Quick and Healthy Snack Bites (Peanut Butter Energy Balls)
The Ball That Started It All …
~ These delicious no-bake Energy Balls are loaded with nutrition to keep you powered up and energized – filled with lots of whole grains, fiber and protein! They’re quick and easy to make, and freezable, too! A healthy snack your family will love, and you’ll feel absolutely terrific about giving them! ~
This Recipe Is: • Ready in 30 Minutes or Less • Freezable • Make Ahead • Vegetarian •
Welcome to Two Healthy Kitchens and our very first post! We’re thrilled you stopped by!
We had to choose just one recipe to kick off our blog, so here is the story of how we found our yummy little hero:
Once upon a time, in a land not-so-far-away, there were two beautiful princesses (sorry, got carried away there) … we were chatting about our kids’ hectic schedules, and we came to a realization. … The weak link in our families’ otherwise nutritious lives was the grab-and-go snack – hands down!
We had always tried to be really diligent about providing super-healthy meals, but somehow the wheels totally fell off at snack time.
Oh sure, we had the best intentions. But, as the kids came home from school and the whirlwind of homework and afternoon activities began, we often found ourselves reaching for those convenient (and maybe not-so-healthy) snacks.
We knew there had to be a better way!
We scoured cookbooks and the Internet looking for fun and healthy ideas. We tested, tasted, retested, retasted … you get the idea.
And finally we found a winner! (aaaaahhhhhhh – picture a choir of angels singing here)
Actually, we found lots of winners (some were even hiding in our own recipe collections!), and we can’t wait to tell you all about them!
This recipe, however, quickly found its way into our hearts (and our tummies, again … and again …)! We just knew that this HAD to be the first post – it’s so yummy, so nutritious, so quick, and so easy!
We adapted our recipe from Maggie at Smashed Peas and Carrots, and you can find her original recipe here.
While we absolutely loved her recipe, we wondered if we could amp up the nutrition without losing any of the flavor … ’cause that’s just how we roll.
We concocted about 8 or 10 different variations (yeah, we’ve been eating A LOT of these!) before finding the perfect balance. In our version, we swapped in wheat germ for some of the flax, which allowed us to keep a decent amount of the beneficial omega-3 fatty acids, while reducing the calories and total fat a bit, and increasing the Vitamin E and folic acid a smidge. We also reduced the chocolate chips (less sugar), and used crunchy peanut butter (for, well, some added crunch).
Taste-testers in our homes couldn’t tell the difference!
Our families are even content to have these tasty nuggets of joy for dessert!
You can feel good about handing these over to your kids (if you don’t eat them all yourself!) for a quick snack as you dash out the door. With all the whole grain, fiber and protein packed into these little gems, you can be sure this snack will stick to their ribs and give them the power they need!
So, without further ado, here is the delicious little ball that started it all – the superstar that helped us launch our Two Healthy Kitchens blog. We hope you enjoy our very first recipe as much as we do. And, we hope you’ll be back to THK again soon!
Begin by adding all ingredients (hold off on the chocolate chips – for now) into a medium bowl.
See that open bottle of vanilla behind the bowl? Yeah … you’re gonna want to close that bad boy up right away. It spills. And it stains clean white countertops. Trust us on this one, friends. It happened seconds after this picture was taken.
Remember those bottles of colored sand you used to make at carnivals? This totally reminded us of that … but this one tastes way better! Not that we ever tasted the sand … we’re just guessing …
See how it’s all mixed together? Now you can add in the chocolate chips and give it another quick stir.
Ideally, you would shape the mixture into little balls and then lovingly share them with your family. But seriously, who are we kidding? Just grab a spoon – we won’t judge!
Update: Over the Years, We’ve Created Other Delicious No-Bake Energy Ball Recipes You’ve Gotta Try!
Scroll through ALL the yummy flavors in our Energy Ball Recipes collection, or go ahead and just click on through to the one that you wanna try next …
- “Cookie Dough” Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Energy Balls
- Granola Energy Balls
- “Almond Joy” Almond Butter Energy Balls
- “Peanut Butter Cup” Chocolate Peanut Butter Energy Balls
- Walnut Oatmeal Energy Balls
- Peanut Butter and Jelly Energy Balls
- Tropical Date Energy Balls with Chia Seeds
Quick and Healthy Snack Bites
Delicious no-bake Energy Balls loaded with nutrition to keep you powered up and energized – filled with lots of whole grains, fiber and protein! Quick and easy to make, and freezable, too!
This Recipe Is: • Ready in 30 Minutes or Less • Freezable • Make Ahead • Vegetarian •
Ingredients
- 1 cup quick-cooking oats
- 1 cup coconut flakes
- 1/2 cup natural, crunchy peanut butter
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1/4 cup ground flaxseed meal
- 1/4 cup toasted wheat germ
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients except chocolate chips.
- Stir to combine.
- Add chocolate chips to mixture and stir again, just until combined.
- Using your hands, press FIRMLY to form one-inch balls.
- Place in air-tight container and refrigerate as needed.
Notes
Trouble getting the balls to stick together: Be sure that you are pressing these balls together FIRMLY (not lightly rolling the balls like cookie dough). If you're still having trouble, it could be that you're using a type of natural peanut butter that's stiffer/firmer than what we usually use (some brands are very thick) or that your coconut is quite dried out (I normally use Baker's brand, which I've noticed is moister than some others). Also, you'll have a lot more difficulty forming balls if you try to substitute regular-sized chocolate chips, instead of the minis we specify. Regardless, to correct for this issue, we recommend slightly decreasing some of the dry ingredients (such as the oats, flax, or wheat germ).
Reducing sugar (Update 2020): Through all my years making batch after batch of these (usually quadruple batches!), I've often started to decrease the honey by even as much as about 1/3 – and nobody seems to notice. (And they stick together just fine for me.) I do still recommend starting with the recipe as written the first time you make these energy balls, but then you could try a slight reduction in the honey in subsequent batches.
Storage and freezable make-ahead tips: If your peanut butter is one of the natural brands that needs to be refrigerated, then so do your Snack Bites. Actually, regardless of the peanut butter you use, these will keep much better in the refrigerator. They can even be frozen (so you may want to make a triple batch!). When frozen, these Snack Bites will be thawed in about 20 minutes.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 18 servings Serving Size: 2 Snack BitesAmount Per Serving: Calories: 126
Nutrition information should be considered an estimate only, and may vary depending on your choice of ingredients or preparation. No guarantees are made regarding allergies or dietary needs. Always consult a physician or dietician for specific advice and questions.
This is a super delicious snack!
I’m thrilled you enjoyed these, Becky! I make them by the dozens – usually a quadruple batch at a time! – and keep ’em stashed in the freezer. They’re such a great little healthy snack for busy days, and they’ve gotten us through countless road trips so much more healthfully! It makes me really happy to share our beloved snack with others! 😀 ~Shelley
I really wanted to make these – so easy and they look like such a great treat! – but I can’t do the peanut butter or the honey so I substituted them with two mashed bananas and they’re super tasty. Thank you for sharing this recipe. I’m excited to explore all your healthy recipes!
Hi, Tanya! What a fantastic and really creative work-around to swap in mashed bananas for the peanut butter and honey you can’t eat – that’s genius! I’m so excited that you shared your idea, because now I’m super curious to try that combination myself. Thank you so much for taking a moment to offer your suggestion – I’m always on the lookout for new, EASY and healthy snacks! And thank you, too, for your kind words about exploring the rest of our site and our other recipes – please drop me a note now and then to let me know what you’re trying and how you like the recipes you’re finding here. I’m so glad you found us – welcome! 😀 ~Shelley
Lovely recipe! I was wondering if there is a nut free alternative? My mum can’t have the peanut butter or any nuts, what else could I use??
Hi Carina! In recipes like our Granola Crunch Apple-Peanut Butter Sandwich Wraps, our Hungry Hippos sandwiches, and our No-Bake Apple Pie Cheesecake Pinwheels, we suggest that nut-free butters like Sun Butter (made from sunflower seeds) and Wow Butter (soy spread) can be used in place of peanut butter or other nut butters. I haven’t tried replacing either of those in this particular recipe, though, so I’m not sure how their texture and consistency might affect how well these energy bites stick together. You might just need to play with the ratios slightly – maybe adding a little more honey if you need a moister, stickier consistency, or decreasing the dry ingredients slightly. I think they’ll still taste great, though! Just might need a tiny bit of tinkering to get the consistency right. I hope that helps – let me know! 😀 ~Shelley
I really like it
I’m so delighted to hear it! I just made a quadruple batch again two or three days ago, to restock our grab-and-go supply of healthy snacks! We still love ’em, too – even after all these years! 😀 ~Shelley