5-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cup Energy Bites

I just made these today and they are quite yummy! I didn’t want to dig around trying to find my food processor so I used my vitamix blender. I softened my chopped medjool dates, and was a bit short so I smooshed half of a banana to add as well. I think it would have blended better with the food processor, as the dates kept getting stuck and not moving until I added a bit of oat milk to soften them even more. I added 2tbsp of cocoa powder, along with the mini chocolate chips I used. Also used wowbutter so my daughter could take them to school and I could take them to work (nut-free zone). Because of the bit of milk I had to add, I stirred in some extra oats at the end to thicken the mixture, chilled, then rolled into balls. Worked out great 😊 next time, I think I will blend a bit less so there’s a bit more texture, but they taste so good.

Just WOW! Made these for Easter treats for my grandkids. Followed the recipe as written and used hemp hearts instead of chia as that’s what I had on hand. I rolled half the finished balls in hemp hearts, the other half in sesame seeds. Delicious….now I just need to stay out of them until Easter. Thanks for a great recipe that I know I’ll make again and again!

These are so good. I made a double batch and froze them. I use them for hiking snacks, just grab a few on my way out the door and by the time I take them out of my pack they’re perfectly defrosted. Next time I might add some chopped nuts and bits of caramel to see if I can replicate a Snickers bar, or something like it!

Wow, this was so good. I didn’t even make them into balls, just ate it by the spoonful. Chocolate chips not needed.

My kid is anti chai seeds. Well I never – she has been asking me to make these again as she loved them, & loved the chai in particular!!! Thanks so much xxx

I’m only giving this a four because it is the first time I have had to modify your recipes due to flavor (personal preference im sure). There still was a strong date and not chocolate flavor to me so I added heaping tablespoon of cacao and 1/4 more peanut butter and Omgosh so good. Dana your recipes are amazing and I’m so glad that even if for once my personal preference was not exactly like yours I was able to just tweak it a little to make it perfect for me.

Fifth time I’ve made these. Out of all the energy balls I’ve made over the years my kids devour this one. It’s a keeper!

I loved it. But I wanted to point out that the video does not match the recipe as it has liquid chocolate poured on the finished balls.

I wanted to start eating dates during my 3rd trimester of pregnancy- but I find dates disgusting. This recipe is AMAZING. The bites are delicious, and I can’t tell I’m eating dates :)

I’m now on my 6th time making these at least. They are amazing.

Fantastic!
Made as is, except i left the chia seeds out and instead rolled the finished balls in chia seeds.

They do remind me of a peanut butter cup!

We ran out of oats today, so I used cornflakes instead. It made the bites beautifully crunchy. I recommend it!

I made these but with tahini rather than peanut butter so that my kids can take them to school (they have a nut-free policy) and they turned out super delish! Thanks for the recipe :)

These are awesome. I made them with almond butter and they are delicious. Definitely a keeper!

These are so yummy! I make another version with nuts as the base instead of oats so it’s nice to have a change. I added cocoa powder instead of chopped chocolate(I didn’t have any) and a splash of almond milk. Thanks for the great recipe!

Great recipe! I use prunes if I don’t have dates. My son eats the whole batch in one day during busy sports schedule days. Always looking for good high protein snacks for him. It’s hard to get enough calories in every day and these work great! Thanks!

I was searching for something my preschoolers could grab and eat on the way to school as it can often be a long stretch to breakfast. Problem solved. As long as I don’t eat them all first! The mixture was a little dry so I was concerned it might not form into balls, but it did and the quick trip to the freezer helped. I look forward to exploring your other varieties of energy bites! Such a delicious, mess-free, healthy snack for kids (and their grown ups).

So quick and easy to make! I added a dash of cinnamon and opted for almond butter. Instead of simply doing either 1 tbsp of chia seeds or hemp seeds, I did 1 tbsp of both. Sooooo soooo good. I prepped these in advance for when I am breastfeeding because I always get so hungry. The perfect one-handed snack on the go. Thank you!

We loved this recipe with Sun Butter for our nut-allergic kids (plus these are great for school lunches, since many schools are nut-free). The last bit of crumbs was hard to shape into balls so I scraped it onto a bowl of yogurt for a delicious topping!

What an amazing recipe! Second time I’m doing it, and what a success. I replaced the peanut butter with the almond one, and added 1/4 cup of chocolate 80% cocoa. A but of salt, and the suggestion of Akki, to roll them in cocoa powder. I also did a mix of dates and figues, because I love the added touch of crispiness. I love this recipe, thank you!

This is a good recipe! We doubled the recipe and used about a pound of Tunisian pitted dates from my local Mediterranean grocery. We added to them a little boiling water (maybe 1/4 cup), drained off the amount that wasn’t absorbed, then whizzed them with a handheld immersion blender. Interestingly, this made a very creamy light-colored paste that still had some good-sized chunks. We then mixed the rest of the ingredients in by hand.

I definitely recommend using DARK chocolate chips, the dates are already very sweet and using semisweet chips would have been too much. We added a bit of sifted cocoa powder, salt, and a dollop of vanilla paste to the mix as well. We are considering rolling them in more cocoa powder, like truffles, because they’re quite sticky (probably down to the excess water and how thoroughly I whizzed them with the blender). Even after chilling, they’re pretty soft and very sweet. Good, though. Like a cross between cookie dough and a granola bar.

These are too easy to make and toddler friendly. Really enjoying these little treats, thank you!

5 stars

I tripled it and they were still gone in less than a week. Glad I found something nutritious for the kids to nosh on. BTW, tripling was a little too much for my food processor to handle next time doubling it.

omg these are to die for! have tried a few energy balls with honey and the dates really give a more full flavour

I am obsessed with these!! I started eating them at the end of my pregnancy (as they recommend date intake for labor) and can’t get enough. I make them every week! I always soak the dates in warm water first and I also add a tbs flax seed and sometimes a splash of almond milk in the blender to add a little moisture.

These were so good! A few notes: soaked the dates in warm water for ten minutes, and added a pinch of salt and 1/4 tsp. of vanilla extract to the mix; rolled in toasted, unsweetened coconut before I chilled. Also, I didn’t have dark chocolate, so after everything was blended in the food processor, I hand-mixed in mini chocolate chips. This is a keeper!

These were amazing, everyone loved them…no alterations necessary!

Just tried this and just realized I forgot the chia seed, oops. My blender did not like it (maybe I should soak my dates longer) but, it tastes absolutely amazing! I’ll definitely do them again

Quick, easy and yummy. I made these to take for our snack this week when we go out exploring the mountains in Montana on our ATV’s.

VERY quick and easy, and totally delicious! I eat them for pre workout snacks, if i’m fancying something sweet (all the time) or when i’m in a rush…i can just pop one or two in my mouth and be on my way!!
thanks so much

Yummy! Few too many oats IMO, it’s not great texturally. Next time I will use half the oats, toast and blend them a bit first, and try other add ins like coconut and chopped nuts.

These are delicious! I’m not a huge fan of date flavor, however the predominant flavors are peanut butter and chocolate if you follow the basic recipe and add the recommended amounts of each. This did not come together well in my blender even though I added 1-2 tbs water. No issue—I just blended what I could and incorporated the rest with my hands in a bowl.

I added 2 tbs unflavored protein powder. I used hemp seeds instead of chia seeds. I also subbed in semisweet mini chocolate chips and a few milk chocolate chips for extra decadence. Lastly, I added a pinch of salt because the dates were so sweet. The flavor and texture are spot on and these refrigerate nicely. I will be experimenting with versions of this in the future!

I made these using dates that were not very soft. I soaked them for quite a while in warm water (changed the water when it got cool). These balls were pretty dry and kind of boring. I don’t have to watch my gluten or dairy so I used regular oats and some sweetened dark chocolate, along with a mixed nut butter. I added some vanilla extract hoping that the liquid would help. They tasted bland, so I added some honey. They still are pretty boring. Sadly, I’m using them as a “vehicle” for Nutella at this point. Sorry!

I make this on a weekly basis and bring them to work as an afternoon power snack/treat. It is so easy to make and healthy and delicious!

These were so easy to make and very nutritious . Would make them again .

I added cashew pulp leftover from homemade cashew milk and omitted hemp seeds (they aren’t available where I live). My dates were really soft so I used a cup of oats to help with the stickiness. I roughly chopped the dates and I was able to mix everything with my hands. So good!

My partner has a serious sweet tooth so I am forever on a quest for healthier substitutes. I made these to battle his peanut M&M addiction and they were a hit!! Made them in my ninja bullet in 2 small batches to make sure it all mixed and they turned out awesome!

Me and 2 of my little ones loved it!

First, these are totally delicious 😋
Second, it’s a response to @Olivia really.
I got into a horrid sticky mess with the dates in the Vitamix first time round. So now I buy blocks of soft date paste instead. It’s still 100 percent Medjool dates but already blended into a 1kg block. It available from Amazon in UK called Crown Date Paste.
You can blend it into balls with the other ingredients simply using your hands.

I love this! I was looking for a recipe since dates are supposed to be good for the last few weeks of pregnancy, which is where I am right now.
The PB and chocolate chips take over in the best of ways, the chia.seeds add an awesome texture, the oats bring substance and the dates, sweetness, of course. So yummy!
I managed to make two batches, one at a time, with my small Cuisinart food processor. I couldn’t tell you if my dates are “dried” or not, but I did end up needing to add some water to get everything to blend together.
Otherwise the only moisture in the recipe is from the dates and peanut butter.

They are amazing!!! Chia seeds give them a bit of a sandy texture so next time I will substitute the chia seeds for ground or whole flaxseeds. Will definitely make these again.

These are yummy! Do they ever fully firm up in the freezer or do they remain chewy? Either way, no problems here. 😊

These are such a delicious and satisfying snack! My mixture was a bit dry so I added a couple tablespoons of my date soaking water to get it sticky enough to roll into balls. I may adjust the amount of dates next time as they were a bit sweet for me.

Yum! Yum! Yum! I was looking for some new ideas for date balls. I saw minimalist baker in the search and knew it would be a good one. These remind me of the no bakes we made back in the day. The only sub I made was ground flax seed for the chia. I added vanilla too. They’re so easy to make, and so so delicious. Thank you for another great recipe.

Love this recipe! Added a touch of maple syrup! Thank you!

I think I just found The One recipe for energy bites. So easy to make and so delicious!

This are really great and satisfy my sweet cravings! I recommend just using a food processor. I started in my Vitamix and the dates just got stuck in the bottom. I also added some coconut and it was delicious :)

These are so easy to make and are so tasty, you could easy eat all of them at once and not even realise.
So quick and easy to make, will defo be regular in our house.
I followed the recipe however as I thought the mix was looking a little dry I added around a teaspoon of honey to bring it together, gorg. Thank you for your wonderful recipe, will be searching for more no bake bites.

I added a little maple syrup as the mixture was very thick so I think it depends on the peanut butter or almond butter you use. I then rolled some in chopped nuts and some in dried cranberries.

I have a ton of dates leftover from eating them while pregnant, and needed some way to use them. This is perfect because oatmeal and dates are good for breastfeeding 😊

I just HAD to have some chocolate but I’m avoiding fat and processed sugar so these were perfect! Made them with cocoa powder instead of bar chocolate and added some chopped almonds. Oh yeah!

I used 14 tsp (one tsp per ball) of maca powder instead of oats. I also added a splash of coffee to the dates to help puree them. My mini food processor was perfect here.

That was pretty good! I didn’t have chocolate, so mixed a few choc chips, cacao nibs, some shredded coconut, hemp seeds, and a bit of cacao powder :)
Started in my blender but it didn’t really move much, so finished it in my food processor.

WOW!!
Just made these delicious morsels, yes, I had 1 or 2 before putting in the fridge to set… who wouldn’t.
I only made one change to this, I added one tbsp of cocoa,
“Oh hell yeah”!
I’ll definitely be making these again.
Thanks for the Recipe.

Third time making these! I love them so much. Helps get me through my hunger when I’m trying to figure out what I want to make for dinner.

Perfect little, easy treats that are super quick and easy to make!

The only planning is to give some time to soak the dates if they are dry to start. I had to soak them longer than 10 minutes, but I used tap water. Next time I’ll use warm/hot water. My dough was still a little dry/crumbly so I had to add a little liquid (soy milk) to get the dough to come together. My only “complaint” is that the chia seeds get stuck in my teeth- obviously has nothing to do with the recipe but is a user error, LOL, so I might switch to flax meal next time.

Which is why I love this recipe even more because it’s very adaptable using different butters, cacao nibs/powder vs chocolate chips, different seeds, etc.

Easy recipe giving a delicious moist snack. Everyone loves these.
I used half peanut butter and half almond butter.
Thanks for the recipes 😀👍

I bought dates on an utter whim, because grocery store had Palestinian dates and I couldn’t refuse. So, I made these last month and they were SO GOOD as a snack with a glass of milk, a quick grab from the freezer so I can maximise the use of my breaks! I may be working from home, but I still have a set schedule! Gonna make these again today or tomorrow. ❤️

These are really good. Your site is excellent by the way. It has become my go-to website for ideas. Well Done. Clare (UK)

This was my first minimalist Baker recipe and what a great one to start with!
These energy balls were so easy to make, ingredients easy to source and a great snack addition in the house. Sweet, but not overly indulgent – I will definitely be making these regularly, and in larger portions!

Thank you for this recipe!

i used almond butter, flax seeds and substituted dates for dried plums and omg they turned out so yummy! these will be the fuel for my 100km bike ride tomorrow 🔥

Hello, I have made this recipe today. I had to add a bit of almond milk to make the balls less dry and easier to mold.
Very nice and filling snack.

Super easy and delicious. I subbed cocoa powder (1.5 TBSP) for the chocolate, and it’s still super sweet and chocolatey. I definitely recommend soaking the dates in water for at least 30 minutes.

I made these twice already with a spin of coconut and mu hubby absolutely feel in love with both version. Thanks for this simple and easy recipe xx

I made these and added some cashews too, great healthier snack. I will make again. Thanks

Really enjoyed these! They feel like a treat that isn’t totally *overindulging*. I skipped soaking the dates because I had just bought them and they didn’t feel “dry”, but I had a really difficult time getting them to blend so don’t skip soaking the dates. Another keeper recipe!

Super fast and super easy! A food processor certainly helps. My picky 14 year old boy and 12 year old daughter approve as does my hubby. Just subbed almond butter for my peanut allergic son. Found rolled oats at the back of my pantry. Used the processor to help chop up the choc chips before processing the dates. Didn’t even need to coat with toasted dried coconut but certainly could if desired

Thank you for an awesome one!

Hi Dana! These are our quarantine staple! Absolutely love this simple and delicious snack. Thank you for all that you do.

These are delicious! I used natural crunchy peanut butter and a bit of agave for extra sweetener. Then rolled them in fine coconut ?? Doubled the recipe as others suggested, glad I did as they won’t last long!

OMG! These are delicious and so easy to make!
Thank you!!

They are sooo good!!and easy to make.Thanks for the recipe!!

Super easy and simple to make! Thank you!!

Easy to make and very yummy. Hard to eat just one ?.

I just made this recipe for the second time and I doubled the recipe. I added pumpkin seeds and slivered almonds after blending and they are divine!!

The most difficult part about making these peanut butter cup energy bites is not eating them all immediately! This is a super easy recipe to make and are fun to make.

Absolutely gorgeous.so easy to make and taste like deconstructed snicker bars.

Loved theses,I did omit the chia seeds.It is a great snack,even my young grandchildren loved them.!