This Chocolate Peanut Butter Oats Balls Recipe is easy to whip together in 5 minutes with ingredients you probably already have on hand. Naturally sweet and gluten-free, you’ll love them for an easy snack!
Who doesn’t crave something a little (or a lot) chocolatey and peanut-buttery on a given day? So often (like…daily) we have an urge for dessert, but a heaping slice of cake with frosting trickling down the edges isn’t quite what the doctor ordered. On that same note, I think we’d all agree that it’s less than ideal to have to unbutton your jeans after your daily fix.
I love to make snack bars and bites at home. They often taste better than store-bought versions, and you can mix and match so many ingredients that you have on hand.
The Best Snack Ball Recipe Ingredients
My favorite ingredients are:
- Oats
- Flax seeds or chia seeds
- Peanut butter or almond butter
- Vanilla
- Mini chocolate chips (easier to mix in!)
- Natural sweeteners from maple syrup or honey
You can really use any nut butter you like – almond butter, vanilla flavored nut or seed butters, cashew butter, and more!
They make a great healthy snack when you need some mid-day energy. Make it gluten-free by using gluten-free oats, and use sunflower butter to make it nut free. A little cocoa powder and dark chocolate turns them into a natural dessert! Lastly, add a little protein powder to boost that protein up just a bit.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Oats Balls Recipe
In thinking of a recipe that could salvage my fierce sweet tooth, while also using real foods and keeping it simple (I have to stay true to my food values!), I came up with some oat-y, chocolate-y, peanut butter-y, banana-y, no-bake balls. They’re not too sweet, not too salty, not too chocolate-y (not like I’d dare argue if they were), and most importantly, I was satisfied.
You can always add more chocolate chips or coconut than the recipe calls for, as well as other add-ins (chia seeds, dates, nut pieces, etc.). Additionally, these balls only take 5-10 minutes to make, so you can make them right when the urge strikes! However, if you’re lucky enough to know when to expect the yearning (oh ya know, after lunch, after dinner, as a snack, just because…), just make a batch proactively! I love that this recipe does not call for added sugar; the sweetness comes solely from the banana and chocolate chips.
Nutrition Facts
The oats provide fiber, as well as some iron and B vitamins; the peanut butter has protein, vitamin E, and monounsaturated fats (aka, the good stuff); coconut has vitamin C and medium-chain triglycerides (aka MCTs, a type of fat that’s easily metabolized by the body); and the banana provides potassium, vitamin C, and B6. Sounds like a well-rounded and balanced snack, to me!
How To Make Them
The instructions are easy: just mix all ingredients together, wet your hands and roll into balls. You can also pulse the oats through a food processor too, if you want to make the texture a little smoother.
Step one: mash banana
Step 2: Add ingredients to a large mixing bowl and mix
Super easy!! Add oats, peanut butter, chocolate chips, coconut, banana, salt, vanilla and mix. I like to remove my wedding rings and mix with my hands. It’s the best way to full incorporate the ingredients! But you can use a spatula too – just mix until everything is wet and combined.
Step 3: Roll Into Balls
I like a golf ball sized ball (two bites!) but you can go a little smaller and make them into one-bite size too.
If you fancy, you can also make these into bars! A little refrigeration will help them keep their shape. Pretty them into a small baking sheet and cut into rectangles.
Peanut Butter Oat Balls
Ingredients
- Rolled oats 1 ¼ cup
- Peanut butter I used smooth, ½ cup
- Chocolate chips ½ cup
- Shredded coconut I used unsweetened, ¼ cup; you can use more if you want a more pronounced coconut flavor
- Banana
- Salt 1/8 tsp
- Vanilla extract ½ tsp
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients, and roll with your hands into balls or bars
- Refrigerate
More Snack Ball Recipes:
- Coconut O Snack Balls
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Oat Balls
- Chocolate Coconut Snack Balls
- Chocolate Coconut Truffles
- 5 Ingredient Bourbon Balls
- No Bake Cookie Dough Balls
Elyse says
Yum! I have everything I need to make these this weekend!
KathEats says
They are even better the next day!!
Rachel says
please excuse me while I go running to the kitchen to make a batch of these!! 😀
KathEats says
Haha!
The Healthy Hipster says
These look so perfect! I love no-bake treats. How long do they usually keep in the fridge for? Or do you usually freeze em?
KathEats says
I’d eat then within 3 to 5 days
Linda @ The Fitty says
I absolutely love that these don’t have to be baked…I have no patience for baking then cooling, haha!
Erin @ Her Heartland Soul says
These look delicious!!
Cassie says
These look darn addictive!
Sarah @ O-HI-30 says
I’m def going to make these! I’ve seen a lot of “ballz” recipes on other blogs but they always call for “fancy” ingredients. These ingredients are basic ones I have in my cupboard! Thanks!
Emily @ Life on Food says
These are one of the better balls I have seen. I adore all of the ingredients so they must be super tasty.
Caitlin says
I love Blake’s posts!! I love how she delves into the “why” behind the food. Yes give me those details about micronutrients! And the metabolic pathways (like the alcohol post which was, frankly, THE GREATEST). Blake is awesome and you should keep her around, Kath. 😀
Anna B says
I love this recipie, it looks amazing, and I even more love the fact that it doesn’t use dates! I’m way more likely to whip these up since I’ve always got bananas then a similar recipe that calls for dates… which I have to search for — if I remember to put them on my list.
Anne says
So…what would happen if one dropped the coconut? I don’t really want to add dates or anything…any thoughts? Up the oats? Thanks!
KathEats says
Should be fine!
Bobbie says
Heya, Kath. Is it one banana? I keep reading the recipe to find out the measurement, and I guess I’m missing it! Thank you, these will be great to make for my college bound, health conscious girl before she heads back to college! Thanks!! 🙂
KathEats says
Yup!