Peanut Butter Oats Protein Balls in 10 Minutes
These peanut butter oats protein balls are one of the easiest snacks I make for my kids. They’re no bake, made with simple pantry ingredients, and take me about 10 minutes from start to finish.
I usually make two batches of these homemade power balls every week. They’re easy to grab for lunches, afternoon snacks, or those moments when growing kids suddenly announce that they are starving. They have protein and whole grains, and making them at home has helped us rely much less on expensive pre-packaged snacks.
Quick Tip: These peanut butter oats protein balls freeze really well! I like to make a double batch and keep extras in an airtight container in the freezer. Just pull out what you need and let them soften for a few minutes before eating. It's an easy way to always have a homemade snack on hand made from simple ingredients.
Why I Make Homemade Power Balls for My Kids
With five kids, snacks can get expensive very quickly, especially the individually packaged granola bars and protein snacks that disappear almost as soon as I buy them.
This homemade power balls recipe has become one of my easiest ways to keep good food in the house without spending a fortune. I buy good-quality basic ingredients, make a batch in about 10 minutes, and keep them ready in the refrigerator or freezer.
I usually make two batches each week, and I estimate that swapping more of our packaged snacks for homemade options like these saves us around $50 a month.
And it doesn’t require a big Sunday meal-prep session. Ten minutes, a bowl, a fork, and a few ingredients is about as simple as it gets.
These no bake protein balls are especially handy for:
- Packing in lunches
- Quick afternoon snacks
- Busy homeschool days
- Road trip snacks for kids
- Bedtime snacks for kids when they need something a little more filling
- Keeping in the freezer for later
- Feeding hungry kids between meals
- Replacing individually packaged granola bars and snacks
More Simple Snack Inspiration: Oatmeal Pumpkin Muffins
Peanut Butter Oats Protein Balls Recipe
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Yield: About 24 balls
Ingredients
- 2 cups quick oats
- 1 cup peanut butter
- 1/3 cup honey
- 3/4 cup mini chocolate chips
- Optional: 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
Instructions
- Add the oats, peanut butter, honey, mini chocolate chips, and ground flaxseed to a large bowl.
- Mix everything together well with a fork or sturdy spoon until evenly combined.
- Roll the mixture into medium-sized balls using your hands.
- Place the peanut butter power balls in the freezer briefly to firm up before eating.
- Store in the refrigerator or freezer until ready to serve.
Optional Add-Ins for Homemade Power Balls
One of the reasons my kids never seem to get tired of these protein balls with oats is that they’re incredibly easy to change up. I use the basic peanut butter and oatmeal mixture and switch out the extras depending on what we have in the pantry.
Try adding or substituting:
- White chocolate chips
- Dried cranberries
- Raisins
- Ground flaxseed
- A scoop of your favorite protein powder
- Mini chocolate chips
- Chopped nuts
- Shredded coconut
You could make chocolate and peanut butter protein balls with extra chocolate chips, or keep them especially simple with oats, peanut butter, honey, and one favorite add-in.
Pro Mom Tip: Mix these up right before snack time, and then have your kids wash hands and help make the balls. Then eat a few after they are made. Store the extra in the freezer. Many hands make work light! This is also a perfect snack for your pre-teen or teenagers to start prepping to help your family every week!
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Easy Snacks for Road Trips, Lunches, and Bedtime
I love recipes that can serve more than one purpose, and these homemade power balls definitely do. They make great road trip snacks for kids because they’re easy to pack, filling, and don’t require any preparation when everyone inevitably gets hungry in the car. And great for on the road snacking to and from kids sports
They’re also one of my go-to kids bedtime snacks. If my kids are hungry before bed, I like having something quick and a little more filling than a typical packaged snack. The combination of peanut butter and oats makes these an easy option when I’m looking for simple bedtime snacks for kids that I can pull straight from the refrigerator.
More From Scratch Cooking: Homemade Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
A 10-Minute Snack Worth Keeping on Hand
There are plenty of things I could make from scratch that simply aren’t worth the extra time for me. These are the opposite.
Ten minutes once or twice a week gives me a container full of filling snacks that my kids genuinely like. I can choose good ingredients, there’s no baking involved, and I don’t have to keep buying boxes of individually packaged snacks.
For a big family, those little swaps really add up. These simple peanut butter oatmeal protein balls have become one of those recipes I make almost on autopilot. And it’s exactly the kind of tried-and-true recipe I want to keep in our family’s regular rotation.
From one home cook to another, I hope you enjoy this recipe!
Peanut Butter Oats Protein Balls
Equipment
- 1 mixing bowl
- 1 fork or spatula
- measuring cups
Ingredients
- 2 cups quick oats
- 1 cup peanut butter
- ⅓ cup honey
- ¾ cup mini chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
Instructions
- Add the oats, peanut butter, honey, mini chocolate chips, and ground flaxseed to a large bowl.
- Mix everything together well with a fork or spatula until evenly combined.
- Roll the mixture into medium-sized balls using your hands. Helps to keep hands wet to keep from mixture sticking.
- Place the peanut butter power balls in the freezer briefly to firm up before eating.
- Store in the refrigerator or freezer.
