Peanut Butter Oatmeal Balls (no bake)

These no bake peanut butter oatmeal balls taste like oatmeal cookies, and are ready in minutes. I use 5 simple ingredients, including peanut butter and even chickpeas to boost protein. No dates, protein powder or refined sugar. A healthy no bake snack.

These no bake peanut butter oatmeal balls, also called oat balls or oatmeal bites, are chewy and filling, as well as high in protein and fiber. Like my protein bar recipe, my no bake cashew bars, peanut butter swirl brownies from scratch, and my chocolate rice cakes, these portable snacks can be whipped up in a bowl or processor or blender, and be ready in minutes. And like my tutorial on how to make candied grapes, these balls are made with few steps.

While these oatmeal balls are sweet, they don't use dates. Dates are delicious and healthy but require soaking time to pit them and equipment to break them down so I opted to make these balls without them. Like with many of my no bake snack recipes, I think you will love the ease and nutrition of these easy energy balls. And, like my cinnamon roll overnight oats, and my cookie dough bites, and my oatmeal chocolate chip bars, and my pumpkin oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, they make a great grab-and-go breakfast!

Why You'll Love These

Taste delicious. These peanut butter oatmeal balls are creamy and sweet, although will not give you a sugar crash because they are naturally sweetened. They are also filling so provide you with sustained energy and a feeling of fullness even though they are only 1 inch around.

High in nutrition. The protein balls have 4 grams of protein and 2 grams of fiber per ball, both thanks to chickpeas and rolled oats respectively, making this snack a quick source of energy.

Easy to customize. These 5 ingredient rolled balls are easy to customize in two ways, either mix in things like chocolate chips, raisins, cinnamon, nuts, or coat in crushed nuts, drizzled chocolate or cocoa powder, cinnamon, orange peel and even cookie crumbs.

Ingredients

Rolled oats. Rolled oats are excellent for no bake rolled balls because they easily absorb liquid and soften in the dough, making them easy on the digestion. And they bring protein, fiber and micronutrients to the snack.

Peanut butter. Any nut butter works. Choose a natural runny one that has only the nut and maybe oil and salt as ingredients. Open the jar, stir it up, and microwave it for 10 seconds if needed to mix creamy before measuring. Then it will be easier to stir up your protein ball mixture.

Chickpeas. Use canned, organic and unsalted. The can can be at room temperature; once opened however it needs to be refrigerated. Choose a brand with only chickpeas in the ingredients. And rinse before measuring them out. Freeze the liquid (aquafaba) in ice cube trays to make many of my baked recipes that can use aquafaba as an egg replacer.

Maple syrup. I don't use dates in my oatmeal energy balls even though they are health and a common binder in protein ball recipes because they require a food processor or blender. Maple syrup is refined-sugar-free and high in iron, a wonderfully nutritious sweetener and binder.

Almond flour. Use almond flour to bring another source of protein to these bites, and a dry base. Your favorite protein powder can be used instead.

Mix-ins & Coatings. Your choice! Chocolate chips, puffed quinoa, raisins, nuts, shredded coconut, dried fruit, chopped nuts, cinnamon, beetroot powder.

Substitutions

Nut butter. Instead of peanut butter, you can use any flavor nut butter including almond, cashew, tahini, even sunflower seed butter.

Chickpeas. Instead, use more nut butter, but increase the almond flour by a few tablespoons full to correct the texture if needed to make it rollable.

Maple syrup. You can use any liquid sweetener, including date syrup, agave, and even honey if you don't need the protein balls to be vegan although I've heard honey makes them very sweet.

Almond flour.  Instead, any protein powder will do. You could also use oat flour instead, but that flour does not provide protein. You can use coconut flour but as it is more absorbent, you'll need to double the amount and play with the liquids.

Step by Step Instructions

For more detail, visit the complete recipe at the bottom of this post, but here are general steps.

Step One. Measure Ingredients and add all ingredient to either a food processor or blender. (Image 1)

1. Measure out oats.
2. Stir up peanut butter in the jar if the oils have separated, and then measure. Microwave jar for just 10 seconds to help with stirring. Add the measured amount of peanut butter to the oats and chickpeas.
3. Open a can of chickpeas, pour off liquid (aquafaba) into ice cube trays and freeze, then rinse the chickpeas, measure and refrigerate the left-over beans for two days. Pat dry the measured beans with paper towels.
4. Measure out the maple syrup from the bottle.
5. Measure out the almond flour by fluffing the flour in the bag with a fork, then spooning flour into a measuring cup.

Step Two. Process the ingredients into a chunky batter. (Image 2) Taste the batter and add more maple syrup if you need a sweeter flavor. Or you can add water if the mixture is crumbly and isn't sticky enough to roll balls.

Step Three. If adding mix-ins, add them now, and use a spoon or spatula to fold them in uniformly.

Step Four. Rub hands in rolled oats and scoop batter into balls using a small cookie scoop. Roll the batter into balls with your hands. (Image 3)

Step Five. Coat the balls in any coating you choose, and line them up to set. (Image 4)

Recipe Tips

1.The recipe creates 12 oatmeal energy balls and can easily be doubled or tripled.

2. During your taste test, if you feel the bean flavor is too prominent, add up to 1 teaspoon of cinnamon to disguise it.

3. Be sure your peanut butter or nut butter is runny, otherwise your batter may turn out too dry. Microwave it for 15 seconds and stir if separated.

4. You can scoop the balls using a tablespoon or a number 40 or small cookie/ice cream scoop. Before you roll the balls, wet your hands.

Additional Mix ins

Mix in the following ingredients to increase nutrition and flavor:

• Cocoa powder. Use this to roll the balls in.
• Chia Seeds & Flax Seeds. Mix in to increase protein and fiber.
• Chocolate chips. Mix in mini chips.
• Raisins. Increase the sweet flavor while adding fiber.
• Cinnamon. Mix in to offset the flavor of beans.
• Nuts. Mix in to increase protein and add crunch.
• Beetroot powder. Useful to roll in and create a pink energy bite. Pitaya powder works as well.
• Shredded coconut. Useful to roll in and mixin and provides healthy fats.
• Puffed quinoa. To make puffed quinoa, dry toast raw dry quinoa for a few minutes in a dry skillet. It will smell nutty and make a small popping noise. Allow it to cool and use it as a mix-in.

Variations

Customize to create the following flavors:

To make Chocolate Oatmeal Energy Balls, to this recipe add:

• 2 tablespoon cocoa
• 2 extra tablespoon maple syrup
• ¼ cup mini chocolate chips

To make Almond Coconut Oatmeal Energy Balls, to this recipe add:

• 2 tablespoon almonds
• 2 extra tablespoon maple syrup
• 2 tablespoon shredded coconut, unsweetened

To make Cinnamon Roll Oatmeal Energy Balls, to this recipe add:

• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon raisins

FAQS

More Energy Balls

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