Salted chocolate peanut butter energy balls are the perfect grab-and-go snack or healthier lunchbox treat! Just blend up a few simple ingredients in your food processor, roll the mixture into balls, and you’ll have a snack that will last all week.

Top down view of 12 protein balls in a glass container on a grey and white marble surface.

This recipe is…

Have you ever had an energy ball before? There are hundreds of variations on these tasty bites – and for good reason! Energy balls are the perfect snack when your next meal is a little too far away, when you’re craving something that’s just a little bit sweet, or when you’re looking for a quick pre- or post-workout snack. With these salted chocolate peanut butter energy balls, we’re giving you the perfect combination of salty, sweet, and satisfying!

Energy Ball Ingredients

Energy balls often contain oats, but we opted for a grain-free version here to keep things simple. Here’s what you’ll find in these chocolate peanut butter energy balls:

Ingredients for peanut butter energy balls on a grey and white marble surface.
  • Cashews – we chose cashews for the base of these energy balls because they are relatively flavorless – but you can make it your own by substituting almonds or even sunflower seeds as well!
  • Dates – dates add a natural sweetness to these energy balls, and help bind them because they are sticky. You’ll find dates in most energy balls, but some add additional dried fruit, like you’ll find in our sour cherry energy balls.
  • Peanut Butter – when thinking through possible flavors for these energy balls, we landed on classic peanut butter and chocolate – because why mess with perfection? We used this peanut butter, but any natural peanut butter will do. If you can’t tolerate peanuts, feel free to substitute sunbutter or almond butter as the closest substitute!
  • Collagen Peptides – collagen peptides have a number of benefits for your skin, hair, and digestion (read this article for more info) and add a good dose of protein to these little bites.
  • Dark Chocolate Chips – we used these mini dark chocolate chips in our energy balls, because everything is better with chocolate!
  • Coarse Sea Salt – we added a bit of sea salt into the mixture for these energy bites, and topped them off with a bit of salt to finish. We’d recommend tasting the batter first, then adding salt to taste, because the amount of salt in your peanut butter can vary between brands.

How to Make

The process for making energy balls is so simple you’ll wonder why you’ve spent so long buying expensive bars instead! Here’s all you have to do:

Cashews and dates in a food processor.
Cashews and dates ground in a food processor.
Peanut butter and collagen peptides in a food processor blender.
Peanut butter ball dough blended in a food processor.
Spatula stirring chocolate chips into peanut butter ball batter.
Peanut butter energy balls on a parchment lined baking sheet.
  1. Get out your food processor – it is the key to success in this recipe! Once you’re set up, you’ll add the cashews and dates and pulse the food processor until the dates and cashews are ground into a sand-like consistency.
  2. Next, you’ll add in the peanut butter and collagen and blend until smooth. Don’t worry if it is a little bit sticky – it’ll firm up later.
  3. Mix in the chocolate chips and sea salt, then shape the mixture into 1.5 inch balls and refrigerate until firm.
  4. From here, you can either enjoy them immediately or store them in an airtight container and eat throughout the week!

There you have it – perfect salted chocolate peanut butter energy balls that taste just a bit like cookie dough. We hope you love this easy snack!

Salted Chocolate Peanut Butter Energy Balls

4.29 — Votes 14 votes
By Amber Goulden
Prep: 10 minutes
Chill Time: 1 hour
Total: 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 12 energy balls
The perfect bite sized snack for an on the go day!

Ingredients  

Instructions 

  • Place the dates and cashews in a food processor and pulse until ground to a sand-like consistency.
  • Add the peanut butter and collagen peptides and blend until smooth.
  • Transfer mixture to a large bowl, and add in chocolate chips and salt, and stir to mix well.
  • Roll mixture into 1 1/2 inch balls, and place on a parchment lined sheet pan, and refrigerate until firm.
  • Store in the fridge in an airtight container and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

  • The salt content of your peanut butter will vary by brand, so we recommend tasting the batter and adding salt to your preference!
  • If you can’t tolerate peanut butter, we recommend substituting almond butter or sunbutter.

Nutrition

Calories: 284kcal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.003g | Cholesterol: 0.2mg | Sodium: 163mg | Potassium: 338mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 27IU | Vitamin C: 0.04mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 2mg

Additional Info

Course: Snack
Cuisine: American
Servings: 12 energy balls
Calories: 284
Keyword: chocolate peanut butter energy balls, energy ball

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About the Author

Cassy Joy Garcia, NC

Cassy Joy Garcia, a New York Times best-selling author, of Cook Once Dinner Fix, Cook Once Eat All Week, and Fed and Fit as well as the creative force behind the popular food blog Fed & Fit.


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4.29 from 14 votes (9 ratings without comment)

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20 Comments

  1. 1 star
    Rather disappointed in these. Like other commenters, they were super sticky – it helped to have them in the freezer. But the flavor was the most disappointing – it just tastes like a wad of peanut butter. Next time, I’m going to dip the dates in peanut butter and eat them that way, which will take much less time.

    1. We’re sorry you didn’t love these, Charlotte. Thank you for the feedback!

    1. Awesome, Katherine! We’re so glad these are a hit with your family!

  2. 5 stars
    These taste super yummy…but I have made two batches and they are very crumbly…not sticky at all….any idea what I am doing wrong????

  3. The energy balls just made are SUPER sticky! I left them in the fridge for about an hour or so, and they arenโ€™t much better. Any way to recover/fix them??

    1. 5 stars
      I know this reply is about a year too late but perhaps this will help others with the same situation. Mine were also very sticky so I placed them in the freezer for about 30-45 minutes and they were easier to roll into balls at that point.

  4. I cant do nuts so I subbed sunflower seeds for cashews and Sunbutter for peanut butter. They came out great! The sunflower seeds and dates took a bit to grind down, so I left them a little chunky. It all smoothed out once I blended it all together. Loved the addition of collagen! These would have been a great snack while I pregnant!

  5. These are so delicious and were so easy to make! Thank you for the great recipe!

  6. THESE ARE AMAZING!!! I have made countless energy balls but these are by far the best! They couldn’t be easier to whip up, and the texture and flavor are out of this world. I also love the addition of the collagen peptides! Always good to get more protein and collagen in! These will become a staple in our house!

  7. Can you provide the nutritional information on these? Just the basics macros: Calories, Fat, Protein, Fiber, Carbs, Sodium?

  8. I was looking for an easy snack recipe for the whole family and I stumbled on this article. I read and followed the instructions carefully and I made it deliciously! Every member of my family is so happy! Thanks for this!