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Crush those mid-afternoon munchies with a healthy option! These no bake energy bites with peanut butter are a simple, fuss free snack option packed with fiber and protein.
Keep your snack drawer stashed with these no-bake peanut butter energy bites – the perfect bite-sized healthy snack. Made with just a few simple ingredients and no fancy equipment or food processor, there’s a lot to love about these energy bites.
To score a few extra grams of protein for a more filling bite, we like to mix in some protein powder too. If you’re looking for a new pre or post workout snack, give this healthy no bake energy bites recipe a try!
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Ingredients You’ll Need
- Old Fashioned Rolled Oats: we like the texture of old fashioned oats in these energy bites, but you can use quick oats too.
- Peanut Butter: we’re big fans of peanut butter. Not only is it delicious and a good source of healthy fats, but it helps hold these peanut butter energy bites together. We used creamy peanut butter but you can substitute with crunchy peanut butter if you’d like.
- Banana: the more ripe your banana, the more sweetness it will add to these bites.
- Chia Seeds: boost the fiber and protein content of your energy bites with some chia seeds.
- Honey: add a little more sweetness with some honey. You won’t need much! If you are using an extra ripe banana or sweetened protein powder – you may be able to skip the honey.
- Chocolate Chips: for fun, we like mixing some mini dark chocolate chips into these bites (we love the chocolate peanut butter combo), but you can omit them if you want.
- Protein Powder: We recommend using either a plain, unsweetened protein powder or a vanilla flavored protein powder for these bites. Our favorite brand is Truvani. Such an easy way to add a few extra grams of protein to this healthy snack.
Substitutions and Variations
Switch up the nut butter: not a fan of peanut butter? Use any nut butter that you prefer – almond butter, cashew butter, sunflower butter will all work well. (Although the flavor will vary slightly depending on which nut butter you use.)
Add nuts/seeds: we like to add chia seeds, but you could use the same amount of ground flaxseed or hemp seeds instead.
Swap out the sweetener: not a fan of honey or looking for a vegan alternative? You can swap out the honey for maple syrup or agave nectar.
Stir in some dried fruit: some of our favorites include chopped medjool dates, raisins, dried cranberries, apricot, or coconut. If adding dried fruit, we recommend using an unsweetened protein powder so these bites aren’t overly sweet.
Experiment with some spices: add different flavors to these bites by stirring in some spices like nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, or turmeric.
How to Make No Bake Energy Bites
Mix Ingredients Together: Mash the bananas well with a fork on a cutting board or plate. Once mashed, add the mashed banana to a large mixing bowl with the rest of the energy bite ingredients (oats, peanut butter, chia seeds, honey, chocolate chips, protein powder).
Form into Balls: use a tablespoon or small cookie scoop to spoon out the energy bite mixture. Roll together between your hands to form a ball and add to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Chill and Serve: chill these peanut butter protein balls in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to firm up and then serve!
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Storage
How long will no bake energy bites last in the fridge?
We recommend storing these healthy energy bites in the fridge rather than the counter for freshness. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Can I freeze no bake energy bites?
Add bites to the freezer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and allow them to freeze until solid. Once frozen solid, transfer to an airtight container or freezer safe storage bag. They can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.
You can enjoy them straight from the freezer or allow them to thaw a few minutes on the counter before eating.
What to Serve with No Bake Energy Balls
We love taking a couple of these bites with us on the go out the door when we need a quick snack. They also make a great pre or post-workout snack option since they have the right balance of both carbs and protein.
These no bake energy bites are also great when paired with a low calorie breakfast or healthy smoothie. (But avoid eating these too close to bedtime if you’re trying to cut back on calories—I have a list of healthy late-night snacks for weight loss for that!)
More Healthy Snacks To Enjoy
- Best Weight Loss Snacks
- Healthy Oat Flour Banana Muffins
- Best Late-Night Snacks for Weight Loss
- Healthy Protein Bars with Peanut Butter
No Bake Peanut Butter Energy Bites
Equipment
- Cookie scoop
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Reusable storage bag
Ingredients
- 1 cup old fashioned rolled oatmeal
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 banana, mashed
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds
- 1 tbsp honey, or maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons mini dark chocolate chips
- 1 scoop of vanilla or unflavored protein powder
Instructions
- Mix up all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
- Use a spoon or small cookie scoop to make round ball shapes (roll with your hands as well to help form balls). Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Transfer to the refrigerator for approximately 35 minutes to firm up and chill.
There is typically 24g of protein in a good protein powder. So the recipe calls for 1/4 scoop = 6g. Then that 1/4 scoop would be divided amongst 4 servings…making each serving have 1/16 of a scoop of protein powder…so 1.5g in each serving. 3 balls in a serving means 0.5g of protein powder in each ball.
This says that there are 15g of protein per serving. If 1.5 comes from the powder, what kind of peanut butter and chia seeds are being used to make the remaining 13.5g of protein per serving?!
(I’m a math teacher, so naturally I question the accuracy 🙂
Thank you for pointing that out to us! We have increased the protein powder to 1 scoop.
Our nutritional app updated all of the nutritional info. Thanks again!
Can these be frozen?
Can you freeze these to eat later?
Hi Nik,
We have not tried freezing these. I don’t think freezing would be a great option because of the banana.
This recipe is super easy & quick so I suggest making fresh. They do keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Can you use Flax seed in place of the Chia seed ??
Fan we replace the protein powder by something else or omit it? I usually don’t use it.
Yes, feel free to omit!
Is the oatmeal old fashioned or quick?
We use old fashioned!
I don’t use protein powder but am open to it. Are there sources or brands you can recommend?
Hi LeeAnn – I use Bi-Pro whey protein and absolutely love it. You can find it here: https://gethealthyu.com/product-category/nutrition-and-supplements/ in several different flavors 🙂 Hope you enjoy!
What if you don’t have banana and only have chocolate peanut butter protein mix?
Hi Carla – you can definitely substitute whatever protein mix you have! As far as the banana, we recommend using it as it adds some sweetness as well as allows it to stick together!