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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
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:
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Peanut Butter Snack Balls
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 14-16 snack balls 1x
Description
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!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup dry, roasted cashews
- 5 Medjool dates, pits removed
- 1 cup quick oats
- 1/4 cup peanut butter*
- 1/4 cup liquid honey
- 2 tbsp hemp hearts
- Optional: 1 oz dark chocolate
Instructions
- Place the cashews in the bowl of a food processor and pulse in intervals until the cashews are broken into very small bits; don’t pulse too far that you start making cashew butter! Add the dates and continue pulsing until a thick “dough” has formed.
- Add the remaining ingredients, and pulse until a smooth-ish dough comes together, about 10-15 times. Place the mixture into the fridge for 10 minutes to set.
- Placing the finished balls on a parchment lined baking sheet, roll the mixture into equal sized balls until all the mixture is used.
- Optional: Melt 1 oz of chocolate in a small bowl. Use a fork to drizzle the chocolate evenly across the balls. Place in the fridge to set the chocolate.
Snack balls should be stored in the fridge, in an airtight container. They will keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, and for 1-2 days at room temperature.
Notes
- Try almond butter, or seed butter for a nut-free alternative.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Category: snacks
- Method: no bake
- Cuisine: american
OMG I need a batch of these stat. All of my favorite things–pb, dates, CHOCOLATE–in one healthy bite/ball/whatever you call it it’s just delicious :). Brilliant, Katherine!
You definitely need to whip up a batch!! Thanks Kelsie – you are too kind!
I love these..(excuse me…just need to giggle😁) peanut butter snack balls!!!
No seriously now Katherine, this is a great recipe. It makes a wonderful snack, healthy and high in protein. Definitely not going to last 2 weeks in the fridge in my home…more like 2 minutes!
Pinning this recipe for lunch box treats…love it.
Hahah I know, I had a hard time calling them balls BUT – call a spade a spade, right? I’ll be honest, they usually don’t last more than a few days around here either! Thanks so much Ashika!!
Yum! I love a healthy treat! Perfect for afternoon snacking for sure! XOXO 🙂
Definitely!! Thank you Kelly! Have a great week my friend 🙂
ha ha you make me laugh! these look fab, i’ve been on the search for some healthier protein packed snacks! must try, and that drizzle tho!
Thanks Georgie!! Hope you love em 🙂
I swear, I have a post coming up in a bit where I refer to the whole ‘ball’ scenario, but I call them snack bites, lol 😀 Maybe we are related??? Mine are chocolate and coconut, tho. Whatever you call these, they sound fabulous and that drizzle is perfect. Hope you have a wonderful weekend, my friend! XO
Haha well, we’re both Canadian. Maybe there’s a connection somewhere 😉 I can’t wait for your chocolate and coconut bites (or balls) ha – sounds delicious!! Thanks Dawn! Enjoy your weekend too!
LOL-LOL-LOL!!! Balls! I swear I revert to being a ten year old when I hear certain words, and balls is one of ’em. 😉 As soon as i saw these on Insta, I thought (And commented) amaze-balls because I just couldn’t help myself! I love these balls, Chicka! Honey and Medjool dates are one of the best combos, so im loving that you used it in these bad boys! These look snack-tastic fo’ sho’! Cheers!!
Hahaha I’m with you. It’s actually just really fun to say. Balls, balls, balls!! I’m so glad you were the first to say amaze-balls (I’ll be using that word SOON to describe these). Have a great weekend!
Now these are some balls!!! Full of protein and delicious to boot!! I need a stash of these at my house 🙂
They’re pretty great balls 😉 You definitely need a stash of these, Liz!! Have a great weekend!
these sound delicious! sometimes it’s good to let things marinate in your mind for a while, and it definitely sounds like that was the case with this recipe (:
Thank you Heather! Yes totally, you need to let things simmer for a while 😉 Thanks friend!
Need more balls like this in my life. I love little energy balls like this, perfect portion size and so satisfying!
Thank you!! Yes these are the best kinds of balls to have around 😉 So easy to pop into your mouth!!
Haha! I love these balls ;). Such a great healthy snack option! And they are so easy and quick to make.. I don’t mind the chocolate drizzle at all..Chocolate makes them fitting for a healthy dessert too!!
Glad you like my balls Deepika 😉 Haha! You gotta put the drizzle on top!! Thanks friend!!