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These easy Energy Balls are made with 7 ingredients including peanut butter, oats, and coconut. These tasty treats are perfect for your sweetest cravings or anytime you need a healthful snack.
Meggan’s notes
When my kids are hungry, there are two things they always ask for: Candy and cookies.
Out of sheer desperation that my children not grow up on Skittles and M&M’s, I started making Energy Balls. These are great because they look a little bit like both candy and cookies, but they contain some actual ingredients I can feel good about.
For everyone else who just wants a sweet treat or a quick snack that doesn’t send you into a sugar crash, these are easy to make and keep on hand (I store mine in the freezer indefinitely).
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredient notes
- Oats: Look for flat or rolled outs, not quick-cooking, and avoid steel-cut oats.
- Coconut: Both sweetened and unsweetened work fine, but I always choose unsweetened for the texture and reduced sugar. Toast the coconut if desired.
- Flaxseed: Buy ground flax meal or grind whole flax seeds in a spice grinder.
Step-by-step instructions
- In a medium bowl, add oats, coconut flakes, flaxseed, chocolate chips, peanut butter, honey and vanilla.
- Stir to combine. Cover and chill at least 30 minutes.
- Roll into 20 evenly-sized balls.
- Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This recipe makes about 20 Energy Balls, more or less depending on exactly what size you roll them.
- Storage: Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: Arrange balls in a single layer on a plate or baking sheet. Freeze until firm, at least 30 minutes. Transfer to a freezer-safe bag and store up to 2 months in the freezer. I usually pull one out a couple of minutes before I want to eat it. After a few minutes at room temperature, it’s easy to eat (and perfect on a hot day!)
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Energy Balls
Ingredients
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1/2 cup coconut flakes toasted if desired
- 1/2 cup ground flaxseed
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips or mini M&M candies
- 1/2 cup peanut butter
- 1/3 cup honey or maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, add oats, coconut flakes, flaxseed, chocolate chips, peanut butter, honey and vanilla and stir to combine. Cover and chill at least 30 minutes.
- Roll into 20 evenly-sized balls. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Oats: Look for flat or rolled outs, not quick-cooking, and avoid steel-cut oats.
- Coconut: Both sweetened and unsweetened work fine, but I always choose unsweetened for the texture and reduced sugar.
- Flaxseed: Buy ground flax meal or grind whole flax seeds in a spice grinder.
- Yield: This recipe makes about 20 Energy Balls, more or less depending on exactly what size you roll them.
- Storage: Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
Can these energy balls be frozen?
Hi Charlotte, Yes! To freeze, arrange balls in a single layer on a plate or baking sheet. Freeze until firm, at least 30 minutes. Transfer to a freezer-safe bag and store up to 2 months in the freezer. I usually pull one out a couple of minutes before I want to eat it. After a few minutes at room temperature, itโs easy to eat. Enjoy! – Meggan
These are easy to make and so delicious! I like these as a satisfying dessert as well as a snack.
Glad you enjoyed them, Doreen! – Meggan
My family loves them.
Love these! Absolutely delicious!
Hi Lonnie, you’re so welcome! – Meggan
Made these this week for meal prep and they were great! Thank you!
Hi Lentineets, I’m so glad you loved them! – Meggan
This sounds like a delicious energy bites recipe! If youโre short on time, you might want to try out Nomz Energy Bites (disclaimer: its my sisterโs company). They come in 4 delicious, healthy flavours (coconut, pistachio, hazelnut, almond) and people really love the taste! http://nomz.com
These are also really awesome for us because we are constantly on the go! So easy to make a batch and have them ready for a quick snack or energy pump any time!