This post is sponsored by Bob’s Red Mill. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own. I had a fun late summer weekend with the kiddos, enjoying some Friday night high school football at their school, plenty of outdoor playing, some cards, some play dates with friends, some amusement park time and a couple of movie nights. We may be back to school already, but I still want to enjoy those summertime vibes! But let’s move right along to the food and this delicious recipe. Today I’m so happy to be be sharing these chocolate peanut butter energy balls. These scrumptious little bites are no-bake, naturally sweetened and just 6 ingredients!
(These balls are also gluten-free, dairy-free and refined sugar-free.) They make a great snack any time of day - whether it’s for after school, post workout or just a little chocolate fix in the evening. Plus, they’re super easy to make – just add everything to the food processor, roll up the mixture and you are good to go! That’s true of most energy balls and that’s why I love them so much. Healthy peanut butter energy balls and chocolate chip energy balls are some of our current faves. Oh, and I love how light and chewy these blueberry oatmeal cookie balls are for summertime. And today’s energy balls bring together the goodness of chocolate and peanut butter. Truly a match made in heaven! (If you’re also a big fan, you should probably check out these peanut butter chocolate chip snack bars that I’ve been making for years and years!)
And I’m so happy to be partnering with Bob’s Red Mill to feature one of my go-to pantry staples - chia seeds! Chia seeds are tiny nutritional powerhouses of full of omega-3 fatty acids, protein and dietary fiber. When my kiddos were little, we called them “sprinkles” and added them to all sorts of things. They’re great on smoothies, oatmeal, fruit salads and more. I use them all the time to make overnight oatmeal jars (including fun flavors like strawberry overnight oats and chocolate overnight oats) as well as in snacks like these healthy no bake granola bars.
And I love a piece of toast or a bagel with some peanut butter, banana slices, a drizzle of honey and a sprinkling of chia seeds. SO good! So if you aren’t already a convert, you need to get you a bag and start enjoying them! OK, let’s get back to today’s recipe. Now, I’ve got some notes and tips coming up below on how to make peanut butter chocolate energy balls. Just tryin’ to be helpful. If you want to jump on down to the recipe, simply scroll right on through the rest of the text. The recipe card is near the bottom of the page, above the comments section.
Notes on making chocolate peanut butter energy balls:
Oats: Old fashioned rolled oats are my pantry staple and go to for this recipe. However, quick oats would work fine here, too. Dates: You need 1 cup of chopped dates, which is about 10 large dates. Slice into the date, remove the pit in the middle, then chop them into small pieces. Peanut butter: Any kind of creamy peanut butter will do. You could substitute almond butter for the peanut butter if you want them to be peanut-free. Cocoa powder: This adds a fun extra bit of rich chocolate flavor. I’ve made these without the cocoa powder, and they were also yummy, so you can skip it if you need to. Chocolate chips: The mini ones are perfect here and incorporate nicely into the balls. Choose dairy-free, vegan chocolate chips if you need this recipe to be dairy-free and/or vegan. Texture: The mixture in the food processor might look a little crumbly, but it should stick to itself when you press it together with your fingers. If needed, if your mixture seems too dry, you can add a small splash of water to the food processor and pulse that in. (I don’t ever seem to need it myself.)
The recipe makes about 14 balls, but you could end up with more or with fewer depending on how big or small you want to roll your balls.
As far as storage, these energy balls will keep great for up to a week. Keep them in a covered container in the refrigerator and they will be ready and waiting for you. Whatever the day brings, these tasty little nuggets will help you tackle it. I hope you give them a try soon! Enjoy! XO, Kathryn P.S. If you need more snack inspiration, check out these healthy snacks on the go for your busy days.
Oats: Old fashioned rolled oats are my pantry staple and go to for this recipe. However, quick oats would work fine here, too. Dates: You need 1 cup of chopped dates, which is about 10 large dates. Slice into the date, remove the pit in the middle, then chop them into small pieces. Peanut butter: Any kind of creamy peanut butter will do. You could substitute almond butter for the peanut butter if you want them to be peanut-free. Cocoa powder: This adds a fun extra bit of rich chocolate flavor. I’ve made these without the cocoa powder, and they were also yummy, so you can skip it if you need to. Chocolate chips: The mini ones are perfect here and incorporate nicely into the balls. Choose dairy-free, vegan chocolate chips if you need this recipe to be dairy-free and/or vegan. Texture: The mixture in the food processor might look a little crumbly, but it should stick to itself when you press it together with your fingers. If needed, if your mixture seems too dry, you could add a small splash of water to the food processor and pulse that in. (I don’t ever seem to need it myself.)
