Posted Jul 16, 2021, Updated Feb 26, 2024 I just did a “purge” of our pantry and got rid of any snack foods with artificial dyes, processed ingredients, etc. My kids were very nervous about the process, until I made them a bunch of delicious, homemade snacks that they absolutely love – like these peanut butter protein balls, kettle corn, date energy balls, baked kale chips, etc. This recipe is one of my favorites because they are made in 10 minutes with 8 nutritious ingredients (including oatmeal, coconut, & flaxseed). Peanut butter energy balls are a healthy meal prep snack that freezes well so you can always have them on hand when hunger strikes (which in our house, is every 5 minutes).
Peanut Butter Protein Balls: Ingredients & Substituions
Let’s discuss the ingredients in this recipe, as well as possible substitutions.
Creamy peanut butter. Any nut or seed butter can be used in this recipe, you can also use crunchy if you like little bits of peanuts in your protein balls. Honey. any liquid sweetener can be used in place of honey if desired (and to make them vegan). I suggest maple syrup as a great alternative. Old-fashioned oats. Quick-cooking oats can be used as well. Shredded coconut. I prefer to use unsweetened coconut so there are no added sugars. If you don’t prefer coconut you can omit it all together and replace it with and additional 1/2 cup oats. Flaxseed. Almond meal can be used in place of flaxseed if you don’t have any on hand, or it can simply be omitted. Mix-ins. We love adding mini chocolate chips to these peanut butter energy balls because there’s no better combination than chocolate and peanut butter! I’ll discuss more mix-in options later.
How to Make Peanut Butter Energy Balls
In a large bowl, combine peanut butter, honey and vanilla. Stir to combine. Add oats, coconut, flaxseed, sea salt, and cinnamon and stir until combined. Add mini chocolate chips (or preferred mix-ins) and stir until evenly distributed.
Mix-in suggestions
Here are some mix-ins that taste great in these oatmeal peanut butter balls!
Baking chips. dark or milk chocolate, white chocolate, peanut butter, cinnamon chips, etc. Nuts. Almonds, pecans, walnuts, etc. Make sure they are chopped into small pieces. Coconut. You can add more shredded unsweetened coconut! Also, rolling the peanut butter protein balls in coconut to coat the outside is delicious! Dried fruit. Raisins, cranberries, dried cherries, etc. are all delicious in these lactation cookies. Protein powder. If you’d like to increase the protein in this recipe add a scoop of your favorite protein powder to the mix (and decrease the oats by the same amount). Unflavored collagen protein won’t change the flavor of the balls, or you can try vanilla or even chocolate.
Next, use a 1 Tablespoon measuring spoon to portion out the mixture and roll it into balls. Then, put the peanut butter protein balls in an airtight container and chill for 30-60 minutes. We prefer to eat them cold, they even taste great frozen!
Store/Freeze
Store these peanut butter energy balls in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 2 months. If you make and love our recipes, it would mean so much to me if you would leave a comment and rating! And don’t forget to follow along with us on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and Youtube – be sure to tag @joyfoodsunshine and use the hashtag #joyfoodsunshine so we can see your creations!
