Home » Sweet Tooth » Brownies and Bars » Peanut Butter Snack Balls

Peanut Butter Snack Balls

Published on February 19, 2021

Naturally sweetened peanut butter snack balls! They’re convenient, delicious and filled with protein. Your whole family will love these no bake peanut butter balls!

Please note this post was originally published in 2017. I’ve redone the post text but the recipe remains the same!

I actually did it. I used the word “balls” in a recipe…*sigh*. Well, I suppose I couldn’t avoid it forever. Maybe I could have called them “bites” but come on, let’s be real. They’re balls. Sweet, slightly salty, protein-packed BALLS – and you’ve gotta try them!

I’ve been working on this recipe for months now, but only through very slow trial-and-error. I’d make a batch, decide on a few things that need to be changed, write it down, and try it again a few weeks later when the last batch of balls were eaten up.

You guys, I’ve finally found the winning combination!

How do you make peanut butter snack balls?

I knew I wanted to keep these balls naturally sweetened, as I’d be primarily feeding them to my kiddos. Honey combined with Medjool dates add just the right amount of sweetness, as well as the right amount of “hold” to keep it all together.

For a little pack of protein, I used peanut butter, cashews, and the star secret ingredient: hemp hearts! This is the brand I always buy. Hemp hearts are an awesome way to sneak protein into your (and your offspring’s) diet. There is 11 grams of protein in just 3 tablespoons!! Isn’t that amazing? I will often throw hemp hearts into a stir fry or smoothie for dinner. Super sneaky!

Use your food processor to first crush up the cashews, then pulse in the dates, to make a bit of a “dough”. Add in the rest of the ingredients and pulse until you’ve got a smooth-ish looking dough. Pop the mixture into the fridge for a little bit to firm up, then take it out and roll out your balls, at whatever size you want! I made about 14.

Can you keep these snack balls at room temperature?

These snack balls are ideal for taking along on a trip, and they will keep at room temperature for hours without falling apart or turning into mush. Overall, they’re a super healthy snack – if you don’t count the chocolate drizzle. I had to add the chocolate drizzle! Not only does it make them a little prettier, they add the perfect amount of sweetness and the chocolate is enough to get my boys to take notice.

I will warn you, the chocolate can certainly make for a mess with your little ones. That’s what baby wipes are for!

The next time you want to make a quick and easy homemade snack, give these protein-packed snack balls a “roll”. 😉

Are these balls safe for babies to eat?

Since babies under 1 cannot eat honey, you should not serve these to your baby-led-weaning child or baby under 1! I have tried these with maple syrup, and they are still delicious but they do not hold together quite as well as they do with honey.

Some of my other favorite snacks from the blog: