These no-bake energy balls combine chocolate, peanut butter, and pretzels for an irresistible sweet and salty flavor! Pack these healthy energy bites in your lunch or take them along for a yummy snack.
If you ask me, the best snacks taste like peanut butter and chocolate and pretzels, all mixed up together.
As much as I enjoy Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Granola Bars, I’m currently in love with something round and mini.
I like to call them sweet and salty energy bites, and oh by the way, did I mention that they’re healthy?
Healthy is a given around this space that I call a REAL FOOD BLOG, but when you’re talking about chocolate and pretzels and even peanut butter, it warrants making the distinction.
You know as well as I do that there are PLENTY of chocolate-y, pretzel-y, peanut butter-y goodies out there that are NOT healthy, and I don’t want anyone reading this thinking we gorge ourselves on said not healthy snack recipes all day every day.
But these sweet salty energy bites are very healthy. So, let’s make a bunch and snack on these instead, okay?
NO BAKE ENERGY BALLS
Not only are these no-bake energy balls deliciously healthy, but they are also:
- Quick and Easy
- Makes a great snack and perfect for school lunches
- Freezer friendly
- Gluten-free friendly
INGREDIENTS FOR HEALTHY ENERGY BALLS
WET INGREDIENTS
- Coconut Oil. One of my favorite ingredients of all time thanks to its healthy profile. The fact that it’s solid at room temperature is worth noting too, which means these bites stay round and mini even after they’ve been in a lunch box all day.
- Honey. Honey goes so well with everything else. It also plays a supporting role of ‘energy bite glue‘, helping hold everything together. (Don’t sub with maple syrup since it won’t hold the balls together as well.)
- Peanut Butter. My preferred nut butter since it’s what I usually have on hand, but you can easily use almond butter or cashew butter (any other nut or seed butter)…Sweet and salt energy bites don’t discriminate.
DRY INGREDIENTS
- Oats. Whatever kind you have will work (quick oats, rolled oats, old-fashioned oats, gluten-free oats) because we’re going to whiz them up in the blender first anyway (I use a Blendtec like this one.)
- Coconut. Start with shredded coconut, if only to make your life easier, because you are going to blend this up too. Unsweetened shredded coconut is preferred since we’re adding honey, but if you only have sweetened in the pantry, go for it.
- Flax. An amazing super healthy super food that packs protein, fiber, and healthy fat into these tiny healthy energy balls of goodness (my favorite brand). When your eyes are closed and you’re savoring the salty and sweet moment of bliss, only to pop your eyes open to wonder how in the world something so good could possibly be so good for you, remember the ground flax seed.
- Pretzels. Use whatever you have because (shocker) we’re using the blender. I love my Blendtec and anytime I can use it to make my life easier, I’m all over it.
- Chocolate. Entirely optional here, but it kicks the sweet up a notch and it’s a must-do if you’re feeling indulgent. Use mini chocolate chips IN the energy bites themselves or dunk the finished energy bites in chocolate for chocolate peanut butter energy balls. Either way, it’s chocolate. You can’t go wrong.
INSTRUCTIONS HOW TO MAKE OATMEAL ENERGY BALLS
Now here comes the magic. You can either mash everything up in a medium bowl with a spoon OR use your stand mixer (I personally like to use my stand mixer.). In either case, I also like to use a cookie scoop for cute, uniform-sized oatmeal energy balls!
Step 1: In a stand mixer (or a large mixing bowl), combine the coconut oil, honey, and peanut butter until they are well combined and the mixture is smooth.
Step 2: Measure out ½ cup of pretzels into a blender (or food processor). Pulse until they are half crumbly and half small pieces, about 5-6 pulses.
Step 3: Without rinsing out the blender, add the oats, shredded coconut, and flaxseed. Pulse about 5-6 rounds.
Step 4: Add the dry ingredients to the bowl of wet ingredients. Using the paddle attachment, turn the mixer on low and mix all the ingredients together until they are well combined and sticky.
Step 5: Using a cookie scoop, scoop the energy balls onto a cookie sheet. Freeze for 30 minutes.
Note: Store in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer, although the freezer is preferred if you’ll be packing these in lunches. Energy balls keep for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator, but we always eat them up before then!
ENERGY BALL RECIPE VARIATIONS
- Use different nut butters like sunflower seed butter, or cashew butter, or make your own.
- Use up stray pantry ingredients like vanilla chips, cranberries, or pecans.
- Use chia seeds in place of ground flaxseed.
- Add a little cinnamon or pumpkin spice.
Check out my other Oatmeal Raisin Energy Ball recipe here!
ENERGY PROTEIN BALLS FAQS
Is there gluten in no-bake energy bites?
If you are looking to make this no-bake energy bites recipe gluten-free, you’ll just need to be sure that you are using certified gluten-free oats and gluten-free pretzels (you can find gluten-free foods at Aldi).
Are energy balls actually healthy?
These energy balls are! They have healthy fats from the coconut oil, protein and fiber from the flaxseed, and just enough sweetness from the honey without overdoing the sugar.
How many energy balls can I eat a day?
Two or three of these energy bites make a great snack or include them on your school meal plans as a side in the lunch box.
Can I make energy balls into bars instead?
Sure! Press the mixture into a parchment paper lined 8×8 pan and chill before slicing into bars. Or try my Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Granola Bars for a yummy snack bar!
MORE RECIPES FOR HEALTHY SNACKING
- Homemade Fruit Leather & Fruit Rollups
- No Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Granola Bars
- Homemade Lunchables
- 5 Minute Chocolate Hummus
- Chickpea Cookie Dough Hummus
- Homemade Pumpkin Larabar Bites
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These no-bake energy balls combine chocolate, peanut butter, and pretzels for an irresistible sweet and salty flavor! Pack these healthy energy bites in your lunch or take them along for a yummy snack.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 30–35 bites 1x
- Category: Snacks
- Method: Blender
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- ¼ cup coconut oil
- ¼ cup honey
- ½ cup peanut butter (watch the ingredients)
- 1 cup oats
- 1 cup shredded coconut
- ½ cup milled flaxseed
- 1 cup pretzels
Instructions
- In a stand mixer (or a large mixing bowl), combine the coconut oil, honey, and peanut butter until they are well combined and the mixture is smooth.
- In a blender (or food processor), measure out ½ cup of pretzels. Pulse until they are half crumbly and half small pieces, about 5-6 rounds. You basically don’t want large chunks of pretzel, but you don’t want teeny tiny crumbs either. Using the markings on the outside of the blender (or a measuring cup), measure out ½ cup of crushed pretzels. Repeat this process with more pretzels if you don’t quite reach ½ cup. Add the pretzels to the bowl with the wet ingredients.
- Without rinsing out the blender, add the oats, shredded coconut and flaxseed. Pulse until the oats and coconut are crumbled together in small pieces, about 5-6 rounds. Pour the dry ingredients into the stand mixer.
- Using the paddle attachment, turn the mixer on low and mix all the ingredients together until they are well combined and sticky.
- Using a cookie scoop, scoop out balls onto a cookie sheet. When the cookie sheet is full, pick up each ball with your hands, squish the contents together, and shape it into a ball. Place the ball back onto the cookie sheet and freeze for 30 minutes.
Notes
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer, although the freezer is preferred if you’ll be packing these in lunches. Energy balls keep for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator, but we always eat them up before then!
- For an extra indulgent treat (and to make the balls prettier), dip them in chocolate and roll in extra crushed pretzels.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 71
I don’t have flax seed either…what other things can be substituted? I see others saying chia seed. Would almond meal work? I have a bunch of that.
Instead of rolling by hand, I used a measuring spoon sized at a tablespoon. I would pack the tablespoon, then push one side of the tablespoon and the treat would come out. Was easier than rolling by hand. Hope this helps others.
Thanks for the tip Wayne!
Hmm, I think this recipe has me mixed up a bit. Ingredients say 1 cup but instructions say 1/2 cup. How much pretzel gets added to Team Wet? Thanks
I am confused by this too. In the ingredients list it said 1 cup but in the instructions below it said to measure out only 1/2 cup, and it said it twice. So I went with 1/2 cup. Was I wrong?
Hi Spring, The recipe calls for 1 cup total un processed pretzels but when they are processed it shrinks down to about 1/2 cup. Hope that helps!
Delicious and very moreish! I really, really love this recipe, super yummy! Thanks for that!
Hi, I live in Sweden where pretzels are not (would you believe) readily available in most grocery stores. Could I substitute with salty cheese type crackers? Also, my husband is allergic to flax – could I use chia instead?
I think both substitutions would work, although I’d try to use a non-cheese cracker, if you can.
BECAUSE YOU RECOMMEND MAKING/COOKING FROM SCRATCH, I’M SURPRISED YOU USE PRE-GROUND FLAX SEED. EVERYTHING I’VE EVER HEARD TELLS ME TO BUY WHOLE & GRIND AS NEEDED OR YOU LOSE THE NUTRITIONAL VALUE. COMMENTS ? LOOKING FORWARD TO TRYING THESE LITTLE DELIGHTS. THANKS FOR YOUR IDEAS !
It’s not as easy to find whole flaxseed in my area, Toni. 🙂
Wow Tiffany. You are in Georgia and I am in North Carolina. We are almost 4 hours from Atlanta. I can ONLY find whole flax seed — not the milled.
These are truly delicious. I had a hard time getting them to form into balls. They kept falling apart. I ended up adding more honey, which I didn’t want to do because of the extra sweetness and the extra calories, but it worked. They are definitely better if you freeze them.
I used a cup of pretzel pieces but maybe it should have been 1/2 cup. In one place it says one cup and another it says 1/2 cup. Next time I think I will add some dried cranberries. I did the calculations for 24 pieces and for 36 pieces.
Nutrition Facts
Servings 24 OR 36
Amount Per Serving
calories 140/93.4
Total Fat 10 g/6.6g 15 %/10%
Saturated Fat 5 g/3.3g 23 %/15.18%
Monounsaturated Fat 1 g/<1g (.6g)
Polyunsaturated Fat 1 g/<1g (.6g)
Trans Fat 1 g/<1g (.6g)
Cholesterol 0 mg 0 %
Sodium 34 mg 1 %/<1g (.6g)
Potassium 14 mg/9.24 0 %
Total Carbohydrate 12 g/8g 4 %/2.64%
Dietary Fiber 2 g/1.32g 10 %/6.6%
Sugars 6 g/3.96g
Protein 3 g/1.98g 6 %/3.96%
Vitamin A 0 %
Vitamin C 0 %
Calcium 2 %/1.32%
Iron 7 %/4.62%
I grind flax in the coffee grinder. So yummy and fresh
That’s a great way to do it Spring! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
These energy bites are AMAZING!!! I couldn’t believe how healthy they are considering the great taste. You, my dear, have officially changed my life. 😁
LOL – I’m happy to help! 🙂
I used almond butter and carob powder substitutes and got 36 bites. Just went into the freezer but the just mixed bite was WOW.
Aren’t they so good?!
I Really wanted a healthier sweet to make and didnt have coconut or flax seed meal, but added a tbl spoon on chia seed and extra granola to make up for the absence of flaxseed. Not exactly ball shaped but soo good and the perfect combination of sweet and salty!