No Bake Energy Balls

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These peanut butter no bake energy balls require only one bowl, eight ingredients and about 10 minutes of prep time. You’ll love having them as a portable snack option!

I’ve been a fan of energy balls for years and they still top the list of meal prep recipes for me. I usually make some sort of energy ball every week and these peanut butter no bake balls are a household favorite.

White bowl full of peanut butter chocolate chip energy balls.

The flavor of the balls is awesome, especially if you’re a peanut butter lover like me. The texture is great too! It’s like homemade granola formed into a ball. 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.

Mama and Kid-Friendly

I will say that as a nursing mama, I LOVE having these energy balls on hand for snacking. These don’t have brewer’s yeast like my lactation balls, but they still have oats and flaxseed… two foods that are great for boosting milk supply.

And for mamas with older kiddos, these balls are super kid-friendly! They will goggle them right up, trust me! Plus, they can totally help you with the process of making these too.

No Processor or Protein Powder Needed

The best part about this recipe? All you need is one bowl and there’s no need for a food processor. And these balls have a decent amount of protein (3 grams) without having to add protein powder. I know a lot of people ask about making my protein balls without protein powder, especially if they’re making them for kiddos, and this is the recipe I direct them to!

Glass mixing bowl with honey, coconut flakes, flax, oats, chocolate chips and peanut butter.

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 – my fave brand is Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free old fashioned rolled oats
  • natural peanut butter – I love the flavor that peanut butter adds to these balls but feel free to use your favorite nut butter.
  • honey – honey is 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 – I like using dark chocolate chips from Enjoy Life or Lily’s. Both of these options are dairy-free.
  • ground flaxseed – I add flax 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!
  • vanilla – this adds a hint of vanilla flavor.
  • sea salt – a little sea salt enhances the flavors in these energy balls.
Square food storage container packed with peanut butter energy balls.

No Food Processor Needed!

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.

To make these energy balls simply place all of the ingredients in a large bowl and stir well to combine. Place the dough in the fridge for about 30 minutes to chill. Once the dough has chilled, bring the dough out of the fridge and roll into balls. It’s that easy!

Added bonus, this recipe is super kid-friendly. Kids can help by mixing all the ingredients together in a big bowl and assist with the rolling as well. They’ll love snacking on the balls once they’re made too!

Square food storage container packed with peanut butter energy balls.

Substitutions and Notes

This recipe is really forgiving and works well with a lot of different substitutions. Here are some common subs I get asked about often:

  • I haven’t tried it, but I’m pretty sure quick oats would work as a sub for rolled oats.
  • Peanut butter can be swapped for another nut butter like almond or cashew butter. Sunflower seed butter also works. 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.
  • Honey can be swapped for maple syrup, coconut nectar or agave nectar to make these vegan.
  • You can sub 2-3 Tablespoons more rolled oats for the shredded coconut.
  • You can sub chia seeds for the flaxseed or omit the flaxseed all together.
  • Chocolate chips can be left out or subbed for another add-in like raisins, dried cranberries or blueberries.

How to Store Energy Balls

You can store your energy balls in an airtight container. I like using glass storage containers or Stasher bags for storing energy balls. Store them in refrigerator or freezer. They’ll last up to 1-2 weeks in the fridge and up to 3 months in the freezer. That said, they never last more than a week at our house!

Hand holding two peanut butter chocolate chip energy balls.

More Energy Ball Recipes

And be sure to check out all of the healthy snack recipes here on EBF.

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4.40 from 190 votes

No Bake Energy Balls

These peanut butter no bake energy balls require only one bowl, eight ingredients and about 10 minutes of hands-on prep time. You’ll love having them as a portable snack option!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 16

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 well to combine.
  • Place bowl of “dough” in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour so it can set up.
  • Bring dough out of the fridge and roll into balls about 1 Tablespoon in size.
  • Store in a covered container in the fridge or freezer.

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 1ball | Calories: 112kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 11mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 7g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: peanut butter energy balls
Did you make this recipe?Mention @eatingbirdfood and tag #eatingbirdfood!

About Brittany

Hey there, I’m Brittany, the creator of Eating Bird Food, cookbook author, health coach and mama of two littles. Here you’ll find quick and easy recipes that make healthy fun and enjoyable for you and your family!

More about Brittany
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Recipe Rating




178 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Yum! These energy bites are perfect for an afternoon snack! I appreciate that the ingredients are pantry staples and that I don’t have to pull out my food processor to make them 🙌🏼

    1. Aren’t they the best?! 🙂 So glad you’re loving these energy balls, Erika! I appreciate you making them and coming back to leave a comment + star rating.

    1. So glad you’re loving these energy balls, Sam. Thanks for making them and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I really appreciate it. 🙂

  2. 5 stars
    These protein balls were so easy! They’re very sweet so they make for a tasty mid-day treat or healthy dessert, although I did eat one for breakfast this morning 🙂 Yum!

    1. So glad you’re enjoying these protein balls, Brooke! Thanks for making them and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I so appreciate it.<3

    1. Yay!! So glad you enjoyed these energy balls, Meg. Thanks for trying them and for coming back to leave a comment and star rating. I so appreciate it!

    2. Hi,this looks so super easy and yummy! I have no coconut, should I just follow along without it or should I add more of something else?
      Thanks!
      Sue

  3. 5 stars
    Just made them and they’re amazing! They’re so easy to make and go answer your question they’re very popular with kids. The difficulty is trying to keep my kid from the plate! I do have a query tho: I managed to make about 24 uneven sized balls and there are enough for a couple day’s worth of eat. How would you store them? Do they need to be refrigerated? Xx

    1. Hey Esther – I’m so glad you and your kids are enjoying these energy bars! You can store them in the fridge in an airtight container for up to a week or else in the freezer for up to 3 months!

  4. 5 stars
    I was looking for a quick, easy and yummy recipe to bring in for a co-worker’s bday and these no-bake PB balls was exactly what I was looking for! Several people have come up to me saying how delicious they are and asked for the recipe! 🙂 Birthdays aside, I will definitely be making these for snacks in the future!

  5. I’ve made these many times since you posted this recipe in 2016. I’ve tried different variations based on what I had on hand (e.g., chia seeds or vanilla hemp protein powder instead of ground flax, etc.), and they’ve always turned out.
    I just wanted to add that these are definitely kid approved – my kids love them! The only drag is that they can’t take them to school because of not being peanut-free. But they make great after-school snacks, and I’d rather they eat these than store-bought cookies or chips.

  6. 5 stars
    These are delicious! I am on the TIU plan and needed a sweet treat that would be approved. I didn’t have any ground flaxseed, so I added some chia seeds instead. Yum! Thanks for all of the healthy recipes 🙂