Do you ever crave a healthy snack that meets all the sweet, chocolaty, and happy belly desires? Then these peanut butter energy balls are for you!
We love these PB balls so much because they are only sweetened with maple syrup! Yup, I promise. Maple syrup provides the right amount of sweetness in comparison to its overly sweet counterpart; honey.
They are wonderful to have on-hand in the fridge when the kids want a snack, I don’t want to feed them junk food while we’re out and about, and they satiate my own hunger or sweet cravings as they come!
Post-workout, these energy balls get your energy back up and give the body sustainable fuel until the next mealtime. And you won’t feel bad replenishing the body with good calories.
I definitely don’t feel guilty if the kids eat more than four of these! In fact, I welcome it. It’s also really fun to get them involved in making them. We learn a lot of math, motor skills, and listening skills – most of the time.
Let’s get mixing!
The Ingredients
They are very simple to make. All it takes is 8 ingredients.
- powdered peanut butter (we prefer it to creamy but you can use either)
- real maple syrup
- quick-cooking oats + rolled oats (can use one kind or gluten-free)
- chocolate chips | substitute Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips to make vegan
- raw maca powder
- organic cacao powder
- organic chia seeds
- water
Oats: My kids do not enjoy eating raw rolled oats, so we only use quick-cooking oats in our energy balls. I’ve noticed energy balls are a little easier to digest when only using quick oats.
A Scale: We do use a scale to measure out the ingredients for energy balls. It makes for a more consistent texture, flavor, and it is much easier to add all the ingredients into one bowl in the mixer.
Substitutions + Mix-Ins
If your family is unable to have peanut butter, substitute almond or cashew butter instead at the same ratio listed in the recipe.
I don’t have coconut loving boys, and I’m not quite certain peanut butter and coconuts go together, but if it works for you, go for it!
Here are some additional ideas to add-in:
- hemp hearts
- chia seeds
- cranberries, raisins, dried cherries
- pumpkin seeds
- choice of nuts
- banana chips
- choice of chips
- other dried fruits (maybe strawberries)
- protein powders (our favorite as its flavorless)
The mixing bowl is your oyster, my friend, add away!
If the mix gets a little too dry due to any add-ins, add more water by the teaspoon until the right consistency is reached.
Storing Peanut Butter Energy Balls
PB Balls are best stored in the refrigerator in a sealed container or airtight baggies for up to two weeks. Any longer and they will become dry.
I love putting anywhere between 5-8 balls of varying size in little snack baggies and place them in a special spot in the fridge for the kids as a grab-and-go snack.
It also makes it super easy for you, the kids, or grandma to grab a bag as everyone heads out the door on an adventure.
The kids also enjoy these with our Homemade Almond Milk or Buttered Hot Cocoa.
The Peanut Butter Energy Ball Recipe
Did you guys try these? What did everyone think?
I would love to know your reviews and if you made them better in any way by adding something we didn’t think of!
Happy munching!
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