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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?
I love to make snack bars and bites at home and need to do it more! They often taste better than store-bought versions, and you can mix and match as many ingredients as you have on hand.
Plus it’s a great activity to do with kids around – if they’ll concentrate on the recipe with all those chocolate chips within reach 🙂
The Best Snack Ball Recipe Ingredients
My favorite ingredients are:
- Oats
- Flax seeds or chia seeds
- Peanut butter or almond butter
- Vanilla extract (for a whiff of vanilla-y flavor)
- 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!
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! Or roll in some colorful rainbow sprinkles.
Finally, add a little protein powder to boost that protein up just a bit. Just a little or they make come out too dry. You can balance out powder with a little additional sweetener.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Oats Balls Recipe
These no-bake balls are kind of like a peanut butter chocolate chip cookie meets banana bread.
They’re not too sweet, not too salty, not too chocolate-y, and most importantly, they are delicious and satisfying for a snack.
You can always add more chocolate chips or coconut than the recipe calls for, as well as other add-ins (chia seeds, dates, nuts, etc.).
Additionally, these balls only take 5-10 minutes to make, so you can make them right when the urge strikes!
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 Chocolate Peanut Butter Oats Balls
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 1: Mash bananas.
Use the back of a fork to mash until it’s shiny and smooth.
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 fully 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.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Oat Balls
These no-bake chocolate chip peanut butter balls are a perfect post-lunch treat or mid-day snack when you’re craving something chocolatey or peanut buttery. Most importantly, they’re made with real food ingredients that provide satisfying nutrition.
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
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Mash banana in a bowl with a fork until shiny and smooth.
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Add oats, peanut butter, chocolate chips, coconut, banana, salt, vanilla and mix until everything is wet and combined.
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Using wet hands, roll into a dozen balls.
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Store in the refrigerator.
More Snack Ball Recipes:
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