Make Chia Balls Recipe (with Peanut Butter and Chocolate)

This Peanut Butter Chia Balls recipe is just what you need to create a delicious snack that will fix that late afternoon energy slump. They contain oats, peanut butter, chia seeds and chocolate chips meaning that they contain healthy fats, omega-3’s, protein and fibre. These no-bake energy bites make a perfect find in a lunch box and make a wonderful snack when you find yourself in need of an energy lift.

These chia seed snack balls are so simple to make and take hardly anytime at all. Plus, you don’t need to bake them and you only need one bowl for the mixing part of the process. Brilliant!

Generally, this type of snack is made from nut butter or dried fruit combined with other flavours and ingredients to make a delicious and yet generally healthy snack. They have quite a few different names such as; bliss balls, energy bites, energy balls to list just a very few.

Energy balls with chia seeds describes these oatmeal bites perfectly, although they have a little peanut butter for taste, flavour and a little protein. They make a make a good addition to lunch boxes and are healthier than a chocolate bar, containing lots of good minerals, fibre and protein. They are filling and satisfy a yearning for a little sweetness at the end of a meal. They’re also good kept in the fridge for when an attack of the ‘nibbles’ strikes.

What’s in these Chia Seed Balls Recipe?

This is just a brief overview of the ingredients, the details are all in the recipe card below.

• oats – whole rolled oats which contribute texture, fibre and help stave off hunger for a good while.
• Chia seeds – these are powerhouses of goodness. They are a plant source of omega-3’s, fibre, protein, vitamins and minerals.
• chocolate chips – these are a nice flavour contrast to the slight saltiness of the peanut butter and remind you that you’re eating a little treat.
• dried cranberries – add a little texture and flavour.
• maple syrup – helps bind everything together and adds sweetness,
• peanut butter – this again helps to bind everything together and adds healthy fats and protein to the energy bites.

How do I make them?

All the details that you need to make these chia seed snack balls are in the recipe card below so this is just a quick walk-through of the basic process. There are no special skills required to make these and they’re quite good fun to make with children.

Measure all of the ingredients into the bowl and stir to combine. Basically, that’s it. Then take tablespoon-sized scoops of the mixture and roll them into balls in your hands, squeezing them so that they hold together.

Place them on a plate until you’ve rolled all of the balls out. If you’re really concerned about making the bites a consistent size I generally aim for about 34g each. Apologies if that seems odd but it pleases me that they’re pretty much similar in size.

Modifications to the basic recipe?

Sometimes you want to make things a little differently and perhaps try a different flavour. Here are a few of our ideas.

• chocolate chips – these may be dark, milk or white chocolate chips or chunks. You could even use a mixture of white and dark chips. Milk chocolate chips also work very well and might actually be preferred by children and of course, some adults.
• maple syrup – you may use your preferred sweetener such as agave nectar or honey.
• peanut butter – use either a smooth (creamy) or crunchy peanut butter. This may also be substituted with hazelnut butter, cashew nut butter or sun butter (for those with nut allergies) and still be wonderful. (Why not have a go at making your own peanut butter or almond butter. It is surprisingly easy to do.)
• chia seeds – these may be dark or white chia seeds. The only effect this has is on the colour.

How to store Chia Balls

Store your chia ball snacks in an air-tight container for up to 3 days. I prefer to keep them in an air-tight container in the fridge where they’ll last a day or so longer.

These bites also freeze well. They’ll last happily for around 3 months and when you’re ready, take them out of the freezer, simply defrost them on the countertop.

Are these energy balls with chia seeds gluten-free?

These Energy Balls or Bites if you prefer, are gluten-free so long as you use certified gluten-free oats. Some oats are processed in mills where they also process other grains so there is a possibility of cross-contamination. So check your labels to make sure that you have the perfect oats for you.

Are Peanut Butter Oatmeal Balls suitable for vegans?

They’re perfect for those following a plant-based or vegan diet, provided that you choose vegan-friendly chocolate chips (or chop up your own chocolate from a suitable vegan chocolate bar. (Mind your fingers though!)).

If you like these…. then you may also like our other chocolate recipes

• Chocolate and Orange Brownies
• Healthy Chocolate Truffles
• Chocolate and Avocado Mousse
• Easy Chocolate and Hazelnut Spread
• Double Chocolate Chip Overnight Oats
• Chocolate Energy Balls

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