No-bake oat energy balls
Oat energy balls are a no-bake snack: just mix oats with peanut butter, honey and chocolate chips, then roll them into balls. Each one is chewy, nutty, pleasantly sweet and keeps you full for a long time, perfect for taking to work or school or for a light bite before a workout.
- Difficulty
- Very easy
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 0 min
- Rising or chilling
- 50 min
- Total time
- 1 hr 10 min
- Method
- No cooking
Ingredients
Oat mixture
Outer coating
Instructions
Step 1
Put 130 g peanut butter, 85 g honey, 4 g vanilla extract and a pinch salt in a large bowl and stir with a spatula until well blended. If the peanut butter is very thick, you can warm the mixture in the microwave for a few seconds to make it easier to stir. The wet mixture is right when it is smooth, an even color and drips slowly off the spatula.
Step 2
Add 160 g rolled oats, 20 g flaxseeds and 60 g chocolate chips to the bowl, then stir and press until every oat is coated in peanut butter. The oats need to be evenly coated with the wet ingredients so the balls hold together instead of falling apart. The mixture is right when a handful squeezed in your palm sticks together in a clump.
Step 3
Cover the bowl and refrigerate for about thirty minutes. The cold thickens the honey and peanut butter, so the mixture is less sticky when you roll it. It is ready when it feels cool and firmer than when you first mixed it.
Step 4
Take heaping tablespoon-sized portions of the mixture, squeeze each one firmly in your palm, then roll it into a ball about 3 cm across and set it on a parchment-lined tray. Squeezing firmly before rolling makes the balls sturdy so they don't break when you pick them up. The balls are right when they are evenly round with a smooth surface and no cracks.
Step 5
If you like, roll each ball in 30 g desiccated coconut and press gently so the coconut sticks. The coconut keeps the balls from feeling sticky in your fingers and adds a rich, fragrant flavor. This step is done when each ball is evenly coated in fine white coconut.
Step 6
Put the whole tray in the refrigerator for about twenty minutes more so the balls firm up. Chilling helps them keep their round shape when you pack them into a container to take along. They are ready when they feel firm in your hand and don't lose their shape.
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Spatula
- Kitchen scale
- Parchment paper
- Refrigerator
Tips
- You can replace the peanut butter with almond butter or tahini, and the honey with maple syrup, to make them vegan.
- If the mixture is too dry to hold together, add honey a little at a time; if it is too wet, add a few more oats.
- Toasting the oats in a dry skillet for a few minutes before mixing makes the balls noticeably nuttier and more fragrant.
Storage
The energy balls keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about a week. You can also freeze them for up to three months and eat them straight after about ten minutes at room temperature.
Common problems and how to fix them
- The balls crumble when rolled.
- The mixture doesn't have enough binder. Add a little more peanut butter or honey and mix again thoroughly.
- The mixture sticks to your hands when rolling.
- The mixture isn't cold enough or your hands are too warm. Chill it for ten minutes more, and dip your hands in cold water and dry them before rolling.
This recipe is based on the common ratios for this bake and is written entirely in our own words.
