Peanut Butter Energy Balls

Peanut butter energy balls are easy to put together with only 4 ingredients needed – oats, peanut butter, honey, and chocolate chips.  There’s no baking required.  Simply add all of the ingredients to a bowl, mash together, shape, chill, and enjoy.  We pop PB energy balls in the place of a protein or granola bar.  They give quick energy and are great post-workout and in-between meals.

I wanted to send her a little care package including a ‘healthy-ish‘ treats made at home.  Being away from home as a freshman can be overwhelming initially.  Home-made peanut butter energy balls are a nice way to say I love you and I hope you stay healthy and energized in this transition!

One of the cool things about energy balls is their compact size.  At one inch in diameter, these small balls are just the right size to curb appetites until the next healthy meal.

I think of these energy balls as the modern-day chocolate chip cookie.  Much easier than a cookie, these energy balls are ‘no bake’ and take 10 minutes or less to prepare!  The main health benefit is that they have minimal processing and no refined sugar.  They are made by mixing peanut butter (I use freshly ground, raw peanut butter from Whole foods), oats, honey, and chocolate chips (we like stevia-sweetened dark chocolate chips).  I tag this recipe as ‘healthy-ish’ because although the bites have no refined sugar added, they are a calorically dense food.  If you are doing Kurbo, track them as a red light and be mindful of portions – I’d say two balls equal one portion.

I found this handy snack container at Ace Hardware of all places. It has a cute stretchy strap to help keep it together in a bag or backpack.

I prefer making energy balls at home over buying store bought breakfast bars or protein bars.  If, however, you are accustomed to buy pre-packaged energy bars do read the ingredients label carefully.  Choose bars with the fewest ingredients and steer away from bars that have additives, strange proteins, or artificial sweeteners on the list.

I start with freshly ground peanut butter – many places offer this now.

raw peanut butter machine at Whole Foods, Palo Alto

There’s nothing in this peanut butter but peanuts!

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For the chocolate chips, we use Lily’s stevia-sweetened dark chocolate chips –

For the oats, I use any brand of old-fashioned rolled oats we have on hand.  Today it’s Quaker –

For the sweetener I use honey.  These balls are borderline too sweet for my taste buds but a healthy dose of honey is needed as glue to bind and ball it all together.

I’m often asked which sweetener I think is better.  I choose honey because I know what it is and where it comes from.  Second, to honey I would say softened dates, agave, or stevia.  For recipes, I prefer the taste of honey to other natural sweeteners.  Honey is very sweet and aromatic – I love it!

The peanut butter and honey are the glue that holds together the oats and the chocolate chips.

I start out by stirring with a big plastic spoon (the one that comes with the Instant Pot).

Then I get my hands into it and squeeze and mix some more – it’s the best way to spread the honey and peanut butter around.  I figure I’m going to get my hands sticky at some point anyhow when it’s time to shape the balls.

This recipe makes an even dozen balls of about 1-inch diameter.  For the care package, I made a triple batch!  I figured since Ley is in a triple dorm room she might like to share with her roomies.

If you like the concept of making your own healthy-ish snacks, be sure to try Energy Bites with Dates a dried fruit and nut version of energy balls, and Coconut Energy Balls!

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