syrup and uses a nut and nut butter blend for a similar texture to traditional oat ones. The syrup helps the balls stick together, but I also love how it adds a maple flavor and sweetness… with only 2g net carbs and 20 calories per serving!
Get Wholesome Yum Keto Maple Syrup Here
And of course, the syrup is delicious on all your favorite keto breakfast foods – like my keto pancakes, chaffles, and waffles!
How To Make Low Carb Energy Balls
I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
- Pulse almonds. Place almonds in food processor and pulse until you have a mixture of chopped almonds and almond meal.
- Mix dry ingredients. Add shredded coconut, flaxseed meal, and salt. Pulse a few times until uniform.
- Add wet ingredients. Add peanut butter, Wholesome Yum Keto Maple Syrup, and vanilla. Pulse again until uniform.



- Fold. Use a spatula to fold in chocolate chips.
TIP: You can remove the blade to make folding easier.
This will also protect your spatula… or transfer to a bowl and mix there.


- Form. Use a small cookie scoop and your hands to grab the dough and form the keto power bites into 1-inch balls and place on parchment paper.

Common Questions
Are energy balls low carb?
Most energy balls are made with high-carb ingredients like oats, dried fruit, and honey or maple syrup, so would not be low carb or keto friendly.
These low carb no bake energy balls are made with keto friendly ingredients like almonds, coconut, flaxseed, peanut butter, keto maple syrup, and sugar-free dark chocolate chips.
Are these energy balls keto?
Yes! Carbs in energy bites will vary recipe to recipe, but because I use lower-carb ingredients in mine, they are just 1.7 grams net carbs each.
Can I make them nut-free?
Absolutely! You can swap the almonds with sunflower seeds and swap the peanut butter with sunflower seed butter.
Can I use something else instead of the maple syrup?
First, let me just say that the Wholesome Yum Keto Maple Syrup I use to sweeten and bind the energy balls is keto friendly — unlike regular maple syrup, which is too high in sugar. Other sugar-free maple syrup brands should work if they have the same thick consistency, but this is the only one that has a real maple syrup taste and natural ingredients.
If you don’t want to use a maple syrup at all, you can’t replace it with a granulated or powdered sweetener without changing the wet/dry ratio. But, you can use a different liquid sweetener with a similar consistency, like my sugar-free simple syrup or even sugar-free vanilla syrup.

Recipe Variations
- Peanut – Swap the almonds for peanuts. Or add a boost of protein by making my protein peanut butter balls!
- Nut Free – Use sunflower seeds instead of almonds and sunflower seed butter instead of peanut butter.
- Double Chocolate – Replace 2 tablespoons of the flaxseed meal with cocoa powder. You might also like my chocolate keto fat bombs to get this vibe.
- Snickerdoodle – Add a couple teaspoons of cinnamon and omit the chocolate chips.
Storage Instructions
- Store: I love these keto no bake energy balls for a make-ahead snack! Just keep them in the fridge for up to 1 week. I use a glass storage container like this.
- Freeze: You can keep the bites in the freezer for 3-6 months. Take them out to thaw slightly before biting in!

More Keto Snack Recipes
If you like this low carb energy balls recipe, you might also like some of my other keto snack recipes:
- Keto Granola Bars – You can wrap these individually and store in your pantry. Convenient and delicious!
- Keto Cookie Dough Bites – Just 10 minutes to prep these sweet bites that have just 1.5 grams net carbs each.
- Chocolate Fat Bombs – These will keep you full AND satisfy your sweet tooth.
- Keto Popcorn – The satisfaction and crunch of popcorn, without the carbs!
My Tools For This Recipe
- Food Processor – It makes these bites come together in no time, and this one is my favorite. It has lasted me for years.
- Keto Maple Syrup – The key sweetener and binder for my sugar free energy balls. Check out the reviews to see how much it tastes like the real thing!
- Sugar-Free Chocolate Chips – These are my go-to for all my sugar-free chocolate recipes.
Keto Energy Balls
Sweet low carb keto energy balls are super easy, grain-free, no bake, and 1.7g net carbs each! Make these keto bites with just 7 ingredients and 15 minutes.
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
-
Place the almonds into a food processor. Pulse (starting and stopping every couple seconds) until you have a mixture of chopped almonds and almond meal.
-
Add the shredded coconut, flaxseed meal and salt. Pulse a couple of times, just until uniform. (Do not overmix.)
-
Add the peanut butter, syrup, and vanilla. Pulse again until just combined. (Again, do not overmix.)
-
Use a spatula to fold in the chocolate chips and press them into the mixture.
-
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Use a small cookie scoop and your hands to form the mixture into 1-inch balls and place on the parchment paper. Enjoy right away, refrigerate, or freeze.
Did You Like It?
Leave a rating to help other readers (this also helps me continue to provide free recipes on my site), or get the recipe sent to your inbox.
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 energy ball
📖 Want more recipes like this? Find this one and many more in my Keto Freezer Meal System!
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
Add Your Notes Your Notes
© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead.
Keto Energy Balls Recipe

Shop
My
Custom













103 Comments
Suzi
1Can I use ground flaxseed in this instead of flaxseed meal?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Suzi, Yes, that is the same thing.
Michelle
0Great recipe. I thought after all the ingredients had been added the mixture was to crumbly/dry but after working the mixture in your hands to form balls the moisture came through. My perfect morning and afternoon tea snack, hard to stick to one each time!
Jules
0Can I sub anything for the coconut? I’ve never had it in something so not sure I’ll like it and wanted to check on a sub before I test this out. Thank you!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Jules, It’s a significant part of the recipe and absorbs moisture differently from other ingredients, so I don’t recommend substituting. You might like my peanut butter protein balls instead, which don’t have coconut.
Lise
0These were exactly what I needed when my sweet tooth acted up! Delicious!
Wholesome Yum D
0I’m so glad they hit the spot, Lise! Perfect for those sweet tooth moments.
Sharon
0This recipe turned out great! My husband and I are on a low-carb diet, and these are perfect to eat with a low-carb shake for a quick breakfast. This is my second time making them. After the first time, my husband urged me to make them again and said he liked them. We have tried many low-carb recipes, and some we didn’t like, but if he asked for more, I knew they were good. I would like to know if the recipe would be altered in the wrong way by adding more peanut butter?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I’m so glad you and your husband enjoyed these, Sharon! A little more peanut butter might be okay, but a lot more would make them more sticky and fragile.
Rhoda Nightingale
0Being on a low carb diet, my husband and I LOVE these Energy balls.. definitely use the Wholesome Yum No Sugar Maple Syrup! They’re great when I need that sweet snack!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you so much, Rhoda! You both enjoy!
Estee
0Taste is good, but don’t stay together very well. Seems there is too many chips. Might try again with less.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0I’m glad you liked the taste, Estee! Sorry to hear they didn’t stay together well. It could be a number of reasons, like measuring a little differently than I did, a different brand of a certain ingredient, or not pulsing the ingredients finely enough when processing. I linked the ingredient brands I use on the recipe card above. Feel free to add a little extra peanut butter to help them stay together better.
img761
0These energy balls are addictive. The fact that they are keto makes them more delicious. The peanut butter and almond combination is brilliant.and I can’t stop eating them.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you! I’m so glad you liked these.
Monica
0This was the best keto bite I’ve tried making yet!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you so much, Monica! I’m so happy you liked these.
MaryJo Demenczuk
0Just started keto. Will this work for that late evening hunger attack? Love your website and will be learning steps to learn how to change my diet to Keto! Thanks for your hard work in this field.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi MaryJo, Yes, absolutely! I’m so glad you’re finding my site helpful for your keto journey — thank you.
Carmen
0Where is the protein ball recipe?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Carmen, If you’re looking for my keto energy balls, the recipe is on the recipe card above.
Rosa
0Can you use keto honey substitute instead of maple syrup?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Rosa, Yes, this keto honey would work great! Since it’s thicker than maple syrup, you might need just a little bit more.
Gale
0My husband and I love this quick and filling healthy snack alternative. Great on the go and curbs your appetite. I used walnuts in place of almonds and still delicious.
Carol L
0I might add in some organic instant coffee powder for an extra kick.
Martha
0Hello, about how long do these last in the fridge once made?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Martha, They’ll last about a week in the fridge. As always, I have storage options and times in the post above the recipe card. Hope you like these energy balls!
Tammy
0Could you add chopped up canned mandarin oranges (in water) to have a chocolate orange ball? I don’t know if I would need to dehydrate them first. I’ve also experimented and switched the almonds to chopped hazelnuts, added a bit of dried (no sugar added) cranberries. Heavenly! We keep ours in the freezer. Idk why but it always seems to brighten the experience of the tastes even more. Thank you for this recipe ☺️?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Tammy, I have never tried that specific fruit in this recipe.
Mallory
0These look yummy! I’m allergic to Almonds, what could I substitute? Also allergic to cashews & macadamia..
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Mallory, You can use any nut that you can have.
Marsha Grisell
0These are really delicious. Thanks for the great low carb snack.
Dara
0Had to use sugar free syrup but other than that this recipe was great! Was very easy and fun to make. Thank you.
Tina
0Was delicious!
c
0Can I use zero sugar honey in place of the maple syrup?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi, Yes, that would work.
Anna
0Quick win! I used half Lily’s peanut butter chips and half dark chocolate.
Amy
0Omg this is the BEST keto protein ball recipe I’ve ever tried!!!! Super easy and very yum
Margie
0I haven’t tried these yet but they sound yummy. Do you think I could add Protein powder and if so, how much would you add?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Margie, I have never tried that in this recipe but if you do please let me know your results.
Ratna Clifford
0I just started my keto journey, and been trying any recipes. I found this recipe and gave it a go. OMG!! It’s YUMMM!!
I replaced choco chips with cocoa nibs instead, and added almond moccha butter as well in the mix because I ran out of peanut butter. Silly me I doubled up the recipe because I didn’t realise that 1 recipe yield 36 balls ?? That’s alright, at least I don’t have to make any more in the mean time. Thank you for assisting this recipe ?
Jo Lynn
0My husband and I really enjoyed these. Instead of peanut butter, I used 1/3 C. of almond butter and 1/3 C. of Choc Zero’s Cookie Spread. So good!!!
Lori
0How many balls does this recipe make?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Lori, This recipe makes 36 energy balls.
Serena
0Can I freeze the balls?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Serena, You can keep the bites in the freezer for 3-6 months.
Maggie
0I want to make these for Kentucky Derby. Can I soak them in bourbon without having them fall apart?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Maggie, I have never done this, but let me know the results if you do.
Wendy
0Yum. These are delicious! Just enough sweetness! Thank you for the recipe! We haven’t had a recipe of yours that we haven’t loved.
Wendy
0These are really good. I don’t even like coconut, but I do not mind it in this recipe. Very satisfying and easy to make.
Nancy
0I love these!! I make them all the time to have some on hand. They make great filling snacks that hold me for quite a while. My question is do you think these would be okay unrefrigerated for several hours? I want to take them on a plane trip…don’t think I could bear being without them for several days:)
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Nancy, Yes, that should work fine.
Georgee Campbell
0How many grams is one ball?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Georgee, This recipe makes 36 servings. If you want to know the weight of each serving, you will have to weigh the mixture and then divide by 36.
Lisa
0Can you use chia seed in place of flaxseed?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Lisa, I wouldn’t replace the flax seed with chia. You could add chia seeds, but they wouldn’t replace the flaxseed.
Christine
0Hi. Would I use the same amount of sugar free vanilla sweetener as maple syrup since I don’t like maple taste.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Christine, Yes, you’d use the same amount if you use Wholesome Yum sugar-free vanilla syrup.
Kim
0These are awesome and so easy to make. I’m watching my carbs and these keto energy balls are a great sugar free low carb treat. So happy I found this recipe. Thank you Maya ❤️
Janice Nelson
0I had trouble with the recipe. Was not moist and the mixture was like sawdust with a bit of peanut butter. Would not roll into balls, just fell apart. Help please!
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Janice, Did you use peanut butter with the oil?
Cindie
0I used Almond Butter instead of peanut butter and the same amount of Wholesome Yum Keto Syrup instead of Maple Syrup. Taste fantastic! I will definitely make again. Thanks!
Terry
0These are sooooo good! I can’t believe something that tastes this good, like regular unhealthy candy, can be healthy. And I’m sure the rest of my family who usually doesn’t go for my healthy treats will love them too.
Linda
0If I don’t have the keto maple syrup, what could I substitute?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Linda, There is a whole section in the post about how to replace the maple syrup, but you can also get the syrup here.
Elisa Castagna
0Absolutely delicious! Absolutely easy! The entire family loves these!
Tawny
0Can I use your Keto Honey instead of the maple syrup, and if so, how much Keto honey? Thank you!
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Tawny, I have not tried this yet but it should work. Please let me know the results if you try it out.
Bert Rutherford
0Wondering if you’ve ever tried hemp hearts in a recipe like this. I absolutely love them and they have all kinds of nutritional value from what I can see.
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Bert, I have never tried to add hemp hearts to this recipe, but I believe it should work out good for you.
Jamie
0What can I sub if I don’t have flaxseed meal?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Jamie, You could make the double chocolate version, replace 2 tablespoons of the flaxseed meal with cocoa powder.
Linda M Wheeler
0Any substitute for coconut flakes? I do not like coconut at all
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Linda, Your favorite finely chopped nuts would work great in this recipe in place of coconut. Enjoy!
Ellie
0Really great ratios and textures. I didn’t have almonds so I substituted with pumpkin seeds and hemp hearts (totalling 1 1/2c) Worked out great and was really yummy!
Carol
0Excellent and easy! Great anytime treat.
Lynn Williams
0Are there any substitutes for coconut.
I don’t like coconut.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Lynn, Feel free to sub in more chopped nuts in place of the shredded coconut. Enjoy!
William Fulton
0Ok, I tried this with Macadamia nut flour to improve the Omega 3/6 profile. These are delicious!
Adina Conroy
0These are great. I followed the instructions exactly and they came out perfectly. I have had some busy mornings so popping one in my mouth in the morning with my coffee keeps me going for several hours. I don’t have much of a sweet tooth so I hope Maya creates a savory version that still includes the coconut – which I love.
Mary Fick
0I don’t own a food processor but my local store sells “almond meal”. How much almond meal would I use for this recipe? Also I have “milled flaxseeds” on hand. Can that be substituted for the golden flaxseeds? Thank you! I love you Maya, you’re my go to keto girl!!!
Rebecca
0I also don’t have a food processor but I used my ninja blender and it worked fine.
Wholesome Yum M
0Hi Mary, I think this recipe can be done by hand, but it will take a lot of muscle! Almond meal and milled flaxseeds should work. Best wishes!
Gurmit
0Made these Keto peanut butter balls – not quite to the letter (had no flaxseed meal or Keto maple syrup). I used a very small amount of normal maple syrup with monk fruit sweetener and they tasted great!