Peanut Butter & Jelly Bites
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If you love PB&Js, these Peanut Butter and Jelly Bites are for you! Made with peanut butter, oats, golden flaxseed, dried blueberries, vanilla, and honey, they’re the perfect nutrient-dense, portable snack to toss into your gym bag, backpack, lunch box, etc.
Instead of grabbing a vending machine energy bar to hold you between meals, these homemade energy bites are a great on-the-go snack. I mean, what’s better than a ball of pure energy that actually tastes like dessert? From my Protein Brownie Bites to these Birthday Cake Protein Bombs, the possibilities are basically endless, but I think these Peanut Butter and Jelly Balls may be the new favorite. My kids LOVE this combo.
For this recipe, I just gave my Oat & Peanut Butter Balls a couple of tweaks and added dried blueberries. This not only made the balls taste like a PB&J but also added more fiber. And let’s be honest, most people are hyper-focused on the protein and don’t get enough fiber.
Whether you’re an avid hiker, trail runner, cyclist, weight lifter, or just have a physically demanding job, you know how important it is to have easy & healthy snacks on hand for a quick energy boost. These PBJ energy bites are perfect for that. My husband competed in a CrossFit competition last weekend, and these little snacks were the perfect fuel in between workouts to keep him going strong!🏋
Why You’ll Love This Recipe!
- Quick and easy snack prep. All you (or your kids) need is 7 ingredients, 10 minutes, a mixer, a tablespoon-size scoop, and a sheet pan.
- Easy to customize. The “J” in PB&J is totally up to you. Use blueberries, cherries, raisins, apricots, or any dried fruit you have in your pantry.
- Legit fuel source. Each two-bite serving has: 164 calories, 8 grams of healthy fat, 4 grams of fiber, 4 grams of protein, and 20 grams of carbs. 1- 2 bites is the perfect serving size.
Ingredients & Substitutions
As long as you get the wet-to-dry ratios right, the ingredients in energy ball recipes are usually pretty flexible. Here’s an overview of what I used in these PB & J energy balls:
- Oats. Quick oats give these bites structural integrity. Make sure the brand is certified GF if necessary.
- Ground golden flaxseed. This helps hold everything together while adding Omega-3s and healthy fats. Feel free to swap ¼ cup of the flax with chia seeds if you already have them on hand.
- Peanut butter. For moisture, healthy fats, and protein, I like using an organic no-stir crunchy variety, but a creamy version is perfectly fine. Just make sure it’s at room temperature for easy mixing. I use Jif Natural.
- Dried fruit. Again, I used dried blueberries, but you can use any chewy dried fruit here – black or golden raisins, dried apricots, cherries, dates, figs, etc. I love the dried wild blueberries from Trader Joe’s.
- Honey. For a natural liquid sweetener, I love using raw, local honey, but maple syrup works as a vegan alternative. Because it’s not as thick, you may have to adjust the dry ingredients.
- Vanilla extract. Go with pure vanilla extract here.
- Salt. Just a pinch of kosher salt to balance the sweetness.
Variations
- Peanut-free – If you have a peanut allergy or prefer an AB&J, swap the peanut butter for creamy no-stir almond butter. You could even make my Toasted Coconut Almond Butter for this!
- Nut-free – If you need a school-safe version for packed lunches (or you live in a nut-free household), use sunflower seed butter instead of peanut butter.
- Protein boost – Swap 2 tablespoons of oats with 1-2 scoops of vanilla or chocolate protein powder. If you add protein, go with creamy peanut butter for better texture, and if the mixture gets too dry, just add a splash of water to fix it.
How to Make PB&J Bites
Step 1: Combine ingredients. Toss all your ingredients into the bowl of an electric mixer or a sturdy food processor. Then, blend until everything is well incorporated.
Step 2: Roll and chill. Roll the mixture into tablespoon-sized balls (I use a small cookie scoop) on a wax paper-lined cookie sheet, chill, then place the balls in an airtight container and refrigerate.
Recipe Tips and FAQs
- Don’t over-blend the ingredients into a smooth paste. You want to see the oats and fruit in your bites! If you’re using an electric mixer, blend on low to medium speed until just combined. If you’re using a food processor, just give it a few pulses.
- To make rolling easier, chill the mixture in the fridge for 10–15 minutes before you start. This gives the oats time to soak up excess moisture, making the whole process way less of a mess. Lightly wetting your palms can also help.
- Troubleshooting the texture. The ingredient mixture should feel like tacky Play-Doh. If it’s too dry and crumbly, add a bit more peanut butter or honey. If it’s too wet and sticky, add another spoonful of oats.
Yes! Just press the whole mixture into a parchment-lined square pan and chill it in the fridge for about an hour before slicing into bars. Creamy peanut butter will probably work better here for slicing.
If you want to mix everything in a bowl with your (obviously clean) hands, go for it! I’ll just take a lot more elbow grease to get everything evenly distributed and ensure the mixture holds together.
Storing and Freezing
Storing: These peanut butter and jelly bites are technically fine on the counter in an airtight container for a few days, but I highly recommend storing them in the fridge. They taste much better this way, and will stay fresh for 1-2 weeks.
Freezing: They freeze well for up to 3 months, and are actually pretty great if you eat them straight from the freezer. Just be sure to flash-freeze them on a tray before tossing them into a freezer bag.
More Energy Bites & Protein Balls
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Bliss Balls
- Chocolate Protein Date Balls with Oats
- Almond Date Balls with Coconut
- Nutella Protein Balls
If you love these PB&J-inspired Oatmeal Honey Peanut Butter Balls, I would be so grateful if you could leave a 5-star 🌟 rating in the recipe card below. I love reading your comments and feedback!
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Peanut Butter & Jelly Bites
Ingredients
- 1¼ cup dry quick oats use certified GF oats for a gluten-free version
- ¼ cup dried wild blueberries I buy these at Trader Joe's
- ½ cup crunchy peanut butter (or creamy) no stir binds the best- I use Jif Naturals
- ½ cup ground golden flaxseed
- ⅓ cup honey
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp salt
Instructions
- Place all ingredients into the bowl of an electric mixer.
- Blend on low to medium speed until just combined and the mixture clumps together.
- Roll into tbsp-size balls and place on a wax paper-lined baking sheet. Chill for at least an hour. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Notes
- Don’t over-blend the ingredients into a smooth paste. You want to see the oats and fruit in your bites! If you’re using an electric mixer, blend on low to medium speed until just combined. If you’re using a food processor, just give it a few pulses.
- To make rolling easier, chill the mixture in the fridge for 10–15 minutes before you start. This gives the oats time to soak up excess moisture, making the whole process way less of a mess. Lightly wetting your palms can also help.
Nutrition
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