These power balls make a great little snack or treat. There are two versions…
1. The Chocolate/Peanut Version (pictured):
I recently bought my first bar of unsweetened chocolate (100% cacao)…and to steal vocabulary from my 5-year-old, it tasted disgusting! However, in some magical way the combination of ingredients in this recipe below make the cacao taste like “regular” chocolate. I have to thank a 100 Days of Real Food reader for introducing me to a version of this recipe. I would have never thought to put these items together and now we can’t stop eating them!
Chocolate Peanut-Butter Power Balls
This power balls recipe make a great little snack or treat. There are two versions…
Ingredients
- ¾ cup nuts, I used pecans
- ¾ cup dates, dried, pitted
- 2 tablespoons peanut butter, an all natural PB is recommended - the only ingredient necessary is crushed peanuts
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
Instructions
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Combine all ingredients into a food processor and blend.
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Form into balls and serve immediately or keep refrigerated.
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For a slightly different variation without peanut butter check out the chocolate torte recipe.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition Facts
2. The Peanut/Honey Version:
This recipe is from a friend of a friend and you can get creative with adding extras.
Peanut Honey Power Balls
Ingredients
- 1 cup peanut butter, an all natural PB is recommended - the only ingredient necessary is crushed peanuts
- 1 cup honey
- 3 cups oats, rolled
- 1 cup nuts, or dried fruit
Coating Options
- granola
- unsweetened coconut flakes
- nuts, crushed
Instructions
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Mix the first four ingredients together thoroughly.
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Form them into balls then roll them in the crushed nuts, granola cereal, or unsweetened coconut.
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Serve or refrigerate.
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How do I make these w/ no nuts or peanut butter? Do you have any ideas?
Just leave out the peanut butter (similar to this recipe http://thefoodillusion.wordpress.com/2010/07/17/recipe-chocolate-torte-with-whipped-cream-and-chocolate-sauce/) and how about trying sesame seeds or pumpkin seeds instead of pecans? Can Ella have those?
Sunbutter.. it’s made with sunflower seeds. my friend’s son loves it. and, instead of the nuts maybe pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, wheat nuts or banana chips
I just made the first version and they’re very good. They were extremely easy to make. My boys even at them.
Made the chocolate/pb version last night (for a bit of dessert after making your grilled pimento cheese sandwich!), and it was fantastic.
Your daughter was not wrong about the taste of the 100% cacao by itself. (I couldn’t resist tasting it!).
I can happily eat 75% dark chocolate with a smile on my face, but that was just terrible. However, mixed up with the dates, pecans and peanut butter – it definitely works.
Once this batch is gone, I’ll try the oat/honey version. It sounds good, too. :)
I know the dates work magic with that bitter unsweetened cocoa…the version I am currently addicted to though is this one made into little balls: http://thefoodillusion.wordpress.com/2010/07/17/recipe-chocolate-torte-with-whipped-cream-and-chocolate-sauce/
we have a nut allergy in the house… this tastes just fine w/ sunbutter or soy nut butter.. I also have a friend who calls these “fiber bombs”
Since I love Key Lime Larabars and they are $2.29 EACH up here in Canada, I decided to try to tweek your powerball recips (which I love) and it worked! Here is my recipe.
Lime-Flavoured Power Balls
1 ½ cups dates
¾ cup unsweetened coconut
1 ½ cups raw almonds
1 Tbsp. honey
1 tsp. finely grated lime rind
Juice of ½ lime
Put all ingredients except for lime juice in food processor. Pulverize.
Add lime juice gradually until the mixture forms together. It usually takes about
the juice of half a lime.
Form into inch-sized balls. Refrigerate or freeze.
Enjoy!
Since I love Key Lime Larabars and they are $2.29 EACH up here in Canada, I decided to try to tweek your powerball recipe (which I love) and it worked! Here is my recipe.
Lime-Flavoured Power Balls
1 ½ cups dates
¾ cup unsweetened coconut
1 ½ cups raw almonds
1 Tbsp. honey
1 tsp. finely grated lime rind
Juice of ½ lime
Put all ingredients except for lime juice in food processor. Pulverize.
Add lime juice gradually until the mixture forms together. It usually takes about
the juice of half a lime.
Form into inch-sized balls. Refrigerate or freeze.
Enjoy!
very cool…thanks for sharing!
How do you measure the chocolate? Do you melt it first? I think I may have done something wrong!
Try this recipe instead…it is a little easier to deal with the powdered cocoa. Just make the tortes into little powerball sizes (which is what I do with this torte one which is my favorite): https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2010/07/17/recipe-chocolate-torte-with-whipped-cream-and-chocolate-sauce/
I never usually comment on blogs, but I just had to tonight. I am on day 2 of my 10 day challenge. I was really craving my usual sweet, so I figured what they hey I’ll try these. I was somewhat skeptical that they would anything better than ok. WOW!! So yummy!! These may have to be a permanent fixture in my house. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Trust me…I had never eaten a date in my life before we started our real food pledge so I know exactly what you mean about being skeptical. But when I was feeling desperate for chocolate I was much more willing to try new things though. And I have done a side-by-side comparison (now that I can have regular dark chocolate again) and I like my chocolate powerballs better! I am so glad it worked out for you as well. Oh and this is the recipe I use the most now (rolled into little powerball sizes): https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2010/07/17/recipe-chocolate-torte-with-whipped-cream-and-chocolate-sauce/
Amazing!!! This will take care of my sweet tooth! This will also be great addition too my kids teachers gifts!! I will just have to make a lot!!
Gail
LOVE the power balls! I could eat gobs in a setting but limit myself to one……..NOT easy! Thanks for the recipe!
These are SO good! I have eaten way too many in the last 24 hours! lol!
I ended up using 2oz(4 squares) of the chocolate bar and just tossed it in the food processor with everything else. Turned out great. Thanks for the recipe!
Love the chocolate ones! And because they hit the spot so perfectly, I am content to eat just one, where in the past I would eat tons of chocolate or candy in one sitting. I tried the peanut butter/honey version last night, and I find them too sweet. Next time I’ll reduce the amount of honey. (Although, I ran out of natural PB, so I used half natural PB and half Kraft PB, which probably added to the sweetness factor.) In addition to the PB, oats and honey, I used raisins, sunflower seeds and unsweetened coconut. Yum!
Just found your website and LOVE it! Made these powerballs today and my oldest (5yr) gobbled it up! Cant wait to try the breakfast cookies and zucchini bread. Keep up the good work–Its nice to not feel crazy because Im trying to do the best I can for my family.
I do not own a food processor (just a magic bullet). I would like to purchase one, but the different parts and gadgets are intimidating and I feel that cleaning all of them would be a pain. Does anyone have a good recommendation for a good food processor that is easily cleaned and with no fuss parts?
With an appliance like a food processor you don’t want to mess around with a cheap or inexpensive version. You get what you pay for and mine, which is Cuisinart, is still going strong after almost 12 years.
Lisa, I’m not a stalker, haha. I just wanted to review the recipes of yours that we have tried, which is quite a few! So….
For those of you who haven’t tried these, do yourself a favor and make one batch. I don’t even want a Snickers after having these. They’re guilt-free and cover any and all chocolate cravings in this house! P.S. For one recipe, I tried raisins instead of dates because the only dates I found are sweetened. However, the raisins didn’t do the trick. I’ll just wash the dates I guess. LOL
I can’t wait to experiment with these. I’ve been thinking of making a homemade version of a lara bar. I have some dried persimmon from whole foods that’s going to have to make an appearance soon.
I just made the oat/honey/PB version and they are yummy! I’m so glad to find an easy snack to give my 2 year old rather than junky crackers or granola bars. I used 1 c. ground flax rather than the nuts so it was easy for him to chew and it worked great! I can’t wait to try the chocolate/date version next…I might save those for myself ;) Thanks!
I tried the chocolate torte recipe earlier (which was awesome) and decided I wanted to try the peanut butter ones here. I got a bit inspired and changed a few things. I used 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder instead of the chocolate bar, added honey, and a bit of water to make them easier to mold. These are AMAZING. Might have to even give them out for the holidays. This will DEFINITELY help me stay on track with eating fewer processed foods. I just need to learn to stop at eating one or two…
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Just tried these and found them to be wonderful! Thinking of making them for a Christmas cookie exchange…do they freeze well?
I’ve never tried to freeze them before…let me know how it goes!
I add oats and use walnuts instead of pecans (I add just a smidgen of water to compensate for the oats.) I also freeze them. They are AMAZING frozen.
The chocolate peanut butter was delicious! I used cocoa powder instead of the chocolate, and added some more peanut butter to make it “stick” better. So delicious!
I just made the chocolate-peanut butter powerballs. Delicious! I can’t wait to try out the chocolate torte version that you linked to. Thanks for another great recipe.
When you say 3 tablespoons of the cacao bar, how many squares or ounces is that? I am not sure how much to use! Thanks!! Love your blog!!!
Okay.. never mind on my question above, I used 1 ounce of cacao bar. I can not believe how good they are!!!!!! So yummy!
You really should connect with Pinterest. I especially love finding healthy recipes that I can past on to my friends.
My (continously) hungry boys loved these! We made them with peanut butter, honey, ground up almonds, and coconut. Thanks for posting this!
(Here’s a link to the picture of our powerballs)
http://www.kristiephoto.com/?p=545
hello! My family and I are preparing for a road trip and I was thinking of making these now and freezing them for our trip in 3 weeks. Do you know if these would freeze well? Thx for the recipe!
I honestly have not tried freezing them before…let me know what happens!
I finally got the chance to try out the powerball recipe (the chocolate one, of course!), and it was delicious! Thank you for sharing! We’ve also tried the chicken nuggets, hummus, and cheesy crackers. Having a good food processor really helps! I have been inspired by your food journey and am slowly making changes in my own life and in the eating habits of my family! Thank you!
These were very very yummy!! Thank you for the recipe! I tried the chocolate one and used raisins instead of dates because I didn’t have any.
I actually misread the recipe and put 3 oz of solid baking chocolate in these….it tastes amazing, like bits of chocolate chips in these! It was a mistake I plan to replicate :)
I brought these as a dessert last night to a dinner party & they were a hit! I saved a couple for my junk food loving dad to taste & didn’t tell him they were ‘real food.’ he LOVED them! That was the ultimate test. Thanks for the great recipes:)
called these chocolate balls for my picky girly, and she said, “these are great”!
I have these in the fridge right now! Can’t wait to try them. The parts I licked off my fingers tasted delicious ;) Question, do they have to stay refrigerated? We don’t have a ton of room in the fridge. Maybe I will freeze some :)
Hi Stacy. They don’t have to stay refrigerated, but, that’s probably preferable. They do freeze well too like you stated. Jill
With the original Powerballs, is the chocolate ground or melted? If melted, how many ounces or squares equal a tablespoon?
Hi Cathy. It should be ground. Jill
Thanks so much for this great recipe. What a great idea for school snacks. I love your site too!
Just made version #1. YUM!
I’ve been wanting a chocolate treat without sugar and this is perfect. I made them in the blender and am going to roll them in unsweetened coconut before freezing.
Prefer the chocolate peanut butter powerball to the oats and honey one. Oats and honey were too sweet for me, felt like I was buzzing.
Version #1, great success. My husband likes them too. Next time I’ll try adding some oats.
These are wonderful to freeze and take out as little as one at a time for a treat. You can omit anything you don’t like or add anything healthy you do to this recipe. They are also great snacks before or after workouts (I have one post jog), on road trips, school lunches or snacks, for trips to the park, picnics, and the list goes on and on :-)
My daughter has a peanut allergy but I love this idea! Could I substitute almond butter or sunflower seed butter for the peanut butter? If so would the measurements be the same or different? Thank you!
Hi Jennifer. Yes, I don’t see why you can’t sub the almond butter or sunflower seed butter. I would keep the measurements the same. Jill
Just made the peanut butter honey ones – big hit! The kids (and I) loved them!
Good gracious! Just made 2 batches of the chocolate ones and they are so delicious and addictive! I had to make myself stop at two while I was forming the others to store for the children tomorrow. Hope they make it until the morning! And you’re right, the unsweetened chocolate is magically transformed into this decadent, yet healthy treat. Thanks for sharing this one!
Just made the PB Honey Version and perhaps I will try the Chocolate version sometime. I will say they are very sweet even for my sweet tooth. I think if I make them again I will cut the honey in half. Also very messy to make I had coconut stuck to everything in the kitchen (of course not everyone is grossed out by getting messy).
i have an alternate version you can try: 1 cup oats •1/2 cup chocolate chips or dates •1/2 cup natural peanut butter •1/2 cup ground flaxseed •1/3 cup honey •1 tsp. vanilla and 1/2 cup of almonds. refrigerate and enjoy! you can even add other nuts of your choosing or dried fruit or coconut!
Do you have suggestions on making it allergy friendly? Dairy and nut free, vegan? You have a lot of PB stuff on your website, but lots of schools are also nut free..
Hi Chet. You could possibly substitute sunflower butter. As for the nuts, I’m not sure it would work the same if you leave them out all together. There shouldn’t be any dairy that needs to be replaced. Jill
What are the total carbs, if a diabetic or cholesterol diet?
Hi Judy. I’m sorry but we don’t track nutrition information. There are various tools available online that you can use to calculate the specifics. Hope that helps. ~Amy
Hi,
I tried making a nut free version with sunflower seed butter instead of PB, and pepitas (pumpkin seeds) instead of nuts. They were really good. I am sure you could also sub sunflower seeds or maybe some coconut for part of the nuts. I also used cocoa powder and some coconut oil in mine. Yum! Thanks for the recipe!
good real good i liked it lots!
loved them!
I made these chocolate powerballs & they are wonderful. We added brown puffed rice to give them a bit of crunch. Awesome!
Just made the peanutbutter and choc balls – yum! And super easy. Made 18 with 90% choc and worked out bout 40 calories each. Thanks!!
What do you think about cooking the oatmeal first
Hi Brandie. I think it would make the texture mushy. ~Amy
Could you roll these in chia seeds?
Hi Jill. Of course. :)~Amy
Maybe this is a silly question, but the chocolate bar has squares that are measured in ounces, but your recipe calls for 3 tablespoons of the chocolate. How many squares is that? Thanks!
Hi Kate. Three tablespoons is 1.5 ounces. Hope that helps. ~Amy
Love these, super yummy. Perfect for that afternoon chocolate crazing and I usually pop one right before bed.
I was wondering why they need to be refrigerated. I buy the all natural fresh ground peanut butter from Whole Foods that comes in the little deli container but I don’t remember if that needs to be refrigerated.
I just made both power balls. Delicious!! How do they do in the freezer? Ok to freeze for later?
Hi Cassie. You can keep them frozen for up to 3 months. ~Amy
Are medjool dates ok to use? It says dry dates but I’m not sure what those are. Thanks!
Hi Mandy. Medjool dates are dried. ;) ~Amy
For the chocolate power balls can you use unsweetened cocoa powder instead of the chocolate bar?
Hello Toni. We’ve not tried. If you do, let us know how they turn out. ~Amy
What kind of peanut butter do you use? It’s hard to find a healthy one. Thanks.
Hi Jennifer. Look for an organic variety with only peanuts and perhaps salt on the ingredient list. Most mainstream grocery stores carry at least one. Our local Harris Teeter carries their own store brand and it’s a really yummy one. ~Amy
Would almond butter work instead of peanut butter?? Also, what about walnuts or cashews instead of pecans?
Hi Heather. Sure, those subs should work fine. :) ~Amy
Peanut honey powerballs. I just made a batch and thank you for recipe. They are fantastic.
Is there anything I can substitute for the dates? My daughters don’t like dates and I really want to try these for them!
Hi Jessica. I make a version with more nut butter and a bit of honey for sweetness. I’ve also used figs as well as very plump golden raisins. ~Amy
Could you use dried cherries or maybe crasins instead of dates, figs or raisins? Just can’t stand any of those.
Hi Peg. You are welcome to try any combo you like. Dates and figs are fleshy and sticky and work well to bind. It might be a little more challenging with other dried fruits. :)
Is there something else besides the peanut butter you could use to hold them together? My son has a nut allergy and I don’t like using the soy butter either.
Hi Britni. How about sunbutter (sunflower seed)?
How long do these last? Should they be refrigerated? We are looking to substitute store bought granola bars with other more nutritious treats but want something with a good pantry/backpacking shelf life. Thanks
Hello Lilly. Yes, I would keep them in the fridge for up to a week.
Tried the honey peanut butter balls today and they are FANTASTIC….my mom and kids couldn’t eat enough of them. Thank you so much for all your wonderful recipes- they have completely changed my way of eating.
Has anyone made these with seeds to make a nut free version for preschool?
Hi Lisa. You can find Lisa’s nut free Lara Bars here: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2012/07/01/recipe-homemade-larabars-4-ways-including-nut-free/. And here you will find some for everyone: http://picklebums.com/2015/03/02/15-snack-balls/.
I see the recipe says 100% cacao, but then it says chocolate bar. Can I just use powdered 100% cacao?
Yes! :)
Sorry if this has been asked before but are these freezable?
Absolutely.
Ever since I was little I’ve made “peanut butter balls”- peanut butter, honey & dried milk to de-stick them (and add extra protein & caciun-shhh!) now my kids love to mix this up as a quick snack. No measuring necessary! Just plop some PB in a bowl, drizzle a little honey & add enough powdered milk to make it roll-able. Make as little or as much as you like. So good!
So sickly sweet for us. Wish I used less honey! This unfortunately was a big waste.
Are the rolled oats supposed to be cooked or just straight from the bag?
Hi. No, they are not cooked. Think no-bake cookies. :)
Can you give a nutrition count on these? Calories? Protein? Fat grams and such? Just want to make sure I’m staying within my guidelines. :) But they are delish!
Hi there. That is not information that we provide. This post helps explain that philosophy: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2013/01/04/healthy-eating-defined/.
I made the “date” version for a church social and set it aside for our diabetics – they all loved them. Instead of nuts I used the leftover almond meal from the almond milk. I didn’t have medjool dates but I added 5 deglet noor dates instead.
Oops ! I also used cocoa powder, it’s what I had ! :)
I also used coco powder.
I made the peanut butter version today for the kids it was sickeningly sweet and no amount of extra peanut butter seemed to fix it. It made alot, so I wound up throwing alot away. I also used the almond meal (leftover from my almond milk) instead of nuts. Next time I’ll use 1/4 C honey.
I am a chocolate fanatic but I decided to try the peanut honey powerballs. They are amazing and fulfilled my craving even though there was no chocolate in it. I also made some for my office and recieved high praises.
LOVE these! I’ve been making these for my very picky boys…
Modifications that I have been doing: I cut the honey down over time to 1/3 a cup, and just add more peanut butter.
Also, for peanut butter cup fans…I’ve been adding unsweetened cocoa powder to make a chocolate peanut butter version. Now, it’s not a reese’s, but they taste pretty darn good!
My kids eat these quicker than I can make them! Thank you again for helping us find real food recipes!!!
I have a proablem with my sugar levels dropping all the time so im trying these to see if they help me out. Also to have healthier snacks.
These are so satisfying! I only had medjool dates and had to pit them first, but this is a really great recipe and super quick to throw together! Thank you!!
Hey, this recipe has changed! I used to make it all the time, and the recipe called for an ounce or two from a cacao bar. Now it calls for powder. Where’s the original recipe? (I used to make it and loved it. We took a break from peanuts for a while, so I haven’t made it. I’d love to have the original recipe back.)
Hi. If I sent these to school for an afternoon snack, do you think they would “hold up” until the afternoon? Thanks!
Yes! Lisa has sent them in her kids’ lunch boxes before. – Nicole