My kids are frequently hungry. Or, at least that’s what they tell me. Sometimes I think they’re just bored, so I give them an apple and suggest we read a book or go outside.
But some days, their appetites seem to have no end. And there are times–like when we’re going on a car trip or headed up to bed–when full tummies are helpful. That’s where this snack comes in handy.
I first made Peanut Butter Balls during the Pantry Challenge earlier this year. Desperate for something sweet but facing bare cabinets and a busted budget, I rolled peanut butter and powdered sugar together and fell desperately in love.
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Since then, I’ve tweaked the recipe–upping the nutrition and downsizing the decadence. Feel free to add more or less honey, depending on your sweet tooth.
Enjoy!
Peanut Butter Balls
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup natural peanut butter
- 1/2 cup oats
- 1/2 cup nonfat dry milk powder
- 1/4 cup honey
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients. (f the consistency isn't quite roll-able, add more peanut butter or more oats or dry milk powder to get the right texture.)
- Roll into tablespoon-size balls.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
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These look like a great treat for gluten free families. I can’t wait to try them. Thanks for posting.
Thank you! Let me know what you think if you end up making them.
I just sent the link to this recipe to my husband, and I have a feeling we’ll be eating it later tonight, kids or no kids. This looks delicious.
Yes, I think I enjoy them as much as the kids do. 🙂 Let me know the verdict if you try them.
We’ve made these with Wheaties instead of oats, but oats sounds yummy and healthier!
Wheaties would give them a nice crunch! Thanks for reading my blog Amy!
Vegan version?!
I included a link to a vegan version of this kind of “protein ball”. It’s basically different kinds of nuts and seeds with sweetener and coconut milk. You can find it on Andy Bellatti’s site: http://smallbites.andybellatti.com/quick-healthy-recipes-kitchen-sink-orbs/
I use the same basic recipe but my constantly eating yet underweight little 4 year old boy l li kes me to to add other options like raisins, sunflower & pumpkin seeds, unsweetened coconut flakes, & cranberries to them 🙂
I made these with agave nectar instead.. love them for a quick treat!
Thanks for the awesome recipe!! I made a double batch last night and it will be gone by this afternoon. I substituted a dash of molasses for some of the honey because we were running low on honey, and it gave a nice flavor so I’ll probably do that again next time… and will make a quadruple batch 😉 Thanks again!
Anne–so glad you liked it! Molasses is a great idea.
what would you substitute for the dried milk for those of us with lactose issues?
Hi Judy–You could leave out the dry milk powder altogether and increase the volume of oats to get the right consistency.
Did you use cooked oats or raw ones? I have absolutely no experience in cooking.
Lanah–uncooked! 🙂
I’m anxious to make these. Could you tell how many balls it makes and an approximate calorie count?
I saw other recipes like this with wheat germ so I decided to try flax seed. The kids loved it! I didn’t measure it, just went by texture but I think I used about a third or half as much flax seed as I did PB. PB, honey, powedered milk, flax seed. I rolled it in powdered sugar.
I saw someone swapped out the honey for agave – think I could do the same with real maple syrup? My kids seem to prefer that taste over honey (this was brought to my attention only after making a double batch of pudding pops where I used honey, of course!) Thanks!
Katherine–Definitely! I think that would be yummy.
I added extra dark cocoa powder. Delicious!
Great addition, Lynn!
So…..I drink tru-life milk. Can I actually use it (being wet milk) rather than dry powdered milk? Might have to play around with it and add more oats? What do you think?
Martha/Tennessee
Hi Martha–The milk powder is used as a dry ingredient in these snack balls so it wouldn’t be a one-for-one swap. You could skip the dry milk powder and simply use more oats. If you add liquid to this, you’ll need to increase oats as well. It’s a very forgiving recipe and you can play around with proportions until you get a texture that rolls easily into balls.
Easy recipe and I loved the peanut butter balls. I didn’t have any powdered milk so I used some vanilla protein powder.
Leslie–sounds like a great substitution. Glad you liked them!
I removed the oats and rolled them in crushed corn flakes. When I was a child Whatever were very poor but my mother would always make these for us. I loved them.