These quick and easy oatmeal peanut butter energy balls are a great snack option! Oats, peanut butter, honey, and yummy mix-ins make a simple bite that your family will love.
Ever since my kids were little, they’ve been huge fans of energy bites…
My Sweet and Salty Energy Bites were a huge hit, as were my Homemade Larabar Bites. And the last batch of No-Bake Brownie Bites was gobbled up in MINUTES.
I wanted to create a new recipe that was fun enough for a snack, but healthy enough for the kids to grab a few for breakfast or lunch too – so I created these oatmeal peanut butter energy balls!
EASY PEANUT BUTTER ENERGY BALLS
My kids will demolish these peanut butter energy balls in no time, so I know they please even my picky eater. I personally love these because…
- They’re made with ingredients I always have in the pantry
- The recipe can easily be halved or doubled (or tripled)
- I can freeze the bites for later
- They’re fun enough for healthy snacking, full of healthy fats!
OATMEAL ENERGY BALLS RECIPE INGREDIENTS
Here’s what you need to make this healthy peanut butter energy balls recipe:
- Rolled Oats. Also called old-fashioned oats. These are the base for the protein balls. Use certified gluten free oats if needed for gluten-free.
- Peanut Butter. Look for natural peanut butter without added sugar or high fructose corn syrup. You can sub almond butter here too.
- Honey. To make these power balls just sweet enough. I would not substitute maple syrup in this recipe. You need the thick honey!
- Add-ins. The little bits that add flavor and keep the kids coming back for more. See the list below for ideas.
- Ground Flax Seed. High in fiber and protein, milled flax seed adds a nutty flavor to peanut butter balls.
- Chocolate Chips. Use mini dark chocolate chips to get more bits of chocolate spread throughout the energy balls or use regular dark chocolate chips or semisweet chocolate chips if that’s what you have.
- Vanilla Extract. Vanilla is easy to make on your own!
I’m betting you have all these ingredients in your pantry, right? Let’s get to making these awesome little snack bites!
PEANUT BUTTER ENERGY BALLS RECIPE ADD-INS
Are you looking to shake things up with these no-bake energy balls? Here are some suggestions for add-ins:
- Coconut flakes
- Dark mini chocolate chips
- Unsweetened shredded coconut
- Seeds like sunflower seeds or pepitas
- Nuts like chopped pecans or walnuts or sliced almonds
- Protein powder
- Collagen
- Chia seeds
- Dried cranberries
- Raisins for an oatmeal raisin energy ball recipe!
HOW TO MAKE PEANUT BUTTER PROTEIN BALLS
Step 1. Combine the oats, peanut butter, and honey in the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the paddle attachment, mix on low until the oats are thoroughly covered.
Note: If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can use a large mixing bowl and spoon. Make sure the oats are completely covered before moving on to the next step.
Step 2. Add the add-ins, ground flax seeds, chocolate chips, and vanilla. Stir very well.
Step 3. Shape into balls (either bite-sized or two-bite-sized) and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. It helps to wet your hands now and then as you’re rolling the balls so that the dough doesn’t stick to your hands. You can also use a small cookie scoop.
You can also press the mixture into a parchment-lined 8×8 baking pan and make energy bars instead.
Step 4. Freeze for 1-2 hours. Remove the no bake energy bites from the cookie sheet and store them in a freezer-safe bag.
To serve, let the energy balls thaw at room temperature for a few minutes. (I like to keep a few protein balls in the fridge, so I don’t have to wait when I want a snack!)
TIPS FOR PEANUT BUTTER BITES
- Don’t have rolled oats? Use instant oats or try my homemade version of instant oat packets.
- Can’t have peanut butter? Use a different nut butter (almond butter or cashew butter) or use a nut-free option like sunflower seed butter.
- Don’t have flaxseed? Use oat flour instead.
- If you use natural peanut butter, make sure you stir it REALLY well so that you’re not adding too much oil to the mixture.
- If you go through one batch recipe power balls quickly, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator and eat them within a week. No need to wait for them to thaw!
RECIPE POWER BALLS FAQS
Are energy balls actually healthy?
If you look at the ingredients, these peanut butter energy balls have much simpler, real food ingredients than any processed snack you’ll buy at the store!
Why are my energy balls not sticking together?
The peanut butter and the honey are the “glue,” and it’s important that you thoroughly coat the oats with this mixture BEFORE you add anything else. Not doing this can lead to dry patches and crumbly snacks.
Do energy ball recipes give you energy?
Yes! Food is fuel, and your body uses food as energy.
How many energy balls can you eat in a day?
We usually grab 2 or 3 of these protein balls for a snack or to add to a meal.
MORE NO BAKE HEALTHY SNACK RECIPES
- Sweet and Salty Energy Bites
- Brownie Bites
- Pumpkin Larabar Bites
- No-Bake Cheesecake
- Chocolate Peanut Butter No Bake Cookies
- No-Bake Coconut Blueberry Pie Recipe (Whole30)
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These quick and easy oatmeal peanut butter energy balls are a great snack option! Oats, peanut butter, honey, and yummy mix-ins make a simple bite that your family will love.
- Prep Time: 0 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 3 dozen bites 1x
- Category: Snacks
- Method: Freeze
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 2 cups rolled oats (or instant oats)
- 1 cup peanut butter (or other nut butter or seed butter)
- ⅔ cup honey
- 2 cups add-ins (i.e. coconut flakes, seeds, protein powder, collagen, etc.)
- 1 cup ground flaxseed
- 1 cup mini dark chocolate chips
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
Instructions
1. Combine the oats, peanut butter, and honey in the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the paddle attachment, mix on low until the oats are thoroughly covered.
If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can use a large bowl and spoon. Make sure the oats are completely covered before moving on to the next step.
2. Add the add-ins, ground flax seeds, chocolate chips, and vanilla. Stir very well.
3. Shape into balls (either bite-sized or two-bite-sized) and place on a cookie sheet. (It helps to wet your hands now and then as your rolling the balls so that the dough doesn’t stick to your hands.)
4. Freeze for 1-2 hours. Remove the energy balls from the cookie sheet and store them in a freezer-safe bag.
Notes
- If you go through one batch recipe power balls quickly, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator and eat them within a week. No need to wait for them to thaw!
- Can’t have peanut butter? Use a different nut butter (almond butter or cashew butter) or use a nut-free option like sunflower seed butter.
- To serve, let the energy bite thaw at room temperature for a few minutes. (I like to keep a few energy balls in the fridge so I don’t have to wait when I want a snack!)
- Don’t have rolled oats? Use instant oats or try my homemade version of instant oat packets.
- Don’t have flaxseed? Use oat flour instead.
- If you use natural peanut butter, make sure you stir it REALLY well so that you’re not adding too much oil to the mixture
Nutrition
- Calories: 356
Oh man!! These are GREAT!! I have tried to find recipes for a snack/treat that was healthy, but they have all tasted TOO healthy and weren’t indulgent enough to be what I was looking for. I followed this, and also used sesame seeds and cacao powder, coconut flakes, chia seeds, and collagen for the add-ons. These are so yum!!! Thank you so much!