Try these easy chocolate chip peanut butter oatmeal energy balls any time you are craving a no bake healthy snack recipe!
Healthy oatmeal energy balls
The wholesome oat bites need no refrigeration and are a great portable option for road trips, on-the-go after school snacks, or school lunch boxes.
People are completely obsessed with these chocolate chip energy balls!
I first created the recipe when my sister came to visit for a weekend, and we both quickly fell in love with the chewy texture of the addictive little snack balls.
In fact, we polished off an entire batch in under two days.
Unlike many other popular energy ball recipes, this one calls for no dates, no protein powder, no refined sugar, and there’s no oven required.
Use leftover oats for Tiramisu Overnight Oats
No bake energy ball flavors
Chocolate Chip: Include two tablespoons of mini chocolate chips in the recipe below.
Banana Bread: Replace up to half of the pure maple syrup or honey with an equal amount of ripe mashed banana. Sprinkle in a few tablespoons of finely diced walnuts.
Pecan Pie: Use pecan butter instead of peanut. For even more pecan flavor, stir in some toasted crushed pecans.
Nutella: For the nut butter, use store bought or Homemade Nutella, and press a sliced roasted hazelnut into the top of each energy bite.
Lemon: Swap the peanut butter for a neutral option like cashew butter or macadamia butter. Stir in the zest of one large lemon. This idea works with orange or lime zest too.
Dark Chocolate: Add a tablespoon of cocoa powder or raw cacao powder. Increase the maple syrup to one third cup. Stir in the chocolate chips or a few cacao nibs.
Or try these three ingredient dark chocolate No Bake Brownie Bites.
Monster: This is a fun flavor for kids and adults, alike. Instead of mini chocolate chips, stir in chopped M&M’s or a colorful vegan candy equivalent.
Coconut: Decrease the oats to just three fourths of a cup. Use cashew, coconut, or almond butter. Add a fourth cup of sweetened shredded coconut.
Pumpkin: Add a fourth teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice. Decrease the liquid sweetener by a tablespoon, and stir in a tablespoon of roasted or canned pumpkin puree.
Other add in ideas include dried cranberries or raisins for oatmeal raisin balls or freeze dried strawberries, raspberries, or other fruit for peanut butter and jelly balls.
Or try rainbow sprinkles for birthday cake batter balls, shredded carrot for carrot cake balls, a few drops of pure peppermint extract or maple extract, crushed granola, or mini white chocolate chips and diced macadamia nuts.
Peanut butter energy balls recipe video
Watch the step by step recipe video above
Ingredients for the snack balls
You will need rolled oats, nut or seed butter, liquid sweetener, chia seeds or flax seeds, a pinch of salt, and optional mini chocolate chips or raisins.
The oatmeal energy ball recipe works well with rolled oats, instant oats, or quick oats. We do not recommend using steel cut oats. For wheat free and gluten free energy balls, try certified gluten free oats, quinoa flakes, or brown rice flakes.
Nut butter of choice can be cashew, almond, macadamia, walnut, pecan, peanut, pistachio, chocolate hazelnut, coconut butter, tahini, or nut free sunflower butter.
Choose your favorite option from pure maple syrup, honey, or agave. If you wish to experiment with something else, like date syrup, sugar free keto syrup, brown rice syrup, or granulated coconut sugar, let us know how it goes.
Finally, if you do not have any superfood chia seeds on hand, they are fine to omit or replace with hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, or sesame seeds.
Health benefits of homemade energy balls
Also known as power balls, the DIY protein packed bites provide healthy fats, whole grain carbohydrates, iron, magnesium, and fiber.
The recipe can be dairy free, egg free, gluten free, low calorie, low sodium, low sugar, and cholesterol free, with under half a gram of saturated fat.
They are a delicious choice before working out or for a post workout snack. Or serve the vegan energy balls as part of a balance breakfast.
Each power energy bite provides close to four grams of protein!
Try serving with a Peanut Butter Banana Smoothie
How to make oatmeal energy bites
If your nut butter is not already soft and easy to stir, gently warm it up in the microwave or on the stove top until easily stirrable.
Combine the oats, chia seeds, and salt in a medium mixing bowl. If not heating the peanut butter, you can also add the chocolate chips at this time.
Stir in the liquid sweetener and nut butter until everything is evenly mixed.
Wait until the mixture is no longer warm to add the chocolate chips, unless you do not mind if they melt a bit.
With a mini cookie scoop or spoon, take out small amounts of dough. Press and roll into balls or cookie shapes with your hands.
Tips and troubleshooting
If you are using a dry nut butter, like almond butter or some natural peanut butters, you may need to add a little extra nut butter or liquid sweetener for the texture to resemble an easily scoopable cookie dough instead of a crumbly one.
Store leftover energy bites in an airtight covered container on the counter for up to a week, in the refrigerator for up to three weeks, or frozen for three or four months.
Finally, if you prefer to use a food scale instead of the cups and tablespoons in the recipe box below, here are the amounts to use:
Measure 120 grams peanut butter, 90 grams oats, 60 grams sweetener, and 10 grams chia seeds. Also remember to add the salt and any optional ingredients.
The recipe was adapted from these 3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Balls.
- 1 cup rolled oats or quick oats (or try these keto Protein Donut Holes)
- 1/2 cup peanut butter or allergy friendly sub
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup or honey or agave
- 1 tbsp chia seeds
- 1/8 tsp salt
- optional handful mini chocolate chips or raisins
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If the nut butter is not already soft, gently warm it until easy to stir. To make the energy balls, start by stirring the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Stir in the nut butter and sweetener until evenly mixed. Roll into balls or press into cookie shapes. Store leftovers in a covered container for up to a week at room temperature, three weeks in the refrigerator, or four months in the freezer.View Nutrition Facts
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