Name: Peanut Butter Energy Balls
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 cup peanuts, roasted and unsalted; 1 cup pitted medjool dates, tightly packed (~15 dates); 1/2 cup rolled oats; 1/2 cup peanut butter; 1/2 tsp vanilla extract; 1/4 tsp salt (or to taste // check if your PB is already quite salted)

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These no-bake peanut butter energy balls are vegan, gluten-free, and oil-free! The texture is soft, chewy, and perfectly nutty. Their sweet and salty flavor is reminiscent of Nutter Butter cookies. Enjoy this bite-sized snack with only 5 ingredients in under 10 minutes!

peanut butter energy balls inside a white ceramic bowl beside a jar of nut butter and chopped peanuts

Another day, another energy ball recipe! I just can’t get enough. I mean, these bite-sized balls are beyond easy to make and tasty every time. How could I not be constantly trying new combinations? So far, this marks energy ball/bliss ball recipe number 10. And, when it comes to this particular combo, one thing’s for sure: If you’re a peanut butter lover, this is for you!

Have you ever tried Nutter Butter cookies? You know, the peanut-shaped cookie sandwiches filled with creamy peanut butter spread? These energy balls taste just like ’em! They are sweet, of course, but also have a subtle saltiness. They’re basically balls of peanut buttery deliciousness.

These peanut butter energy balls are:

Vegan, gluten-free, no-bake, and oil-free
Sweet & salty, slightly nutty, yet soft and chewy
Quick & easy // Ready in 10 minutes with 5 ingredients
Naturally sweetened with no sugar added
Perfect for pre-workout or post-workout fuel
Great for kids, picnics, meal prep, and sharing with friends!

peanut butter energy balls stacked inside a white ceramic bowl with a bite taken out of the center ball

5 ingredient peanut butter balls

This recipe is made with five healthy ingredients: peanuts, dates, oats, peanut butter, and salt.

Peanuts: I recommend roasted and unsalted peanuts (we’ll add our own salt instead). Peanuts contain healthy fats and plant-based protein.
Dates: Dates provide the sweetness. The inclusion of medjool dates allows this sweet snack to be entirely refined-sugar free.
Oats: Rolled oats help to make this a fiber-filled snack. They’re also loaded with nutrients including vitamin B1, magnesium, zinc, and iron.
Peanut butter: Natural creamy peanut butter works best. If crunchy is your thing, that’s cool too! You can even use my homemade peanut butter recipe to make your own within just 5 minutes.
Salt: A small dash of salt gives us that delightful salty-sweet flavor. I love using pink Himalayan salt.

medjool dates, peanuts, oats, salt, and nut butter on a wooden marble cutting board

How to make peanut butter energy balls

To view the full recipe and step-by-step instructions, see the recipe card at the bottom of the page.

These peanut butter bliss balls are SO easy! Simply combine the ingredients in a food processor and pulse/grind until a sticky dough is formed. Using clean hands, scoop and roll the dough into evenly formed balls. Enjoy!

nuts, dates, oats, and nut butter inside a food processor

How to make it peanut-free

If you’re in need of a peanut-free or entirely nut-free option, make these substitutions:

Peanut-free option: Replace the peanuts with almonds or cashews, and the peanut butter with almond butter or cashew butter.

Nut-free option: Replace the peanuts with sunflower seeds and the peanut butter with sunflower seed butter. Alternatively, you could try a combination of hemp seeds and chia seeds (I haven’t tested this one though).

peanut butter energy balls stacked inside a white bowl surrounded by a bowl of peanut butter and a bowl of nuts

How to store peanut butter energy bites

If all of your energy bites will be eaten within a couple days, you can leave them in an airtight container (or sealed bag) at room temperature.

For long-term storage, store the balls inside a refrigerator or freezer. They’ll keep fresh for 1 week in the refrigerator and up to 3 months in the freezer. If freezing, let them thaw for a few minutes before enjoying.

peanut butter energy balls stacked inside a white bowl

More healthy energy ball recipes

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