These soft, chewy, and peanutty-sweet Healthy & Easy Peanut Butter Energy Balls take all of 5-minutes to make in a food processor or blender and make the absolute perfect easy meal prep snack recipe with 5 grams of protein and 4 grams of fiber per ball! Just throw the large flake oats, peanut butter and other ingredients into the food processor, roll ’em up, and enjoy these no bake energy bites!
There’s really nothing I love more than an easy, healthy snack recipe that comes together in, like 5 minutes, but make it taste like peanut butter cookies and I’m in heaven!
As a Registered Dietitian, I try to toe the line of sharing healthy dessert recipes, but making sure they, you know, ACTUALLY taste good. And not to toot my own horn, but I’m pretty sure I nailed it with these peanut butter oat balls.
They’re soft, chewy, and have a slight crunch from the chia seeds. Plus, they have the perfect balance of peanutty sweetness, which you can totally amplify with a drizzle of chocolate or chocolate chips mixed in if you want to! Oh, and did I mention they have 5 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber per ball?!
Obviously, I tested a version with chocolate, because I am a chocolate lover after all, as evidenced by my super popular Dairy-Free Chocolate Mousse recipe!
Some Things To Note When Making Energy Balls!
In this oatmeal energy ball recipe I tell you to use runny peanut butter, but since I’m so obsessed with these healthy peanut butter snacks, I have tested them using thicker peanut butter many times, and there’s a workaround!
If your peanut butter isn’t runny, add a splash of milk (plant-based or otherwise!) to the batter or an extra little drizzle of honey
Now, since I know some people don’t eat honey, I have lots of other easy energy balls recipes that use maple syrup!
But luckily I have tested these using maple syrup and they still work, but you’ll need to use a little more, since it isn’t as sticky as honey, so more may be needed to hold the other ingredients together!
If you’re as big of a fan as I am of desserts that are on the healthier side, then you NEED to try my 5-Minute Best Ever Chickpea Cookie Dough next! It’s also made in a food processor and tastes like cookie batter, but healthier!
Food Processor Or Blender, I’ve Tested Both Ways!
I tested these no bake peanut butter energy balls both in the food processor and blender because I know not everyone has, like, a million kitchen gadgets like I do, and I’m happy to report that they work perfectly in the blender, too!
If you’re using the blender, just blend the oats to make an oat flour consistency, then you can add all ingredients to a large bowl and mix until a batter forms.
If you don’t blend the oats beforehand, you’ll have big chunks of oats in your energy balls. If you try to mix all of the batter in the blender, you’ll get a clumpy mess that won’t blend smoothly. Trust me, I’ve tested this recipe many ways!
The Best Easy & Healthy Peanut Butter Energy Balls
Equipment
- 1 Food Processor or Higher Speed Blender
Ingredients
- 1 cup of large flake oats
- 1/4 cup honey plus more if your peanut butter isn’t runny
- 1/2 cup natural peanut butter make sure it’s runny
- 1/4 chia seeds
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
Optional
- 2 tbsp plant-based milk as needed, if your batter is too dry
- 1/4 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
If you're making these energy balls in a food processor
- Add the large flake oats, honey, natural peanut butter, chia seeds, cinnamon and salt to the food processor and blend until the ingredients start to form together, which took about 2 minutes for me. If the dough consistency is too dry, try adding 1-2 additional tablespoons of honey or a splash of plant-based milk, then blend again. If you want to add chocolate chips, stir them in now by hand.
- Once the dough has formed, scoop 2 about tablespoons of dough with a spoon and shape into balls, laying on a plate. If you want the energy balls to be a bit more solid, you can refrigerate the balls for 15-30 minutes before eating.
If you're making these energy balls in the blender
- Blend the large flake oats in the blender until mostly a flour consistency with some larger pieces of oats is formed.
- Pour the oats into a large bowl, and mixed together with the honey, natural peanut butter, chia seeds, cinnamon and salt. You can add chocolate chips now too if you'd like. If the dough is too dry, add 1-2 additional tablespoons of honey or a splash of plant-based milk.
- Follow step 2 above and enjoy!
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