Description
Peanut butter and jelly energy balls are the perfect snack any time of day. They are fun and easy to make and packed with clean ingredients.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups blanched almond flour
- 1/2 cups oat flour (gluten free, if needed) (see notes)
- pinch of salt
- 2/3 cup natural peanut butter – or other nut butter of choice (only ingredients should be peanuts and maybe salt)
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- “Jelly” Flavors (see notes)
- 1/2 cup unsweetened freeze dried strawberries
- 1/2 cup unsweetened freeze dried blueberries
- 1/2 cup unsweetened freeze dried raspberries
Instructions
- Prepare: See notes on how to make oat flour if you don’t already have it. Make oat flour and wipe out a your food processor using a dry paper towel to prepare it for the freeze dried fruit – set aside. At this time also line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat mat, set aside.
- Make the peanut butter batter: To a large mixing bowl add the almond flour, oat flour, and salt, stir to combine. Add the peanut butter and maple syrup, use a spatula to combine the ingredients until everything is well combined and a thick batter has formed.
- Form the energy balls: Measure out 1 tablespoon of dough and use your hands to roll it into a ball, place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat until all of the batter has been used – you should have 23 to 25 balls. If the dough seems really sticky and is hard to work with you can place it in the freezer for 10 minutes before rolling into balls, which will help it to firm up.
- Chill: Place the energy balls into the freezer for 15 minutes.
- Make the “jelly”: While the balls are chilling you can make the “jelly” portion. To a food processor add your fruit of choice and blend until a mostly fine powder forms. Transfer to a small bowl or large plate. If you are making more than one “jelly” flavor than wipe out your food processor with a dry paper towel between the different flavors – this is especially important if making a strawberry or raspberry flavor followed by the blueberry flavor. If you don’t have a food processor you could place each individual “jelly” flavor into a ziplock bag and use a rolling pin, or even a can of beans, to roll over the freeze dried fruit and make it into a powder.
- Roll the balls: Roll the balls in to the fruit powder until all of the energy balls have been covered in powder, making sure to alternate flavors if using more than one flavor. Place them back onto the baking sheet when finished.
- Freeze : Freeze the finished energy balls for 10 to 15 minutes, or until they are no longer sticky. Transfer them to an air tight container and store in the fridge for up to 1 week. Or freeze them for up to 3 months.
Notes
Oat flour: You can either purchase pre-made store bought oat flour (Bob’s Red Mill makes a gluten free version). Or you can make it yourself. To make it, place the oats in a food processor and process until a flour forms – measure for the recipe after you make the oat flour. Wipe out your blender with a dry paper towel so it’s ready to use for the freeze dried fruit. Tip: I like to make a large batch and keep it in a canister in my pantry so it’s ready to use for recipes.
Jelly flavors: You can either choose one to two flavors, or do a mix of all three. I had some of the powder leftover which I will use for another batch of energy balls later.
It’s very important that you buy freeze dried fruit, rather than dried fruit. Freeze dried fruit will turn into a nice powder whereas regular dried fruit is sticky and gummy. I found my freeze dried fruit at my Super Target. Another place to look could be Trader Joe’s or of course online.
