Peanut Butter Energy Balls

You could buy premade snacks at the store, but if you’re looking for something more satisfying, make these nutritious Peanut Butter Energy Balls instead. All you need is five ingredients and one large bowl for mixing! In under 20 minutes, you can whip up these delicious peanut butter and chocolate energy balls, which provide a blend of simple and complex carbohydrates to give you a quick boost of energy whenever you need it. We’re sharing our Test Kitchen tips as well as everything else you need to know to add this recipe to your routine.

How to Make Peanut Butter Energy Balls

1. Use Rolled Oats for Best Results

Quick oats are thinner than rolled oats and don’t hold up as well or provide the same texture and chew as rolled oats.

2. Stir Well

The mixture should be thoroughly combined so you can form it into balls. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to fold and stir, and make sure the dry ingredients at the bottom of the bowl are incorporated into the mixture.

3.  Portion and Store

Roll the mixture into 1-tablespoon-size balls, arrange in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate until firm. Using parchment paper helps make cleanup a breeze! When the balls are firm, place them in a resealable container in the refrigerator. Once they are cold, it’s fine to layer them on top of each other.

Ingredient Swaps to Try

• Use chopped dark chocolate. For a big flavor and antioxidant boost, swap the mini chocolate chips for an equal amount of chopped dark chocolate.
• Add some spice. Ground cinnamon is a warm spice that pairs well with the other ingredients in these energy balls. You’ll only need about 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon—mix it right in with the other ingredients.
• Swap maple syrup for honey. If you have maple syrup on hand, it can be an excellent swap for the honey in this recipe. It’s a 1-to-1 swap, which makes things easy.
• Trade fruit for chocolate. Chop up some raisins or unsweetened dried cherries, blueberries or apricots for a delicious, high-fiber addition. 
• Use a different nut or seed butter. Almond butter, cashew butter, sunflower butter or tahini are all good swaps. Make sure you use a nut or seed butter labeled “natural” and confirm that the ingredients are just nuts or seeds with no added sugar or trans fats.

Tips from the EatingWell Test Kitchen

These are the key tips we learned while developing and testing this recipe in our Test Kitchen to make sure it works, tastes great and is good for you too!

• Use room-temperature peanut butter and honey to make it easy to mix and combine the ingredients. Natural peanut butter has a tendency to separate and may need to be stirred before use.
• To make rolling into balls easier, consider chilling the mixture first. A quick 30-minute trip to the refrigerator will firm up the nut butter and honey, which will help the ingredients stick together when rolling. You can also spray your hands with nonstick cooking spray or dampen them with water to prevent the mixture from sticking.

Nutrition Notes

• Oats are an excellent source of whole grains and deliver several important nutrients, including complex carbohydrates, plant protein, fiber and some iron. The nutrients in oats are associated with lower cholesterol levels, balanced blood sugar and a healthy gut.
• Since peanut butter is primarily just ground-up peanuts, and peanuts offer a wealth of nutrition and health benefits, these benefits extend to peanut butter. Peanuts provide healthy fats, plant protein, fiber, antioxidants, folate and magnesium, as well as smaller amounts of other nutrients. Regularly eating peanuts (or natural peanut butter) has been linked with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes.