These No Bake Peanut Butter Balls have just five ingredients and can be whipped up in less than 15 minutes. Plus they are absolutely delicious and surprisingly healthier than the store-bought version. This No Bake Peanut Butter protein Balls recipes make a perfect treat for parties or holidays. They can be made ahead and stored in the fridge. It’s a fun, no bake recipe that children will love to help you make.
These No Bake Energy Balls are the perfect way to get your chocolate and peanut butter fix without having to fire up the stove in the middle of summer. We all know peanut butter is delicious, so it isn’t surprising that it’s one of the most popular foods in America. But there are many health benefits to peanut butter that you may not know about.
No Bake Peanut Butter Balls
Bakers know the key to someone’s heart: a plate of No Bake Peanut Butter Balls, the most thrillingly addictive candy on the planet. There’s no wrong way to make them, just as long as you start with this recipe and no-bake them with all the love in your heart.
How can something so small, so innocent looking, be so powerful? It’s hard to pick a favorite thing about old-fashioned No Bake Peanut Butter Balls. If you’ve never tasted one, you’re really missing out.
No Bake Peanut Butter Balls ingredients:
Here’s what you need to make them. (PS: Lots of fun variations down below, in case you want to modify for reduced sugar or dietary needs.)
- Graham crackers. An American staple, believe it or not graham crackers are not widely available outside of the U.S. Feel free to use crushed digestive biscuits instead, or any slightly sweet, non-shortbread style cookie or tea biscuit you can find. (You can also make peanut butter balls with crushed rice krispies or rolled oats).
- Peanut butter. Creamy or chunky, it’s up to you, but I prefer the creamy. Basically, use your favorite nut butter—even natural peanut butter you make yourself—to make the no-bake balls.
- Powdered sugar. For a low-sugar peanut butter ball, use powdered monk fruit or your favorite no-sugar alternative.
- Butter. Salted or unsalted, whatever you have.
- Semi-sweet baking chocolate. For dipping. You can also use chocolate flavored melting wafers, if that’s what you’d prefer. They work great, and taste just as good.
How to make No Bake Peanut Butter Balls:
This easy candy recipe is perfect for little hands, so gather up your helpers and get an assembly line going.
These photos take you through the basic steps without giving ingredient quantities. For exact measurements, see the recipe card below.
- First, add the softened butter, graham cracker crumbs, peanut butter, and powdered sugar to a large bowl. Mix everything together until smooth. You can also use a food processor or a hand mixer to speed this part up.
- Then scoop out the peanut butter into teaspoon-sized portions and roll up into balls, placing each one on a baking sheet.
- Chill the peanut butter balls in the refrigerator for about half and hour. After that, you’re ready to dip the balls in chocolate.
How to melt chocolate for dipping:
While the peanut butter balls are chillin’, melt the chocolate. The best way to melt chocolate is either using a double boiler on the stove, or in the microwave.
Tip: before you start, make sure the bowl and utensils—anything that touches the chocolate—is very, very dry. Even just a little water could seize up the melted chocolate and ruin your project.
Melting chocolate in the microwave: Place chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl; microwave in 30-second intervals at 50% power, stirring between each, until smooth and melted.
Melting chocolate on the stove: Place chocolate in the top of a double boiler or a heatproof bowl set over— but not in— a saucepan of simmering water; cook, stirring occasionally, until melted, 2 to 3 minutes.
How to dip No Bake Peanut Butter Balls in chocolate:
It’s super easy, promise! If you like, you can turn these into Ohio Buckeyes by partially dipping each ball using a toothpick.
- One by one, pick up the peanut butter ball with two spoons or a toothpick, then dip it into the melted chocolate.
- Move the chocolate dipped peanut butter candy onto another prepared baking sheet.
- Chill the candy for a half hour or so before eating, so the chocolate has a chance to set up.
Can you use paraffin wax in chocolate peanut butter balls?
Some candy makers use paraffin wax in their melted chocolate to give a high gloss, shiny finish to the chocolate. A little wax helps the chocolate set up better and stay out at room temperature, but it’s purely optional—chances are these will get eaten up immediately no matter what.
Unlike the paraffin that’s used for candle making, food-grade paraffin wax is edible; it’s made of vegetable oils, palm oil derivatives, and synthetic resins.
If you’d like to try melting chocolate with paraffin, look for something that’s called baker’s wax, Parowax, or cooking wax.
Be careful, though; although paraffin is easy to work with, it is flammable. It also melts better on the stove than in the microwave.
Use ¾ ounce of food-grade paraffin for every 8 ounces of chocolate that you need to melt. Then melt the wax and the chocolate together in the double boiler and stir until combined before dipping.
What else can you add to No Bake Peanut Butter Balls?
If you can dream it, you can do it. The delicious options are virtually endless, especially with all the new products on the market. Switching up some ingredients help make it easy to make sweet stuff for people with dietary restrictions.
- Coconut. Shredded coconut, sweetened or unsweetened, makes a nice texture mixed in with the peanut butter.
- Ground flax. Some freshly ground flax meal added to the peanut butter give a heart healthy boost to an old-fashioned favorite.
- No Bake Peanut Butter Balls with Rice Krispies. For those who prefer a little crunch in their peanut butter.
- Low carb peanut butter balls. Make the candy with a no-sugar sweetener, and coconut flour in place of graham crackers. Use a dark chocolate with a higher cacao content. You’ll never miss a thing. (It might even be keto-friendly.)
- No Bake Peanut butter Oatmeal Balls. Rolled oats add a little bit of fiber. And fiber=health. Throw a handful of oats into the mix.
Do No Bake Peanut Butter Balls need to be refrigerated?
When you’re not devouring them, keep them in a cool place like a chilly garage or in the refrigerator. If you use shelf-stable peanut butter, they may not need to be refrigerated—but if they get too soft looking, pop them back in to firm up.
How should you store Peanut Butter Balls?
Store them in an airtight container up to two weeks in the refrigerator.
Can you freeze No Bake Peanut Butter Balls?
Yes. They can be frozen, dipped or undipped, for up to three months.
NO-BAKE PEANUT BUTTER PROTEIN BALLS
No-Bake Peanut Butter Protein Balls – Deliciously fudgy bites that are packed full of peanut butter flavour. Made from just a few simple ingredients, these energy balls make the perfect healthy snack!
NO-BAKE PEANUT BUTTER PROTEIN BALLS
Don’t you just love delicious and healthy snacks that can be made in almost no time at all? And you didn’t even need to turn the oven on.
Even better when they are loaded with peanut butter and chocolate chips!
These Peanut Butter Protein Balls are no-bake, incredibly fudgy, and packed FULL of flavour. They’re made from only a few simple ingredients, and can be thrown together in minutes.
INGREDIENTS YOU’LL NEED
Here’s a list of ingredients you’ll need to make these bites. You can find my recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete list with their amounts.
- Smooth peanut butter: You can use crunchy peanut butter for added crunch.
- Honey, maple syrup, or agave
- Vanilla extract
- Rolled oats: Quick porridge oats work too.
- Chocolate chips: You can use milk, dark, or semi-sweet.
HOW TO MAKE NO-BAKE PEANUT BUTTER PROTEIN BALLS
- To make these bites, simply grab a large mixing bowl and mix together the peanut butter, honey, and vanilla extract.
- Add the oats and chocolate chips, and fold in until completely combined. If needed, you can use your hands to bring everything together.
TIP: If the mixture is too crumbly to roll into balls, add milk (1 tablespoon at a time) until it becomes easier to manage.
- Roll the mixture into 1-oz balls. You should get about 16 – 18 balls. Eat straight away or store for later!
NOTE: For best results, I highly recommend using the gram measurements (with a digital scale), rather than the cup measurements.
Cup measurements are simply not accurate enough, and I cannot guarantee the best results if you use them.
TOOLS USED FOR THIS RECIPE
- Mixing bowls
- Spatulas
- Kitchen scales: I always recommend weighing out your ingredients for accuracy. Sometimes using cups can be a little off, especially when it comes to ingredients like peanut butter or oats.
THESE NO-BAKE PEANUT BUTTER PROTEIN BALLS ARE:
- deliciously soft and fudgy
- no-bake and super quick and easy to make
- packed FULL of peanut butter
- studded with chocolate chips
- the perfect little healthy treats
How long will these protein balls last? These balls can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Can I freeze these peanut butter protein balls? Yes, they also freeze well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.
No Bake Energy Balls
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.
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!
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.
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!
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!
Health Benefits Of Peanut Butter
- No Saturated Fats
One of the top health benefits of natural peanut butter is that it contains zero saturated fats which ensure that your heart is safe, strong, and pumping blood normally. The fat content in peanut butter is equal to that found in olive oil, which adds to its attractiveness as a healthy option. Presence of unsaturated fats helps lower bad cholesterol in the body too. The Butternut Co. has a wide range of peanut butters packed with the goodness of organic nutrients, without the side-effects of preservatives and unhealthy processing.
- High in Potassium and Magnesium
Potassium is a heart-friendly element found in high quantity in peanut butter. It acts as an electrolyte in the bloodstream and balances fluids in the body. It is essential to maintain a smooth flow of fluids without pressurizing the heart, unlike sodium. Magnesium helps control blood sugar levels, blood pressure levels as well as aids in muscle, immunity and bone development in humans.
- Reduces Chances of Gallstones
Natural peanut butter benefits also include the reduced risk of gallstones in the body, especially for women. Gallstones are caused due to a faulty diet, lack of fluid intake, hormonal pills, obesity and certain types of cholesterol-related drugs. Gallstones are a painful condition that can be avoided with an appropriate intake of peanut butter.
- Prevents Cancer
Perhaps one of the greatest discoveries related to peanut butter nutrition is its ability to prevent many kinds of cancers in humans, especially colon, breast, and prostate cancer. Peanut butter contains Beta-sitosterol, a substance that is known to control the formation and spread of cancerous cells, according to multiple studies. Healthy peanut butter usage like peanut butter and banana milkshake, peanut butter and jelly sandwich, etc. can help in a big way in the fight against cancer. We have a lot to thank the humble peanut for making our strolls on the beach, picnic baskets and movie outings, a lot more enjoyable.
- Lowers the Risk of Diabetes
Peanut butter is especially a good choice for people suffering from type-2 diabetes as it is low in carbohydrates. Also, research suggests that individual can reduce the risk of developing diabetes by 30% just by eating 2 tablespoons of peanut butter for five days (in a week).