Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls have a crunchy, sweet, chocolatey goodness in each and every bite! The chocolate peanut butter combo with the oatmeal stickiness is exactly what you want for that, "One-Bite-Dessert!"
Anyone else pack snacks in their bag when leaving the house? Guilty as charged! And I mean snacks for YOU, not for your kids 🙂 I can't leave the house without making sure I have at least one snack in my bag. These are the BEST snacks to take with you on-the-go. Just like my No Bake Energy Bites.
Let me also say I have gained a sweet tooth during my last pregnancy and these chocolate peanut butter balls have definitely hit the spot. I mean they would hit any person's sweet tooth craving, but a pregnant woman means a lot 🙂 These balls also keep you full so you only need about 2, which will keep your bag lighter and yourself happier!
Best ingredients to use
First of all, these bites are so easy to make and you only need 5 ingredients. Taylor helped me melt the peanut butter on the stove with the coconut oil and unsweetened cocoa powder.
I recommend using natural peanut butter because natural peanut butter has zero trans fat. Regular peanut butter also has more saturated fat than natural peanut butter does. The healthiest cocoa powder I found to use is Hershey's natural unsweetened cocoa powder, which is 100% cacao and has 0 grams of sodium, 0 grams of saturated fat, and 0 grams of total sugars. I also recommend using old fashioned oats. I feel like they stick better together and you can also use them for overnight oats so you don't waste any food.
Ingredients to make chocolate peanut butter balls
These balls only use 5 ingredients! That's it! You will need the following ingredients:
- 1 cup of natural peanut butter - Justin's Classic Peanut Butter
- ¹⁄3 cup melted coconut oil - Garden of Life Coconut Oil
- ¹⁄3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder - Hershey's Natural Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
- 2 cups old-fashioned oats - Quaker Old Fashioned Oats
- ¹⁄3 cup pure honey - Nature Nate's 100% Pure Honey
Other variations to try
If you decide to add these ingredients to your chocolate balls, I would add about ¼ cup of each!
- whole semi-sweet dark chocolate chips
- walnuts, chopped
- almonds, chopped
- pistachios, chopped
- raisins
- granola clusters
- chopped almonds
- chia seeds
- flax seeds
- unsweetened coconut flakes
- chopped up berries like strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries
- protein powder
- quinoa
- dates, diced
How to make this delicious treat
This dessert/snack is pretty easy to whip up; if you ask me.
Step 1- You start off by heating up your peanut butter, coconut oil, and cocoa powder in a large saucepan over medium heat. I am a big fan of Cuisinart. Most of my pots and pans are from Cuisinart. I've linked one here Cuisinart Nonstick Saucepan.
Step 2- Next, remove the melted ingredients from the heat and add in your pure honey. Mix that until well combined and then stir in your oats. This is where you will add in any other ingredients you desire.
Step 3- Transfer the mixture to a medium sized mixing bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Put in fridge for 30 minutes. Once chilled remove from fridge and using clean hands roll mixture into little balls and place on a plate covered with parchment paper.
This is where I decided to melt the dark chocolate semi-sweet chips and drizzle the chocolate on top. Finally, I drizzled the melted chocolate on top of the peanut butter balls and placed them in the fridge for 1 hour before eating.
How can the kids help
- Carefully guide them while stirring the cocoa powder, honey, and peanut butter in the saucepan.
- Teach them how to roll the balls. Scoop out a tablespoon of mixture after it has been in the fridge and place it in between your palms. Roll your palms around in a circular motion until the ball is formed.
- Practice measuring out the ingredients. This is a perfect math lesson 😉
- Need a kid friendly cooking kit? I bought this set for my daughter Taylor a few years ago and I LOVE it! The Curious Chef
Tips and FAQ's
Each bite only has 12 calories!
In an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days! Or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To melt the chips I mixed about ½ cup of them with 1 tsp of coconut oil in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave them in 30-second increments. Pour over formed chocolate balls before storing them back in the fridge for 1 hour.
Other dessert recipes you might also enjoy
If you give this dessert a try don't forget to rate the recipe below! Always love hearing what you all think. You can also Stay in touch with me through social media on @Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook. Don't forget to tag me when you try one of my healthy recipes!
Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls (Healthy)
Equipment
- saucepan
- small mixing bowl
- parchment paper
- microwave safe bowl (optional)
Ingredients
- 1 cup natural peanut butter
- ⅓ cup melted coconut oil
- ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ⅓ cup pure honey
- 2 cups old fashioned oats
- ½ cup melted dark chocolate chips optional
- 1 tsp coconut oil if using melted chocolate chips
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, heat peanut butter, coconut oil, and cocoa powder over medium heat.
- Once melted, remove from heat and add honey.
- Stir in oats and mix until well combined. Transfer mixture to a small mixing bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Chill in fridge for 30 minutes.
- Remove from fridge and using clean hands roll 1 inch balls with the mixture and place on a plate covered in parchment paper.
- Drizzle with melted chocolate if desired. To melt chocolate, mix ½ cup dark chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl with 1 tsp coconut oil. Microwave in 30 second increments. Stir until completely melted and well combined.
- Place bake in fridge for 1 hour.
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