These peanut butter and jelly energy bites need just THREE ingredients and literally three minutes of your time to make!! They are no-bake, 100% sweetened with fruit, are naturally gluten-free, grain-free, and vegan, and are a perfect balance of protein, healthy fats, and carbohydrates for a tasty and filling snack! They taste like a peanut butter and jelly-both salty and sweet and have a soft, yet chewy texture! These PB&J energy bites are the perfect meal-prep option to have on hand for healthy snacks during the week, and they are freezer-friendly too.
It’s been awhile since I’ve shared a no-bake recipe snack recipe with you! Which of course leads me to look back on other similar no-bake energy balls/bites made with dates. In case you’re new around here and have missed these recipes, or haven’t gotten around to making them yet, some other similar recipes with fun flavors:
N0-Bake Recipes Using Dates:
Chocolate Sea Salt Copy-Cat RX bars
Cinnamon Donut Holes (No-Bake!)
Pumpkin Pie Donut Holes (No-Bake!)
Chocolate Peppermint Donut Holes
And while we are at it, if you are looking for more no-bake snack ideas made with a base of oats instead of dates (the following recipes don’t require a food processor/blender like the above recipes that use dates):
No-Bake Snack Ideas Using Oats:
Pumpkin Pie Protein Bars (2 options to make these!)
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip No-Bake Granola Bars (one of my most popular recipes!! Including real life. ? )
Mocha No-Bake Cookie Energy Balls (also one of my most popular recipes in real life with anyone who tries it!!)
Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Energy Bites
Seriously, there are SO many fun flavor options here!! I rarely buy store-bought granola bars these days because honestly, it’s so much more fun, cheaper, tastier, AND healthier to make them myself!!
Peanut Butter and Jelly Flavor
But back to these peanut butter and jelly bites…I basically was having a MAJOR moment with anything peanut butter and jelly flavored a couple months ago…and this was one (of many) recipes that came out as a result! I love the sweet + salty combination and how these PB&J bites are naturally sweetened…with dates!! In case you couldn’t tell by many of the above recipes and many other recipes on the blog, I LOVE using dates! They are such a unique fruit in that they can naturally sweeten recipes without using sugar, and also bind ingredients together which is super helpful especially in no-bake recipes.
Here’s what you’ll need to make these PB&J energy bites:
Ingredients and Substitution Ideas
Dates
As I just mentioned, the dates perform two major functions in these no-bake bites. First of all, they sweeten the bars naturally using fruit!! They also bind the ingredients together. I personally prefer Medjool dates, which are larger and softer than other date varieties. I always find them in the fresh fruit/produce section of my grocery stores. Other dates (such as Deglet noor dates) are usually found in the dried fruit section. Dates are also high in potassium!
Freeze-dried strawberries
The freeze-dried strawberries are what gives these energy balls the “jelly” flavor! The sweet/tart flavor of the freeze-dried strawberries goes together perfectly with the sweet dates and salty peanuts. Feel free to sub in other freeze-dried fruit instead of strawberries. Although while we are talking about freeze-dried strawberries…I highly suggest making a batch of this strawberry PB&J peanut butter while you’re at it!!
Peanuts
Obviously, the peanut butter flavor comes from using peanuts!! I usually use cocktail peanuts (my personal favorite) in this recipe. The salty peanuts perfectly combine with the dates and freeze-dried strawberries…goodness, I seriously just can’t wait for you to make these so you can taste them yourself! ? I LOVE nuts and nut butter (if that isn’t obvious from the recipes on this blog), and peanuts are a great source of healthy fats and protein for a more satisfying and filling snack than if you’d just eat fruit by itself! If you have a peanut allergy, I’d recommend subbing cashews for the peanuts. Obviously this won’t be peanut butter and jelly flavors anymore, but the mild, buttery taste of cashews would also be delicious! ?
- 1 cup Medjool dates (200 grams)
- 1 ounce freeze dried strawberries (or other berry)
- 1 cup peanuts (I used cocktail peanuts)
- Pinch sea salt
- First soak dates in hot water for 5-10 minutes if they are dry. Process dates in food processor until they form a sticky ball.
- Next, add the dried strawberries and peanuts and process until mixture starts coming together. Don’t over-process or mixture will become greasier as the peanuts process into a nut butter.
- Roll into balls!
- Makes about 14 bites, depending on size.
- Store in refrigerator for up to a couple weeks, or the freezer for up to a couple months.
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