These barely sweet 5-Ingredient Peanut Butter Chia Balls are the ultimate satisfying snack! Vegan and gluten-free.
WE SNACKINNNN'!
I had zero plans to post balls today. Then I challenged myself to make a work week snack on the not super sweet side and these glorious 5-Ingredient Peanut Butter Chia Balls were birthed!!
I love that they come together in minutes. Simply whirl the ingredients in the handy dandy food processor and bing bang boom---magical bites right before your eyes, zero baking required.
Have ya heard? They're made with only three Medjool dates so they're juuuust barely sweet.
You can totally up the dates if you'd like but you may need more oat flour so they're not too wet. Just make sure the dates are nice and soft or else they won't blend up!
I learned the hard way after having huge chunks of hard dates that chopping them beforehand helps them break down more easily. Don't follow in my date footsteps!
The chia seeds add a somewhat "crunchy" texture to these that I really enjoy. Beware of the little stinkers hiding in your teeth post bite, though. I'd be lying if I said I haven't fallen victim to chia seed teeth a time or three.
There's nothing like a chia seed in your teeth and no one having the chutzpah to tell you it's there. Honesty is the best policy!!
Now let's talk nut butter. I used about three fourths peanut butter and one fourth cashew butter and I loved the flavor combo. As long as the nut butter is drippy versus hard, the texture will be spot on.
Speaking of texture, these bites are definitely on the tender side. Like little peanut butter clouds. Or peanut butter puffs!!
They'll be softer at room temperature so store them in the refrigerator or freezer. I actually like them best right out of the freezer washed down with lotsa chilly almond milk.
These little dudes are a great anytime snack for a plant-powered protein punch with plenty of healthy fats. Three cheers for quick and easy snacks that taste BOMB!
You're five little ingredients away from snack city. Hop to it!
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5-Ingredient Peanut Butter Chia Balls
- Prep Time: 15 min
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 20 balls 1x
- Category: Snack
- Method: No-Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
These barely sweet 5-Ingredient Peanut Butter Chia Balls are the ultimate satisfying snack that’s low in sugar! Vegan and gluten-free.
Ingredients
- 1 cup creamy natural peanut butter
- ⅓ cup chia seeds
- 3 large Medjool dates, pitted and chopped (add more if you want a sweeter snack)
- ½ cup oat flour (you can make homemade by grinding old-fashioned oats in blender)
- 2 tbsp melted coconut oil
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a food processor and blend until it forms a dough, scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula as needed. If your nut butter isn't salted, add a hefty pinch of salt. You can also add 1-2 tsp of vanilla extract if you'd like!
- Scoop rounded balls of dough (about 1 ½ tbsp, I love this cookie scoop) and place on a lined plate or container. These balls are on the softer side. Store them in the freezer (I eat them right out of the freezer!) as they will soften at room temperature.
Notes
These are great drizzled with chocolate, too!
*I originally made this recipe with ¾ cup almond flour in place of the oat flour + coconut oil, but I prefer the revised recipe! (If you use almond flour instead of oat, you can omit the coconut oil.)
Jordan says
Hi Alexis, I think you have great recipes and I've been using them for quite awhile. I did want to point out that this recipe uses a lot of basically raw (unsoaked) chia seeds which caused me quite a bit of abdominal discomfort after eating these over a few days. Perhaps there should be a warning about consuming large amounts of raw chia seeds? Maybe it's just me but I'd rather be safe than sorry. Thanks for listening.
Alexis Joseph says
Hey Jordan, that's so interesting! I've never heard that feedback about chia seeds (it shouldn't make a difference that they aren't in water) but we are all unique. Thanks for the feedback!
aleksandra pender says
Really like the idea of blending the oats and making it smooth. Thanks, its a keeper.
Alexis Joseph says
So glad you liked them!
P.Fitz says
These are so great, super simple and easy to adjust to taste/needs. Added extra dates to make them a little sweeter, moringa powder for more nutrients and had to add some extra oat flour due to the consistency of the nut butters (did half cashew half peanut) and they came out super tasty. Thanks for the recipe, it'll be a go to for sure. As others said, great for kiddos too.
Alexis Joseph says
Thanks for letting me know! I love how customizable they are, too. Enjoy!
Jill O says
My toddler and I have been making everything from this website! We especially loved these!!
Alexis Joseph says
I am so glad to hear that! Thrilled your little one loves them, too 🙂
Kay says
These are delicious and so easy to make! And even better frozen!
Alexis Joseph says
Heck yes!!
Natalie says
If you love peanut butter and slightly sweet foods, you need to try these. I think they taste sinfully delicious but they are actually very nutritious. Amazing!
Alexis Joseph says
Thanks for reviewing these bites, Natalie! I just had a couple myself 🙂
Chinazor says
Oh my goodness...
I had these balls at a hangout. I couldn't muster the courage to go and ask for the recipe. Thanks for dropping this on my laps.
Alexis Joseph says
Fabulous! Let me know if you make them at home! I'd be super grateful if you'd leave a star rating as well 🙂
Catherine says
My favorite so far! Will be making again.
Alexis Joseph says
Heck yes!! Glad these were a win for you. Thanks for taking the time to rate the recipe, Catherine! I really appreciate it.
Simi says
These are SO DELICIOUS!! Also, kid approved 🙂
Brittany says
Great Snack!! I made these with a 5 year old and it was so easy and fun! We used 3 nut butters because we had several jars that were almost empty. Also, we did add a little maple syrup to up the sweetness and a few walnuts just because! They turned out great. Both the 5 and 7 yr old loved them as much as I did. I left this batch with them but will be making another for my house!
Alexis Joseph says
How cute!! I love that you added walnuts and made it your own. That's what cooking is all about! XO
anastasia says
amazing...so great. I love these peanut butter balls. looks good and delicious. I want to try this for next week! A nice healthy snacks.
Alexis Joseph says
Thanks, Denise! So glad to hear you like them.
Emily says
SO delicious, I have a feeling I’ll be making these on the reg! I added a handful of cashews and couple dashes of cinnamon, and then topped with a drizzle of dark chocolate and sprinkle of maldon salt. Thanks for such a quick and healthy recipe!
Alexis Joseph says
Oh YUM!!
Kori says
Love these bites! They aren’t overly sweet as Dylan stated, & the texture is so good. While I love oat-based bites, using almond meal was different & fun. I love having them with fruit, chocolate, milk, on their own. So easy to make even without a food processor! You’re keeping my homemade snack game strong. 😉
Dylan says
These are the BOMB! Love that they aren’t overly sweet 🙂
Saevil Row says
These look amazing! What a great recipe.
Alexandra says
This looks so good! I'm not a huge chia seed fan generally because of the slimy texture, but I'm definitely willing to try them in something creamy and doughy!
Kori says
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Love these bites! They aren’t overly sweet as Dylan stated, & the texture is so good. While I love oat-based bites, using almond meal was different & fun. I love having them with fruit, chocolate, milk, on their own. So easy to make even without a food processor! You’re keeping my homemade snack game strong. 😉
Carrie says
Excited to try this for next week! Always looking for healthy snacks to have on hand that are not overly sweet!
Alexis Joseph says
Yay! Let me know if you try them, Carrie!
Monica says
I know you said not to sub with another flour...but I don’t keep almond flour on hand, so do you think it would work to sub oat flour and add something like coconut oil?
Alexis Joseph says
Hey there! You know what, I'm going to make a batch with oat flour and coconut oil next as an alternative! I know oat flour alone would be super dry, but yes, I'd try adding 2-4 tbsp melted coconut oil! And maybe start with half a cup of oat flour? LMK how it turns out!
Kori says
I’m making these!!
Alexis Joseph says
Let me know how they turn out, Kori!!
Dylan says
These are the BOMB! Love that they aren't overly sweet 🙂