Powerball Cookies
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These no bake energy bites have been a long-time favorite in my home. Look no further for a healthy, satiating, freezer-friendly snack.
Much to Love About These Energy Bites
Confession time: I make this no bake energy bites recipe every single afternoon. Just a few of these cookies help me POWER through the 2 p.m. doldrums. They are SO tasty with a cup of coffee, too.
Not only do they stave off the afternoon munchies, but the balance of macronutrients (fat, protein, and carbs) make these a high-quality snack or breakfast for athletes, too.
Lastly, these are so simple to make that even kids can do this! Have these help you make a big batch to keep in the freezer.
Ingredients Needed
With a few simple pantry ingredients, you can whip these up in no time! The beauty of this recipe is the ingredients are somewhat fluid. Add or subtract based on what you like or what you have on hand.
Here is what you’ll need:
- Peanut butter (sub: almond butter or sunbutter)
- Honey
- Old-fashioned or quick oats
- Flaxseed (Why eat flaxseed?)
- Dark chocolate chips (or 3/4 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips)
- 1 cup of any combination of add-ins: chopped nuts (i.e. chopped pecans, sliced almonds, etc.), unsweetened shredded coconut, chia seeds, soft dried fruits (i.e. raisins, dried cranberries, etc)
Step-by-Step: How to Make Powerball Cookies
Like I mentioned, this recipe is so simple that the kids can help you!
- Round up all of the ingredients you want to use and add them all into a big ‘ol mixing bowl. Stir like crazy to make sure all the ingredients are well combined.
- Then, wet your hands slightly, and roll into 1 to 1 1/2 inch sized balls. Place in a storage container or freezer bag in a single layer. Divide layers with parchment paper.
- Store in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for 3-6 months.
Pro Tip
I’ve found that if I warm the peanut butter and honey just a tad initially, it makes it easier to stir all of the ingredients together.
How Do I Store No Bake Energy Bites?
Here’s the fun part. Using wet hands and/or a small ice cream scoop, form small balls and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
You’ll freeze them this way so that they hold their form. Once they are frozen, transfer them to an airtight freezer container, squeeze out all the air, and store them in the freezer for 3-6 months.
Be sure to train the kids to know where they are at. They’ll be asking! (Or, if you’re like me, be sure to hide them for yourself. 😉
Make sure to make a double batch too. Not only do these make a great afternoon snack, they can also be a great breakfast!
More Healthy Snack Ideas
Looking for more satisfying but healthier snacks? Try a few of these…
Did you make this? Snap a photo and tag us on Instagram at @thrivinghome so we can see your creations and cheer you on!
Powerball Cookies
Powerball Cookies are a healthy, real-food snack. Careful, it’s hard to stop at just one!
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-natural peanut butter or almond butter (crunchy peanut butter is really yummy!)
- 1 cup honey (I often cut this back to 3/4 cup and make up the 1/4 cup with more nut butter)
- 3 cups old-fashioned oats (quick-cooking works fine)
- 1/2 cup ground flax seed (Why eat flaxseed?)
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips (or 3/4 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips)
- 1 cup any combination of these add-ins: chopped nuts (i.e. chopped pecans, sliced almonds, etc), unsweetened shredded coconut, chia seeds, soft dried fruits (i.e. raisins, dried cranberries, etc)
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Instructions
Make It Now:
- In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the peanut butter and honey until smooth. (Tip: You may want to warm them in the microwave first to make this step easier.)
- Stir in oats and flaxseed. Add the chocolate chips and your 1 cup of preferred add-ins. Stir until well combined.
- Using wet hands or a wet cookie scoop, shape the mixture into 30-35 balls. Use a heaping tablespoon of mixture per cookie. Store in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer using the directions below.
Freeze For Later: Follow Steps 1-3. Place the rolled cookies on a sheet pan (line with parchment paper for easier clean up). Place in the freezer for an hour or so, until hardened. Place them into a freezer bag or airtight freezer container for up to 3 months.
Prepare From Frozen: Either set cookies out on the counter to thaw slightly or warm in the microwave for about 15 seconds.
Erin Z says
These are so good! I always make a double batch because we go through them so fast.
Polly Conner says
Ditto! Good use of your time for sure.
Laura says
Yummy! Made these today and they were great. The flax seed will take some getting use to but the rest was great. Did dried cherries and pistachios.
Rachel says
Sounds delicious!
Alicia says
These are so good, I feel like I’d never have to make chocolate chip cookies again. I agree that you could cut back the honey and replace it with peanut butter (I’ll do that next time). We don’t love dried fruit in this house so I just used all pecans for the nut/fruit portion. So good.
Rachel says
Really glad to hear you liked them, Alicia. Thanks for the comment and review!
Whitney says
In the instructions it says to “flash freeze”, how do you do this? I am excited to make these!
Rachel says
Good question! Flash freeze just means to place the cookies on a rimmed baking sheet or in a shallow dish in the freezer. Make sure they aren’t touching. Once they are frozen, you can throw them in a freezer bag and pull out however many you want at a time. Hope that helps!
Shauna says
Incredible recipe! I’ve recommended to several friends. I always freeze them but they never last very long in our house anyway.
Rachel says
Thanks, Shauna. I have to throw these in the freezer so they are out of sight, because they never last long around here either. 🙂
Sara says
Thank you so much for this recipe. I surprised my family with them tonight and they are a big hit! These are also going to be great little energy bites as I move into my third trimester. Thank you! Happy New Year!
Rachel says
Sweet! So glad these will be helpful to your growing family. Congrats!
Poppy Zitsman says
their in the fridge right now but once they come I am gonna pop pop pop them into my mouth
Sally M says
OMG these cookies were like the best thing that ever happened to me like wow I am soooooooooo telling everybody about ur sooooooooo totally awesome recipe!!!!!! Yeah man GO POWERBALLS
Tracy says
Hi Rachel,
Just curious as to whether you’ve had any luck with baking these as opposed to nuking them. Love the simplicity of it, though, and can’t wait to make them this weekend!
Rachel says
Tracy, I’ve never tried to bake them. You’ll have to let me know if you try. I don’t think they’d make it to the oven b/c we eat them before then. 🙂
Tammy says
Hi, Rachel!
I made something similar with my kindergarten class when I was in kindergarten many, many moons ago. We were doing an activity in Girl Scouts a few years ago, so I did my best to remember what we put in it and made a very similar recipe to this (without the chocolate chips) and added a little powdered milk to the recipe. We called them “squirrel food.” They enjoyed them very much. These definitely have a lot of energy and are so much fun to make with (or for) children, just not too late at night or they’ll never get to sleep. 😉
Rachel says
Squirrel Food…love it!
Natalie says
My three-year-old daughter and I are making these when she wakes up as a reward for her taking a good nap. I think she and my husband will love them! Um, and if she doesn’t I’m okay with eating a few now and then from my freezer. 😉
Rachel says
Nice, Natalie! I’ve been known to use them as a reward, too. 🙂 Enjoy!
Darcie says
Oh, I'm so glad you tried these! My boys really do love them and they inhale them. They last in the fridge for several days, too, fyi! 🙂
Rachel says
Hi Jena,
I feed them to Hannah (15 months and has only her front teeth) and she does fine. You might take out the dried fruit from the toddler bites.
Also, I may try making them with Agave nectar instead of honey next time to cut back on the amount of sugar for my kids. Just an idea.
Thanks for reading!
Anonymous says
These look great Rachel. Would you say they're soft enough for younger toddlers?
Thanks! Really enjoy the blog too!
Jena
Rachel says
Thanks for reading, Ashley. I think I've seen your comments on Every Square Inch before?? Way to take some steps towards healthy eating! Hope we can meet sometime.
Ashley says
Rachel – we haven't met, but I really enjoy reading your blog (and have for about a month). In fact, it may just motivate me to cook a bit more! We've been trying to eat more whole wheat, fruits and veggies while avoiding too much salt and sugar. Still having trouble converting wholly to the beautiful organic aisles of Hy-Vee and Clovers though. Thanks for writing!