Small-batch Peanut Butter Balls

It’s getting a bit warm, so it is time to transition from warm treats to cooler ones. Actually, inland in the San Francisco Bay Area, we can get record breaking heats. As a result, my nice hot spicy oatmeal breakfasts become cold ones with cooling spices. If I have them on hand, I’ll sprinkle tropical fruits in it, like mango and pineapple.

Since I do not want to turn on the big oven during the summer months, one of my staple sweet treats are protein balls – specifically peanut butter. These are no-bake snacks that I can keep in the fridge and pop in when I get hungry. These are almost cookie-like and satisfy that sweet craving.

The recipe below was probably inspired from many many recipes. I am just not sure from where since I had it written down in my notebook for so long. I figured its time to type it up.

Small-batch Peanut Butter Balls

Makes about 8

Ingredients

• 4 Tbsp of Peanut Butter
• 1/3 cup of Rolled Oats
• 1 T + 1 tsp of nibs
• 1 T + 1 tsp of walnuts
• 2 tsp of honey (optional) 

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients together.
2. Roll into balls (I scoop them with either tablespoon or teaspoon measuring spoon).
3. Chill. Enjoy after 30 minutes.

Verdict. I love making these protein balls during the summer. It has a hint of carbs, lots of protein and lots of texture – thanks to the nuts and nibs. Since it has peanut butter, an added bonus is my hubby loves them.

Variations:

• You can toast the oats for some toasty flavor. I usually add the walnuts and nibs in the pan to give it dimension.
• If you have Tahini, you can substitute 1 Tbsp of Tahini to the Peanut Butter. Same reason: more depth of flavor. I have varied the proportion of Tahini to Peanut butter and made Tahini Balls instead – also good for that protein boost.
• You can also roll them in chocolate sprinkles. For tahini balls, I've used coconut or sesame seeds. They look like truffles and adds a bit of decadence.

Hope you enjoy!