Peanut butter is debatably one of the best foods on planet earth. Just like my husband pointed out, as he ate an apple dipped in peanut butter a few days ago, “Wow, peanut butter is incredible. Can you believe how good this stuff is?!” Like a young boy who’s never tasted peanut butter, my husband was struck by the creamy texture and delightful taste in a unique way that morning. And he’s right. It really is incredible. So incredible that I decided to make it the star of these easy peanut butter balls – a recipe that you are about to be making on repeat.

Easy is the name of the game on this blog and these peanut butter balls epitomize “easy.” Made with five simple ingredients and one mixing bowl, these energy balls are the perfect recipe to make for a quick meal prep session or to involve young kids. Let’s chat about those five ingredients you’ll need for these peanut butter balls.

Ingredients You’ll Need For These Easy Peanut Butter Balls

• Peanut butter – Use a creamy peanut butter for best results. Ideally the only ingredients are peanuts and salt. Forgo the added oil and sugar that shows up in more than half of the peanut butters you find at the grocery store. If you want to get really fancy and make homemade peanut butter, check out my recipe for Homemade Nut Butter!
• Rolled oats – Make sure these are rolled oats, not steel cut. Instant oats would work as well, but I love the big, visible grains found in old fashioned rolled oats.
• Vanilla extract – This is key for an added dose of flavor in this recipe! Check out my favorite pure vanilla extract, from Rodelle.
• Finely shredded coconut – Look for unsweetened shredded coconut that is very finely shredded.
• Honey – Whatever you have at home will work in this recipe, whether it’s local honey, raw honey, light or dark honey. If you have a thicker variety, such as raw honey, simply warm it in the microwave for a few seconds to loosen it up before mixing it into the recipe.

Why You Want to Use Pure Vanilla Extract Over Imitation Vanilla

If you meander the baking aisle at a grocery store you will find something called “Imitation Vanilla” on the shelf near the pure extracts. This substitute is about as natural as it sounds *cough, cough, not at all* but let’s talk about why that’s the case. What differentiates pure vanilla extract from imitation vanilla?

Pure vanilla extract is made by percolating vanilla beans in a solution of ethyl alcohol and water. This solution extracts the vanilla flavor, leaving you with a concoction that makes all baked goods taste better. It’s as simple as that – we know what all of those ingredients are, and yes there is an alcohol content to vanilla extract. But no, you won’t get tipsy off these peanut butter balls. One teaspoon of vanilla extract doesn’t quite have that power.

Imitation vanilla, on the other hand, is crafted in a far less natural way. Made with a slew of natural and artificial flavors, that are often chemically derived, imitation vanilla has more of a bitter aftertaste than pure vanilla extract.

So the moral of the story is always choose pure vanilla extract. If you want to check out my absolute favorite vanilla extract, click here! Rodelle has a range of spices and extracts for baking and cooking that deliver gourmet flavor to your kitchen endeavors.

How To Make These Easy Peanut Butter Balls

In two simple steps you’ll have these energy balls made!

1. In a bowl, add all ingredients and thoroughly combine (I usually start with a spoon and then finish mixing with my hands).
2. Roll into bite-size balls.

Yes, it’s just that easy! Make sure you store your energy balls in the refrigerator, so they stay fresh for up to 1-2 weeks.

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Easy Peanut Butter Balls – 5 Ingredients

Total Time

10 mins

 

These easy peanut butter balls are incredibly simple and wildly delicious! Packed with clean ingredients and popping with peanut butter flavor, this recipe will become a staple for all peanut butter lovers.

Course: Snack

Servings: 12

Calories: 98 kcal

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1 tsp Rodelle vanilla extract
• 2 Tbsp finely shredded coconut
• 2 Tbsp honey

Instructions

1. In a bowl, add all ingredients and thoroughly combine.

2. Roll into bite-size balls.

3. Enjoy! (and store them in the refrigerator)

Recipe Notes

PER BALL

98 cals ~ 6g fat ~ 8g carb ~ 3g protein ~ 1g fiber ~ 3g sugar

Seeking Another Delicious and Easy Peanut Butter Recipe?

If you are a total peanut butter lover, like myself, you will adore these healthy peanut butter cookies that are made with just six ingredients. In this recipe, refined sugar is replaced with a bit of coconut sugar and white flour is replaced with a bit of oat flour, so basically you’ll end up eating these for breakfast. They’re delicious and clean!