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These Peanut Butter Oatmeal Balls taste just like the classic PB and J on oatmeal bread, but heartier and nutrient-dense! Packed with oats, dried fruit, chia seed and peanut butter to hold it all together, they are the perfect make ahead snack to fuel your day!
Peanut Butter Oatmeal Balls
These no bake energy bites are the perfect snack to have on hand in the fridge. These PB and J Oatmeal Balls are loved by both kids and adults! Grab one or two and have a filling bite-size snack, pack in the lunch box with your kids or serve for a healthy after dinner treat. They’re nutrient-dense, filling and packed with that classic PB and J taste!
What we love most about these peanut butter oatmeal balls is that no extra equipment is required. A lot of energy balls use dates as a binder and sweetener, and that requires a food processor. But this one uses peanut butter as the binder, so all you need is a bowl and heavy spoon!
Ingredients for PB and J Oatmeal Balls
Ingredients for PB and J Oatmeal Balls- Natural Peanut Butter
- Honey
- Old Fashioned Oats (make sure to get certified gluten-free if you need it!)
- Chia Seeds
- Dried Fruit (dried cherries or strawberries are our favorite!)
- Collagen peptides or protein powder (optional)
Substitutions for Peanut Butter Oatmeal Balls
These are a great snack to send to school with your kids, but a lot of schools do not allow nuts. You can swap in sunflower butter in place of the peanut butter. And you can also swap in any other nut butter that you might like, such as almond butter.
Most any dried fruit will work here. We are partial to dried cherries or strawberries, but anything such as cranberries or blueberries, or even raisins will work!
We think honey works well in this mixture, but you can also use maple syrup if you prefer!
What if the mixture is too dry?
We tried this with a few different types of natural peanut butter, and the oil content can vary from differing brands. If your oatmeal bite mixture is too dry, as in it won’t stick together when you squeeze it, you can add in a tablespoon more of peanut butter at a time. Alternatively if it is too sticky, add in 1/4 cup of oats at a time until it is workable enough.
If you like this healthy energy bite recipe, check out these others:
- Tart Cherry Coconut Energy Balls (No Bake!)
- Nut-Free Power Bites
- Mint Chip Energy Bites
- Cookie Dough Energy Bites
PB and J Oatmeal Energy Balls
Ingredients
- ½ cup natural peanut butter
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1-½ cups old fashioned oats
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds
- ⅓ cup dried cherries
- 1 scoop collagen peptides or protein powder (optional)
Instructions
- To a large bowl add peanut butter, honey, oats, chia seeds, and collagen powder. Mix together with a spoon.
- Scoop out a heaping tablespoon of the oat mixture and roll into a ball.
- Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Do you have any low histamine, GF, egg free recipes?
I’m struggling-
Thank you,
Jewels
Kirkland organic creamy peanut butter
These were wonderful, but I ended up having to put almost double the amount of peanut butter listed because the mixture was too dry; next time will reduce oats to perhaps 1 cup instead. Wondering if I missed anything, or if textures vary by brand?
Hi MG, thanks for the feedback. My guess is that it had to do with the peanut butter. What brand did you use?
Wondering how it would be with hemp seeds in place of the chia seeds
I haven’t tried it, but go for it!!
These are fantastic and are extremely easy to prep for the week. They make excellent road trip snacks and I plan to see how well they do with air travel next. Thanks for creating something healthy and comforting Lexi!
So happy you loved!
YUM. These are so easy to make. I started making these on Sundays so that I can have a quick snack throughout the week at work. I’m a teacher, so I need something I can munch on quickly and/or while walking. I love these. Healthy and so delicious!!! This is an LCK hit for sure. 🙂