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Looking for a tasty and nutritious snack to keep you going throughout the day? Look no further than these Peanut Butter Energy Balls! These little balls of goodness are packed with healthy ingredients like peanut butter, oats, nuts, and seeds, and they’re the perfect pick-me-up when you need a quick boost of energy.
These little treasures of a snack are a big hit with my family, and when I make them, they always tell me that I need to make them more often. Closely tied with my no-bake energy bites, granola bars, and homemade trail mix, they top our list of easy snack recipes.
Not only are these energy balls easy to make (no oven required!), but they’re also customizable to your taste preferences, so you can mix and match ingredients to create the perfect snack.
Filled with simple ingredients that have many great health benefits, these no-bake peanut butter energy bites not only taste great but are also great for your body… walnuts, ground flaxseed, and cinnamon.
These sweet treats are loaded with healthy fats and are a great little energy boost to encourage healthy snacking for your whole family. They have a decent amount of protein, and I personally think they taste like peanut butter cookie dough – so these little energy bites are a win all around. These little power balls make a great afternoon snack, but they can really be enjoyed any time of day. They are great snacks for road trips and camping trips as well!
Ingredients in Energy Balls
This easy recipe is made with delicious, wholesome ingredients.
- Creamy Peanut Butter – I like to use natural peanut butter that is runny and drippy. You can also use sunflower seed butter, almond butter, or cashew butter if anyone in your family has allergies. Just use your favorite nut butter.
- Honey
- Old-Fashioned Oats
- Finely Chopped Walnuts
- Ground Flaxseed – Make sure to use ground flax seeds and not whole flaxseed, as you want the flour-like texture of the ground flax to stick everything together. You can also use almond flour.
- Ground Cinnamon
- Mini chocolate chips – I like to use the Enjoy Life allergen-free chocolate chips to make this snack even healthier.
- Optional – A pinch of sea salt.
- Optional Mix-ins – You can also add chia seeds or hemp seeds to add more nutrients and healthy fats.
Equipment Needed
- A Medium or Large Mixing Bowl
- A Small Bowl or Small Saucepan
- A Small Cookie Scoop
- Measuring Cups and Measuring Spoons
How to Make Peanut Butter Energy Balls
These Peanut Butter Protein Balls are so simple to make. The first step is to melt the peanut butter and honey together until they are completely melted, stirring often. You can do this in a small bowl in the microwave or in a small saucepan on the stove.
In a separate medium bowl, mix together the oats, walnuts, and ground flaxseed.
Next, add the cinnamon…take in that beautiful scent!
Pour the peanut butter and honey mixture over the dry ingredients. Mix it all together until the ingredients are well combined.
Fold in the mini chocolate chips. You can either mix it while the peanut butter is still hot and allow the chocolate chips to melt from the heat – this will make the chocolate and peanut butter mix together and swirl…yum! It’s so good. Or, you can let it cool just a little so that it doesn’t melt and leave the chocolate chips whole.
Once all the ingredients are mixed together, cover the mixture with plastic wrap and let it chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. This will help you with rolling the “dough” into balls. When making the small balls, using a small cookie scoop gets the job done much faster. I use this one that measures one tablespoon for each scoop.
If you make them about one inch each in size, you should get about 18-20 energy bites. After you have each one shaped into a ball, press a few mini chocolate chips into them or roll them in the mini chocolate chips for a little extra sweetness!
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How to Store Protein Balls
Store them back in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to a week. These delicious energy bites are best served chilled.
That’s it…no baking or spending hours in the kitchen. Just a nice, quick recipe to make…The only problem is, just as quickly as they are made, this quick snack will be eaten!
Tasty Variations and Substitutions
You can easily add different flavors to this easy energy ball recipe by changing the mix-ins.
- Use a Different Nut Butter – I often use almond butter when I make this recipe because peanut butter is not allowed in the classroom. Sunflower seed butter is also a great classroom-safe option.
- Use Crunchy Peanut Butter to change up the texture.
- Add Cocoa Powder to really pump up the chocolate flavor.
- Add Dried Coconut Flakes or Shredded Coconut. The chocolate and coconut combination almost tastes like an almond joy.
- Add Dried Fruit. I like to use dates to add a little sweetness to these energy bites if I’m doing a lot of physical activity.
More Kid-Friendly Snack Recipes
Did you make this recipe? If so, please leave a comment and rating below. I love hearing from you.
Peanut Butter Energy Balls
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup creamy peanut butter
- 2 tablespoons honey
- ½ cup old fashioned oats
- ¼ cup walnuts finely chopped
- ¼ cup ground flaxseed
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 tablespoons mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Melt the peanut butter and honey until completely melted and combined, stirring often.⅔ cup creamy peanut butter, 2 tablespoons honey
- In a separate bowl, combine the oats, walnuts and ground flaxseed. Add in the cinnamon and mix well.½ cup old fashioned oats, ¼ cup walnuts, ¼ cup ground flaxseed, ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pour the peanut butter and honey mix over the dry ingredients. Mix together until all the ingredients are combined. Fold in the mini chocolate chips. The chocolate chips may melt from the heat of the peanut butter and honey mix.3 tablespoons mini chocolate chips
- Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
- Once it is chilled, roll into one inch balls (best to use a cookie scoop that measures one tablespoon).
- If desired, press a few mini chocolate chips to the balls or roll them in mini chocolate chips.
- Store in refrigerator, covered, for up to a week.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is approximate and is automatically calculated, so should only be used as a guide.
