No Bake Peanut Butter Power Balls are made with 6 simple ingredients in about 10 minutes. No food processor required, and they keep well in the freezer for an easy breakfast or snack.
Made these yesterday and my kids have already eaten almost all of them. They were really easy to make and I had everything in the pantry. Next time I’m doubling the batch.
- Megan K.
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from my actual life
(feel free to skip to the power balls)
These are not an exciting breakfast. This is also exactly why I have been making them for years.
Every so often I decide something this reliable could stand to be more interesting. The last time, I swapped the chocolate chips for mini M&M's. I thought this was an improvement. My family did not.
So I am back to peanut butter, oats, honey and chocolate chips. You should still feel free to experiment. Different nut butter, dried fruit, coconut, whatever sounds good. I have simply learned my audience.
I usually double the batch and keep them in the freezer for breakfasts and snacks.
Bailey
P.S. If you are stocking the freezer, I put together a full make-ahead breakfast plan with five of our regular freezer breakfasts, including these peanut butter balls.
worth knowing
scoop first, roll second: I scoop the entire bowl onto a sheet pan before I touch anything with my hands, then wet my hands and roll them all at once. There is no reason to alternate between a cookie scoop and peanut-butter-covered hands 16 times.
peanut butter matters: This recipe was written with regular creamy peanut butter, like Jif or Skippy. Natural peanut butter works too, but it is usually looser. If the mixture is too soft to roll, add more oats until it holds together.
use old-fashioned oats: Rolled oats give these the best texture and enough structure to hold together. Quick oats work, but they absorb more of the peanut butter and honey, so the balls will be softer and a little stickier. Steel-cut oats are not interchangeable here. They stay hard.
ingredients + substitutions
old-fashioned rolled oats: The base of the power balls and what gives them their chewy texture.
peanut butter: Creamy peanut butter binds everything together. Substitution: Use another nut or seed butter with a similar consistency.
honey: Sweetens the balls and, more importantly, helps hold them together. Substitution: Maple syrup can work, but it is thinner than honey, so expect a softer mixture and add a little more oats if needed.
chocolate chips: I use semisweet chocolate chips. Substitution: Use mini chocolate chips or m &m's, chopped chocolate, dried fruit, shredded coconut or another mix-in you like.
vanilla extract: Adds flavor. Substitution: You can leave it out.
salt: Keeps the balls from tasting overly sweet. Substitution: If your peanut butter is already well salted, you can leave it out.
See recipe card for quantities.
instructions
Start with the oats. Add the rolled oats and salt to a medium bowl and stir to combine.
Add everything else. Add the peanut butter, honey, chocolate chips and vanilla.
Scoop and roll. Scoop the mixture into portions, then roll into balls with damp hands and place on a parchment-lined sheet pan.
Chill and serve. Freeze for about 15 minutes to firm up. Enjoy right away or transfer to the refrigerator or freezer for storage.
variations
gluten-free: Use certified gluten-free rolled oats. Everything else stays the same.
nut-free: Use sunflower seed butter in place of the peanut butter and check that your chocolate chips are nut-free.
chocolate + coconut: Replace some of the chocolate chips with shredded coconut.
white chocolate + dried fruit: Use white chocolate chips and chopped dried cranberries or cherries in place of the semisweet chocolate chips.
almond butter: Swap the peanut butter for almond butter and keep the rest of the recipe the same. The texture may be slightly softer depending on the almond butter.
storage
refrigerate: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
freeze: Store in a freezer-safe bag or airtight container for up to 3 months. This is how I usually keep them.
serve: Eat them cold from the refrigerator, or let frozen power balls sit at room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes to soften slightly.
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PrintRecipe
No Bake Peanut Butter Power Balls
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 10 power balls 1x
Description
No Bake Peanut Butter Power Balls are made with 6 simple ingredients in about 10 minutes. No food processor required. Keep them in the freezer for an easy breakfast or snack.
Ingredients
- 1¼ cups (115g) old-fashioned rolled oats
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (130g) creamy peanut butter
- ¼ cup (85g) honey
- ¼ cup (45g) semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Combine the dry ingredients: Stir the old-fashioned rolled oats (1¼ cups) and salt (⅛ teaspoon) together in a large bowl.
-
Add everything else: Add the creamy peanut butter (½ cup), honey (¼ cup), semisweet chocolate chips (¼ cup), and vanilla extract (1 teaspoon) to the bowl.
-
Mix: Stir with a rubber spatula until the oats are coated and the mixture holds together when you press it.
-
Scoop, then roll: Scoop the whole batch into 1o portions on a parchment-lined sheet pan first, then go back and roll them all at once with damp hands. Freeze about 15 minutes to firm up.
Notes
regular peanut butter is easiest: This was developed with the Jif or Skippy kind. Natural peanut butter works, but if the mixture is too soft to roll, add a little more oats.
oats matter: Old-fashioned oats are what you want. Quick oats work but roll up softer and stickier. Do not use steel-cut.
make them gluten-free: Use certified gluten-free oats.
storage: Keep in the fridge up to 1 week or the freezer up to 3 months.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Chill Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: No Bake
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 ball
- Calories: 178
- Sugar: 11.6 g
- Sodium: 84.4 mg
- Fat: 8.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 21.4 g
- Protein: 4.7 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
frequently asked questions
They can be a good make-ahead breakfast or snack. The oats provide fiber, peanut butter adds protein and fat. They are still sweetened with honey and contain chocolate chips, so I think of them as a convenient, filling option rather than a “health food.”
You can, but the balls come out softer and stickier. Old-fashioned rolled oats hold their shape better and are what I'd use.
Yes, gluten-free oats can be subbed for rolled oats at a 1:1 ratio.
Yes. Almond butter, sunflower seed butter, whatever you have. If the mixture turns out too sticky to roll, add a little more oats. If it is crumbly and won't hold, add a little more nut butter.
Probably the peanut butter. Brands vary a lot. Add more peanut butter a spoonful at a time until it holds together.
pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with peanut butter power balls:
more make ahead breakfasts
More breakfasts you can make ahead and keep ready for busy mornings.
Megan
I CANNOT believe how simple these were to make. My family gobbled them up and have been asking non-stop for me to make them again. I love that they are made with healthy real food ingredients!
Shannon W.
My toddlers LOVE this recipe! I substituted maple syrup for the honey, added collagen powder (to up the protein), and used mini chocolate chips. This is our favorite quick snack to grab!!!