With just 6 ingredients, these easy Peanut Butter Oatmeal Balls make a great afternoon or post-workout snack, and they’re perfect for breakfast on the go. Add your favorite mix-ins, like chocolate chips and nuts, for a customized protein treat!
Easy Peanut Butter Energy Balls
These Peanut Butter Oatmeal Balls are so addictively good! Plus they’re fun to make, super quick and easy to put together – the prep literally takes 20 minutes!
Enjoy these honey-sweetened peanut butter oat bites as a quick breakfast-on-the-go, post-workout snack, or fun afternoon pick-me-up. These are great to keep on hand to prevent hangry afternoons or to take on hikes, etc for a little boost of energy.
Thanks to the peanut butter and oats, these little bites are a good source of protein. If you’d like to pack them with even more protein, just stir in your favorite protein powder. We often add a scoop or two of vanilla, peanut butter, or chocolate flavored protein powder, whatever we’re in the mood for.
Beyond adding more protein, these are highly customizable simply by changing the mix-in ingredients. In this case, I used mini chocolate chips and chopped peanuts but you can use cacao nibs or mini M&Ms, other chopped nuts, dried fruits, etc.
I also want to share with you that we like to make big batches of these peanut butter oat bites and throw them in the freezer for later. Talk about delicious homemade convenience at your fingertips!
What You’ll Need
You only need 6 ingredients to make these peanut butter oatmeal balls.
- Oats – I use quick cooking oats in this recipe since they’re softer and smaller than old fashioned oats, but either one will work.
- Peanut butter – I use creamy Skippy – it’s what our family prefers. Chunky would also be great. All natural peanut butter will be more loose and wet – if you use this, you will likely want to add more oats to firm up the bites.
- Honey – Honey adds sweetness and helps to bind the balls together.
- Vanilla extract – Vanilla enhances the flavor of the peanuts and chocolate.
- Chocolate chips & nuts – I’m adding mini chocolate chips and chopped peanuts, but both of these ingredients are optional – you could swap them for mini m&ms, chopped chocolates, other chopped nuts, dried fruits, etc. – anything small enough to fit inside of the ball would work.
What Type of Oatmeal Should I Use?
I prefer quick cooking oats but old fashioned oats will work as well. Avoid steel cut oats for this recipe.
Optional Mix-Ins
As I mentioned above, while I added mini chocolate chips and chopped peanuts, there are many other things to add into your no bake oatmeal balls. Here are a few ideas:
- Mini M&Ms
- Raisins
- Dried wild blueberries – we love the ones from Trader Joe’s and often add some to these bites!
- Dark or milk chocolate, chopped
- Chia, flax, or hemp seeds
- Cacao nibs
- Chopped cranberries
- Shredded coconut
- Chopped almonds, cashews, or other nuts
- Protein powder – we often add some, either vanilla, peanut butter, or chocolate flavored!
How to Make Peanut Butter Oatmeal Balls
There are just a few steps to making these peanut butter oat bites.
- Pulse the ingredients. Pulse the oats until they form a coarse flour. Set aside in a small bowl. Pulse the peanut butter, honey, and vanilla until combined. Return the oats to the food processor and pulse until a ball of dough forms.
- Add the mix-ins. Transfer the dough to a bowl and stir in the mini chocolate chips and chopped peanuts (or any other add-ins).
- Portion the balls. Scoop the mixture into portions that are 1″ to 1-1/2″ in size, or larger if desired. If you like, roll the portions into balls. We usually just leave these as-is.
Tips & FAQs
The answers to a few common questions about peanut butter oatmeal balls, plus a few tips.
- Add water. If your dough isn’t forming, or if it appears a bit dry, start adding water by the teaspoonful and pulsing with each addition.
- Can I use a different sweetener? Absolutely. Maple syrup and agave both work in place of the honey.
- Can I make these without a food processor? Yes, you can also mix all ingredients by hand with a wooden spoon. Note that the oats will maintain their regular shape instead of becoming a coarse flour, so they’ll be more noticeable in the balls – and in this case, I’d definitely recommend quick oats over old fashioned oats.
- Can I use other nut butters? Yes, you can make these with almond butter or other desired nut butter. Just note you may need more/less water as not all nut butters (or nut butter substitutes) have the same consistency as the Skippy peanut butter used in this recipe.
How to Store Leftovers
Peanut butter oat bites will keep well in the fridge for up to 1 week. Store in an airtight container or ziploc.
These energy bites also freeze really well, and can be frozen for up to 3 months. First flash freeze on a baking sheet until frozen, then transfer to a ziploc bag or freezer container, separating any layers with parchment paper. Remove from the freezer as needed and let come to room temperature on the counter or in the fridge.
Frozen peanut butter oatmeal bites are the perfect thing for packing in lunch bags, as by lunchtime they’re thawed and ready to enjoy!
More Peanut Butter Recipes:
- Peanut Butter Ice Cream
- Buttery Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies
- Foolproof Peanut Butter Fudge
- Mom’s Homemade Peanut Butter Cups
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Peanut Butter Oatmeal Balls
Ingredients
- 1 cup quick cooking oats
- ¼ cup creamy peanut butter – we use Skippy
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons mini chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped peanuts
Instructions
- Add the oats to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until they form a coarse flour. Remove them to a small bowl.
- In the same food processor (no need to wash it), pulse the peanut butter, honey, and vanilla until it is well combined.
- Add the oats back to the food processor and pulse until a ball of dough forms – if a dough doesn’t form after 10 pulses, add 1 tablespoon of water and pulse again. Repeat until you get the desired consistency.
- Transfer the dough to a bowl and fold in the mini chocolate chips and chopped peanuts.
- Scoop the dough into 1” to 1½" portions. Leave them as-is or roll them in your hands to create smooth balls.
Notes
Nutrition Information:
5 stars