No Bake Energy Balls
189
Published Jan 23, 2025
This post may include affiliate links. Thank you for your support.
These no bake energy balls are easy to make in one bowl with just 8 ingredients and 10 minutes of prep time. They’re the perfect heathy snack to meal prep for the week!
I’ve been a fan of energy balls for years, and they’re still one of my go-to meal prep recipes. I pretty much always have a batch of these peanut butter energy balls in the fridge because they’re easy to make, perfect for grab-and-go snacks and so satisfying.
These energy balls are similar to my protein balls, but this recipe doesn’t have protein powder, which is perfect for those of you who don’t love protein powder or if you’re making them for kiddos. My kids gobble these up whenever I make them! And when they’re in school I’ll make my SunButter energy bites (for a nut-free option) and pack 1-2 in their school lunch boxes.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love These Energy Balls
- Easy to make – You only need 1 bowl, 8 ingredients and 10 minutes of prep time!
- Versatile – These little energy bites can be eaten any time of the day! Need a snack between work calls? Energy ball. A little something before your workout? Energy ball. Craving something sweet but want to keep it healthy-ish? Energy ball.
- Healthy – They’re packed with wholesome ingredients like oats, flaxseed, coconut, peanut butter, and just the right touch of sweetness.
- Portable – The balls hold together well so you can easily toss a few in your bag for school/work or as a travel snack during road trips.
- Kid-friendly – Kids love these no bake energy balls, especially since they have chocolate chips in them. And this is such a great recipe to involve your kids in. You can put them in charge of measuring, dumping, stirring or rolling into balls depending on how old and independent they are.
- No protein powder – These balls have a decent amount of protein (3 grams per ball) without having to add protein powder. I get a lot of questions about making my protein balls without protein powder and this is the recipe I direct them to.
// ★★★★★ Review //
“One of the few no-bake energy ball recipes that is actually super easy to make and tastes amazing! I’ve made it for friends and family and everyone always loves it.” – James
Ingredients Needed
The cool part about this recipe is that it only requires 8 simple ingredients, most of which you probably already have sitting in your pantry.
- old fashioned rolled oats – rolled oats are the best type of oat to use for these energy balls! Oats are naturally gluten-free, but often cross contaminated so make sure to grab certified gluten free oats if needed. My fave brand is Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free old fashioned rolled oats.
- natural peanut butter – look for a brand with just one or two ingredients (peanuts and salt). Also, try to use peanut butter that’s creamy and drippy. It can be hard to mix when you have a more “solid” or “dry” nut butter, so I recommend finding a runny nut butter. Some of my favorite brands are Crazy Richard’s peanut butter and 365 organic creamy peanut butter.
- honey – the glue that binds these no bake energy balls together.
- unsweetened shredded coconut – be sure to get unsweetened shredded coconut, not the sweetened coconut.
- chocolate chips – You can use any type you like, but I usually go for dark mini chocolate chips from Lily’s or Enjoy Life. Both of these options are dairy-free.
- ground flaxseed meal – I add flaxseed in to boost the nutrition, but this is an optional ingredient. Add it if you have it in your pantry and skip it if you don’t!
Find the full ingredient list with measurements in the recipe card below.
Recipe Substitutions
This recipe is really forgiving and works well with a lot of different substitutions. Here are some common subs I get asked about often:
- Oats: I’m pretty sure quick oats would work as a sub for rolled oats if that’s all you have on hand.
- Honey: Swap for maple syrup to make these vegan.
- Coconut: You can sub 2-3 Tablespoons more rolled oats for the shredded coconut if you don’t love coconut.
- Flaxseed: You can sub chia seeds for the flaxseed or omit the flaxseed all together.
- Swap the peanut butter: Can be swapped for another nut butter like almond butter or cashew butter. For a nut-free option try sunflower seed butter or tahini. Just be sure your nut butter is fresh (kind of drippy) and not super thick/dry. Thick or dry nut butters will make the energy balls dry and they won’t hold together very well.
- Use a different mix-in: The chocolate chips can be left out or subbed for another add-in like raisins, dried cranberries or blueberries.
How to Make No Bake Energy Balls
Most energy balls need a food processor to mix up… not these! The idea for these energy balls came to me because I wanted to share a simple recipe that you could make if you don’t have a food processor. It just requires one bowl and about 10 minutes of prep time. Here’s how to make this energy balls recipe:
Step 1: Place all of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir well to combine. Place the dough in the fridge for about 30 minutes to chill.
Step 2: Once the dough has chilled, bring the dough out of the fridge and roll into balls, using about 1 Tablespoon for each.
Brittany’s Tips!
- Use runny nut butter. Want to make energy balls that are super moist and delicious, rather than dry and crumbly? The secret is to use runny nut butter. These nut butters are smoother and more liquid than thicker nut butters which will help bind the mixture together and add moisture to the balls.
- Add a splash of liquid if needed. If your peanut butter energy balls do end up being too dry or crumble you can add a splash of water or milk to the mixture to help bind the ingredients together and make it easier for rolling into balls!
- Chill the dough: I do recommend chilling the dough! It makes it much easier to roll the mixture into balls without it sticking to your hands. That said, if you’re short on time, you can roll the dough into energy balls right away. Just note, that the mixture might be sticky!
- Use a cookie scoop. Shaping the balls is a breeze with a cookie scoop! This handy tool will help you portion out the mixture evenly and create balls that are all the same size.
- Wet your hands: If the mixture is still sticky when rolling, try wetting your hands slightly or lightly spraying them with cooking spray for a smoother process.
How to Store Energy Balls
At room temperature: Energy balls can be stored at room temperature for a few days, but they may become softer and less firm over time. To store them at room temperature, place them in an airtight container and keep them in a cool, dry place. Avoid storing them in direct sunlight or in a warm environment.
In the fridge: These balls can be stored in the fridge for 1-2 weeks. To store them in the fridge, place the energy bites in an airtight container. I like using glass storage containers or Stasher bags for storing protein balls.
In the freezer: Store these balls in the freezer for up to 3 months. To store them in the freezer, place in an airtight container or a freezer-safe bag and seal it tightly. Label the container or bag with the date. When you’re ready to enjoy a protein ball, simply remove it from the freezer and let it thaw at room temperature for a few minutes before eating.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! There is no dairy, flour, refined sugar or artificial ingredients in these no bake energy balls. Plus, one ball is packed with 3 grams of protein each, so they’re definitely healthy in my book!
If your energy ball dough is dry or crumbly it might mean that your nut butter was on the drier side. Just add a splash of water or milk to help bind the mixture together before rolling.
Definitely! There’s no protein powder in them and kids love the chocolate chips in them. These energy bites are a great snack option for lunchboxes or after school.
More Energy Ball Recipes
- Date Energy Balls
- Coconut Protein Balls
- Cinnamon Raisin Cookie Protein Balls
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Balls
- Tahini Chocolate Chip Protein Balls
And be sure to check out all of the healthy snack recipes here on EBF.
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
No Bake Energy Balls
Ingredients
- 1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
- ½ cup natural peanut butter
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- ¼ cup chocolate chips
- 2 Tablespoons ground flaxseed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of sea salt
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a large bowl and stir together until well combined.
- Place mixture in the fridge for 30 minutes to chill.
- Bring mixture out of the fridge and roll into balls, using about 1 Tablespoon for each.
- Store balls in a covered container in the fridge or freezer.
Video
Notes
- Energy balls dry? Add a splash of water or milk to the mixture to help bind the ingredients together and make it easier for rolling into balls!
- Skip the chilling: If you’re in a time crunch you can skip chilling the dough and immediately roll them into balls after mixing.
- Nut-free: If you have an allergy or prefer not to use peanut butter, sunflower seed butter and tahini are great alternatives.
- Storage: You can store energy balls in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days. For longer storage, keep them in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This post was originally published on August 30, 2020 and republished on January 23, 2025.
These turned out great! I can’t stop eating them😀😀😀
Yay! So glad you loved this recipe, Shannon. Thanks so much for making it and for coming back to leave a review. I really appreciate it.
Made these a month or so ago and loved them. I altered without coconut because I did not have any, added some coconut flower syrup for help with the stickiness. @Tia may want to check her oats, if the whole oats have too much “crumb”, it will dry out the mixture. In addition, making energy bites/balls take manipulating based on individual ingredients and their measurements. Being mindful of the balance of wet and dry is crucial, though once you’ve got that; easy peezy!
Yay! So glad you loved the recipe, Beth. I’ve never tried coconut flower syrup, but it sounds amazing! Thanks for taking the time to leave such a thoughtful and helpful review. I really appreciate it.
My daughter started a new family must for our freezers! In addition to her husband, Her daughters snack on these daily – the rest of us go visit and it’s one of the first things we reach for to snack on. So I started to make them, as does my son for his family. My sister tried them, now she makes them!! They are wonderful, and nutritious. Thank you for sharing.
Hi Julie! This makes me so happy to hear, I am so glad these are a hit for your whole family. Thank you for taking the time to share your review & star rating, it means so much to me!
Terrible recipe, these don’t even stick in a ball! What a waste of ingredients
Hi Tia – I am so sorry to hear that these didn’t stick for you, I haven’t experienced this. Did you change anything about the recipe?
I forgot my 5-stars from our family.
Tia- a couple things, make sure you use GROUND flaxseed and not flaxseeeds. This could be part of the problem. Honestly our family makes them religiously and have not experienced that problem (not sticking together) maybe refrigerate a bit and use moist (h2o) on your hands to work the mixture but DONT overwork. They really are that good.