Peanut Butter Oatmeal Balls

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Balls // shutterbean

Raise your hands if you hand peanut butter oatmeal balls when you were growing up!  I did and so did my husband…but I can tell you this, and salt and chia seeds were NOT in the mix. I think we had a combination that included milk powder. Hmm!  These peanut butter oatmeal balls have chocolate chips in them (which is absolutely thrilling to Cooper) and are made sweet/savory with a heavy pinch of kosher salt. It’s been awhile since I’ve made them but I’m putting them back into the rotation because two of them give me a tremendous amount of energy and keep my candy bar cravings at bay. Plus it gives me a good reason to say the word balls.

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Peanut Butter Oatmeal Balls

makes about 15

  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 1/4 cup chocolate chips
  • 2 tablespoons chia seeds
  • heavy pinch of kosher salt

Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl until well incorporated. Form balls and refrigerate!

  • Julie

    I totally remember these from childhood although for some reason I remember powdered milk? (I mean, what else would you use that ingredient for!) And this reminds me of all the other foods I would roll up, like the inside of white bread. I was gross 🙂

  • Mary Frances

    Wow, what a tasty treat! I’ve never tried these before, but they sound delicious. Chia is a great addition. Thanks for sharing!

  • Eliza

    What a baller snack! I like to add mashed banana to my version.

  • Jamie

    You have such great looking balls, Tracy. I like how you rolled them so well in your hands so they’re nice and round…and salty too! Seriously, I have to get my hands on your balls.

    = )

  • Carolyn

    Tracy! Thanks for these. I’m currently pregnant (and always ravenous!) so these will make for a perfect tide-me-over until meal time. Grazie!

  • Brooke M

    I wonder if you could use almond butter in place of the peanut butter? I can’t have peanuts. I want to make some of these salty balls (SNL reference…haha).

  • Kate

    I worked on some meal prep this morning and added these! Thank you so much for the recipe! I used to love them as a kid.

  • Christa

    Are the chia seeds necessary? What’s their purpose? I ask because I have everything else readily available and I’m not sure I can wait to make these if I have to run to the market 😉

    • Tracy

      You don’t have to put them in! They will be just fine. I add them for extra health benefits- that’s all 🙂

  • Abby

    Hahah, these are incredible, Tracy! What a genius idea. <3

  • Matea

    I didn’t have these oatmeal bites growing up; so I need to catch up on all the ones I didn’t have! 🙂

  • Jenna

    Its like a healthy cookie, I love it!!

  • Amanda

    Going on a road trip on Tuesday and I thought about making these and freezing them before putting them in our cooler – do you think freeizing would negatively effect the taste or flavor? These sound like perfect road snacks!!

    • Tracy

      Nope! They’ll be just fine. Just wrap them up tight so they don’t get freezer funk!

  • lynn @ the actor's diet

    How funny – I’m currently working on some raisin balls inspired by the Fox show “Last Man on Earth.” Mine are similar, just with raisins…or, currants, b/c I don’t have raisins.

  • Lisa miller

    Just made my second batch of these. So yum. I normally buy those z bars in bulk at Costco to have on hand for a quick snack, but I’ll be making these instead. Less expensive, taste way better and healthier. And yes, my brother totally made the powdered milk version for us when we were kids. I think he learned the recipe in home ec.

  • shelly

    I have already made two batches of these, they are a big hit in my house! we’ve taken to calling them refrigerator cookies. thanks for bringing these into my life

  • Lena

    is it possible to use agave instead of honey?

  • Kyla

    Made these during my weekly meal prep for snack time this week and loved them. My picky husband loves them too 🙂 Great 3pm snack to keep me tied over until dinner time! Thanks Tracy 🙂

  • Panya

    I just made a double batch of these, replacing the honey [since I’m allergic] with golden syrup, using a bit of flax meal to make up for not having enough chia seeds, and measuring the salt to about 1/2 teaspoon [for the double batch]. I’d eaten about five balls-worth of the mixture before I was finished rolling them. They’ll definitely be in frequent rotation here, as I’m sure my husband will love them as much as I do.

    • Tracy

      great substitutions! I am glad they’re apart of your rotation now 🙂

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