I love quick, easy, healthy and refined sugar free snacks that not only my kids like but that I also want to nibble on. These no bake peanut butter and cacao energy balls are a fave in my family. They taste like little indulgences but they’re packed with superfood goodness. I use dry oats, almond flour, cacao powder, flaxseed meal, chia seeds, shelled hemp seeds, salt, peanut butter, honey, and unsweetened 100% cacao chips. Basically just stir together, refrigerate for a couple hours (or less if you’re impatient like me), and you’re all set. And don’t worry if you don’t have all the ingredients on hand.
Discovering no bake energy balls
The first time I ever ate a no-bake energy ball was about 3 years ago. I was at the park with Evelyn (my eldest) and sat down for snack time with a good friend of mine and her son. My friend’s mother-in-law had prepared about a dozen no-bake energy balls. Once my daughter laid her eyes on them, well…let’s just say I’m lucky my friend is generous with her snacks. Although I don’t remember what exactly the ingredients were, the base was peanut butter, and from there, you can add all kinds of healthy and tasty bits. For these no bake peanut butter and cacao energy Balls, I adapted a delicious recipe from Two Peas & Their Pod.
Gooey base, natural sweetener and healthy goodness
Most of the ingredients in this recipe could be considered optional and/or can be easily substituted. For example, if you don’t have hemp seeds, skip them. If you prefer almond butter to peanut butter, feel free to swap. If you don’t have almond flour, double the oats. I suggest some sort of natural sweetener, so if you prefer agave nectar to honey, go for it. As long as you have a gooey base that will glue it all together (such as peanut butter, almond butter or tahini), as well as something to sweeten it ( like honey, or agave nectar or dates), you’re all set. The rest is just a matter of what you have handy in your pantry.
Cacao and Cacao ‘Chocolate’ Chips
The unsweetened kind. Cacao powder gives the energy balls a chocolaty color and taste. And the cacao chips are 100% cacao, meaning they’re completely unsweetened, a little bitter a very good for your health. I don’t personally like cacao chips right out of the bag, as they are quite bitter, but mixed in with the rest of the ingredients, and they taste great. Cacao is great for reducing stress (thanks to its magnesium) and great for energy (as it’s high in healthy fats). Less stress and more energy – momma says ‘yes please’!
Hemp, Chia and Flax Seeds
Organic shelled hemp seeds, also knows as hemp hearts, chia seeds and flaxseed meal) – great sources of plant-based protein, fiber, healthy fatty acids and a variety of minerals. These superfoods are mild in flavor, so they’re easy to throw in for extra nutrition.
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No Bake Energy Balls: Peanut Butter and Cacao (Refined Sugar Free)
- Prep Time: 10
- Total Time: 10
- Yield: 17 energy balls 1x
- Category: Snacks
- Method: No-Bake
Description
These no-bake peanut butter and cacao bite snacks. They’re quick, easy and super healthy. I use oats, cacao powder, flaxseed meal, chia seeds, salt, peanut butter, honey, vanilla extract and cacao chips. Basically just stir together, refrigerate, and you’re all set.
Ingredients
- ½ cup old fashioned (dry) rolled oats
- ½ cup almond flour
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened cacao powder
- 1 tablespoon organic flaxseed meal
- 1 tablespoon organic chia seeds
- 1 tablespoon organic shelled hemp seeds
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons 100% cacao ‘chocolate’ chips
- ⅓ cup unsweetened shredded coconut flakes
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter ( no sugar added)
- 2–3 tablespoons honey (organic raw) – depending on how sweet you like it
Instructions
- In a medium sized bowl, stir together dry oats, almond flour, cacao powder, flaxseed meal, chia seeds, hemp seeds, salt, cacao chips and coconut flakes.
- Add in peanut butter and honey. With a spoon, stir ingredients together and evenly distributed. I find it helpful to use two spoons as the peanut butter and honey have a tendency to stick.
- Form about 17 small bite-sized balls and place on a plate (small enough to fit in the refrigerator, and big enough for the energy balls to lay flat without bumping into each other). TIP: I like to rinse my hands with water before forming the balls, as this helps them stick more easily.
- Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Enjoy!
Keywords: snacks, no-bake, dessert, energy balls, energy, healthy dessert, healthy snack
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