Published 10/6/2015 • Updated 7/5/2023 We’ve been making energy balls (or just balls, as we call them) since this blog started! Our Peanut Butter Protein Balls are one of my favorites and these are a close second. Kiddos love them and they are freezer friendly. Plus, these taste like a PB&J sammy. While you do need to use your food processor to pulverize the medjool dates, it’s all worth it in the end! You get a little of the peanut butter side and a little bit of the jelly side in every bite.
What You Need for these PB&J Energy Balls
Medjool dates: we used dates for both the jelly and peanut butter sides of these energy balls. These sweet dried fruits are sticky and soft, making them perfect for binding the other ingredients together. Peanuts: unsalted and roasted peanuts are best as they give that classic peanut butter flavor. Smooth peanut butter: we recommend using all-natural peanut butter for the most authentic taste. Honey: honey adds a natural sweetness and helps with binding. Dried blueberries: this fruit gives the energy balls their wonderful jelly flavor! Almonds: almonds add an extra boot of nutrition and create the perfect texture and balance out the flavors. Food processor: you’ll need a food processor to blend up all your ingredients so they’re nice and smooth.
Variations and Substitutions
Nuts/Nut Butter: almonds/almond butter on the pb side. You can also use any other type of nut or seed butter that you like, such as cashew butter or sunflower seed butter. Make them vegan: simply swap out the honey for maple syrup or agave nectar. Dried fruit: and if you’re not a fan of dried blueberries, you can use any other dried fruit like cranberries, cherries, or fig preserves.
A Tips for Making these Balls
Wet hands: To prevent the PB and J swirl energy balls from coating your hands and creating a sticky mess, wet your fingers with a splash of water before rolling them into balls. Double the recipe: You could easily make a double batch of these energy balls and store them in the fridge or freezer for later. They make a great on-the-go snack for busy days. Add toppings: You can sprinkle some extra chopped nuts, shredded coconut, or even chocolate chips on top of the energy balls before rolling them into balls.
Storage + Freezer Directions
We prefer to freeze instead of refrigerate these PB and J swirl energy balls because they stay good for a longer amount of time! Place a piece of parchment paper on a baking sheet and spread the balls out on the sheet. Pop them in the freezer for about an hour or two before transferring to a gallon-size bag. They should stay good for a few months.
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