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With oats, hemp seeds, flax seeds, and cacao nibs these Oatmeal Peanut Butter Balls are the perfect little bites to keep hunger at bay. Great for a grab-n-go breakfasts or snacks. Made in just 10 minutes!
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Before you reach for another cup of coffee, try popping one or two easy Oatmeal Peanut Butter Balls! These no bake energy balls are hearty and filling. Just one or two will keep you satisfied until your next meal.
Ingredients you need
Ingredient notes and substitutions
- Oats: Be sure to use raw rolled oats, sometimes labeled as Old Fashioned Oats.
Steel cut oats will not work. - Peanut Butter: Choose a natural, unsweetened brand. The only ingredients should be peanuts and, maybe, salt. This one from Costo is my fave! This one from Smuckers is also great.
If you don’t like or can’t have peanut butter, any nut butter would work, like almond butter or cashew butter. You could even use sunflower seed butter for a nut-free option. - Flaxmeal: You want flax meal, not flax seeds. If you can’t find flaxmeal, you can grind your own flax seeds using a small coffee grinder.
- Cacao Nibs: Cacao nibs have a great little crunch, which I love in these otherwise fairly soft oatmeal peanut butter balls.
Chocolate chips, raisins or dried cranberries would be tasty substitutions or add-ins. - Sweetener: I like pure maple syrup. Agave could be used in place of the maple syrup if you prefer.
How to make the recipe
Please scroll down to the recipe card for exact ingredient measurements and instructions.
These easy snack bites come together quickly with just a mixing bowl and spatula, no special equipment needed!
- Step 1: Place all the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl .
- Step 2: Add the peanut butter, maple syrup, and vanilla extract.
- Step 3: Mix the dry and wet ingredients well until it comes together and a dough is formed. It should come together and hold easily when pressed.
- Step 4: Scoop the dough 1 tablespoon at a time with a small cookie scoop or spoon.
- Step 5: With clean hands, roll the dough into a smooth little ball.
- Step 6: Place the energy ball on a plate and repeat with remaining mixture until all of it has been used.
Storage and freezing
Fridge: Store them in an air tight container in the fridge for about a week.
Freezer: You can also freeze them! Place the energy bites in one even layer on a large plate or baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Stick the plate or baking sheet in the freezer for 1 to 2 hours until until frozen. Transfer them to a freezer safe bag for storage.
We love them straight from the freezer, but you can let them sit out on the counter for a bit to soften, if you prefer.
Pro tips and tricks
~ Use raw rolled oats. Steel cut oats won’t work. Neither will cooked oatmeal.
~ Natural peanut butter separates in the jar. Be sure it is mixed very well so that the oils are evenly distributed throughout. If your peanut butter is very thick, even after stirring well, heat it up for 20 seconds or so to make it a bit more runny.
~ Don’t add too many extra add-ins. It can be tempting to load these up with nuts, dried fruits, or chocolate chips. The more you add, the harder it will be for the little balls to hold together. Choose add-ins that are small, like mini chocolate chips, or be sure to chop them up.
~ If the oatmeal peanut butter balls are crumbling when you’re rolling them, you may need an extra tablespoon or two of maple syrup. You can also use a few tablespoons of water if you don’t want to add any extra sweetness.
~ If the dough is so sticky that it’s sticking to your hands making them hard to roll, add a few more tablespoons of oats or flaxmeal. The dough should be moist, but should leave very little residue on your hands when rolling.
~ To make these nut-free, use sunflower seed butter or tahini.
~ To make these gluten-free, choose certified gluten-free oats.
More vegan energy balls
I hope you love this recipe as much as we do! If you tried it, please use the star rating system in the recipe card and leave a comment with your feedback. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
For even more easy family recipes, be sure to check out my cookbook, The Meatless Monday Family Cookbook!
Oatmeal Peanut Butter Balls
Recommended Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups gluten free rolled oats
- ¼ cup hulled hemp seeds
- ¼ cup flax meal
- 2 tablespoons cacao nibs
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon optional
- 1 cup organic natural creamy peanut butter
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract optional
Instructions
- Place all the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
- Add the peanut butter, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. If your peanut butter is on the thicker side, it helps to warm up in the microwave for a few seconds until it’s a bit runny.
- Mix the dry and wet ingredients well until it comes together and a dough is formed. It should come together and hold easily when pressed.
- Taking 1 tablespoon of mixture at a time, gently press/roll the mixture into a ball. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
- Eat immediately or store in the fridge.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition values are calculated using online calculators and are estimates only. Please verify using your own data.
Rose
do you think it’d work to add vegan protein powder to this recipe?
Jenn Sebestyen
Sure. Just reduce the oats or flax by the amount of protein powder you add (1-2 tablespoons should be plenty). Enjoy!
~t.
I’ve tried several versions of little treats like this. These are by far the most delicious and likely the healthiest, too. I will keep these stocked in my freezer – they are delicious frozen or not. I appreciate the notes, too; helpful hints are so welcome and do make things easier with a new recipe.
Jenn Sebestyen
I’m so glad you love them! Thank you for your feedback!
Rachelle
Great recipe! Do you cook the oats first ?
Jenn Sebestyen
Nope, use raw oats! Enjoy!
Joan LoDUca
Is the serving size of 165 calories for one tablespoon size ball?
Jenn S.
Roughly, yes.
Terri Edwards
We constantly get asked about power-packed snacks that people can take with them for outdoor sports. These look perfect for something like that. I’m picturing freezing them and then storing in a lunch cooler for outdoor hiking, biking, etc. Thanks so much for the recipe to share!
Jenn S.
Thanks, Terri! They freeze really well – I did that with my last batch. Enjoy!
Maureen
I like this recipe because you can mix and match ingredients and it is simple.
Jenn S.
Thank you, Maureen. Definitely easy to customize.
Edyta
You used all my favorite ingredients here. I need to make these balls. They look and sounds fantastic.
Jenn S.
Thank you, Edyta! Enjoy!
Ruthy @ Percolate Kitchen
My kids would go crazy for this as an afterschool snack. I’m going to try it this week!
Jenn S.
I hope they love them as much a my kids did! Thanks, Ruthy!
Leslie
I always wanted to make protein balls for my kids, but school restrictions made them seem out of reach. Thanks for the suggestion to use sunflower butter for a nut-free option!
Jenn S.
I totally understand. Most schools are going nut-free these days. Sunbutter for school treats, peanut butter for after school snacks! 🙂 Enjoy!