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!
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.)
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!