The Protein Ball Co Gluten Free Vegan Protein Balls Review

The Protein Ball Co have two new delicious flavours made with plant protein, making them some of the most exciting vegan and gluten-free protein snacks on the market! We were lucky enough to have a taste test and give our verdict.

Nutrition Information

The Peanut butter + Jam flavour protein balls contain 7g of fat, 20g of carbs, 18g of sugar, and 7g of protein. The sugar and carbohydrate content seems rather high at first, but the sugar is all naturally occurring as there are no artificial sweeteners or sugars in any Protein Ball Co products so this is a big bonus. 

The Raspberry Brownie flavour protein balls contain 4g of fat, 22g of carbs, 18g of sugar, and 5g of protein. They feature a little less protein as they have no peanut butter in them, but this is still a decent amount for such a small, tasty snack.

The Peanut butter + Jam protein balls only contain a few ingredients, such as dates, peanuts, fruit juice, pea protein and brown rice protein, blueberries and strawberries. These are all whole and natural foods so there are no nasty surprises and you can eat this snack knowing there are no harsh chemicals. The Raspberry Brownie flavour also only contains a few ingredients, including dates, cashews, cacao powder, fruit juice, pea protein, and freeze-dried raspberry powder. Again, all very healthy, natural ingredients which you could find in your kitchen at home and have not been manufactured in a laboratory. The use of dates as the base of the recipe is very common in a lot of healthy snack brands and this is where most of the sugar comes from.

For those who follow a free-from diet, these tasty protein balls are gluten-free, vegan, dairy-free, wheat-free, natural, GMO-free, no soy, and contain no added sugar. Phew!

Taste

Raspberry Brownie:

My first impression of these protein balls was that they aren't super sweet, but then again brownies aren't supposed to be overly sweet. The raspberry flavour comes through amazingly and tastes real and authentic. The freeze-dried raspberry gives an awesome tang and there's a pleasant crunch from the seeds. There is a little taste from the cacao but it is overpowered somewhat by the raspberry which is very fruity and sharp. What's great about these protein balls is they are not too moreish, so you're left feeling satisfied without wanting to binge.

Peanut Butter + Jam:

As soon as you take a bite of the Peanut Butter + Jam protein balls, the genuine peanut flavour comes through straight away with a lovely earthy taste. The fruity flavour is much more muted in the Peanut Butter + Jam protein balls compared to the Raspberry Brownie flavour and they have a more savoury taste. In fact, the strawberry is subtle in a good way, meaning it's not overpowering but is just about there in the background. The real peanut pieces add a fantastic crunch and texture to the protein balls. The overall texture is absolutely spot on; not dense at all and very easy to chew. They are really light and almost fluffy, although this flavour is very moreish and you are left wanting to devour more!

Appearance

I absolutely love the appearance of these protein balls. The electric red colour from the freeze-dried raspberry powder makes the Raspberry Brownie protein balls look absolutely amazing and really inviting. It makes my mouth water just looking at them! The Peanut Butter + Jam flavour also look fantastic and the most striking thing is that they look home-made, which really hammers home the fact that they are a natural, healthy snack.

Verdict

I think the fact that The Protein Ball Co have managed to create natural, healthy protein balls which are suitable for so many people from vegans to those with Coeliac disease is fantastic. They taste sublime and really look amazing too. They make the perfect grab-and-go snack and would be ideal in a child's school lunchbox or to take to work with you to satisfy those pre-lunch hunger pangs. They are a completely guilt-free treat and really fill a niche. The only thing I'd say is it's a shame they are not suitable for those with a nut allergy, however there are plenty of healthy snacks on the market which fill that gap. It's a 10 from me!