I’ve found that I’ve occasionally forget to share some of the recipes we eat most in our house. One of the things we eat a lot of but rarely makes it to the site: snacks. We’re a huge snack family and the tradition seems to be continuing with our little guy. Sometimes our favorite dinner is a platter of snacks.
The peanut butter bites have been a staple of our sweet-tooth snack section. However, my version got a rather large overhaul once I started making Sarah Waldman’s version, from her cookbook. Over the past year or so I’ve been making small adaptions to the recipe, finally landing on the version below.
What I like most is that the recipe doesn’t have to be exact. I’ve made this recipe about 50 different ways, usually using up whatever we have on hand. However, it’s almost always guaranteed we have peanuts and peanut butters on hand, making these peanut butter bites quick and easy.
Peanut Butter Bites
variations
Popped Quinoa: Like in my buckeye knock-off recipe, you can add popped grains into the mix. Adds a nice crunch!
Almonds: Swap the peanuts and peanut butter for almonds and almonds butter. You could also do any other type of nut/nut butter. I really like to add in sunflower seeds and sunflower seed butter.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Bites
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 1 dozen 1x
- Category: Snacks
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
1 cup pitted/packed medjool dates
¼ cup natural peanut butter
¼ cup roasted peanuts
3 tablespoons unsweetened coconut flakes
2 tablespoons hemp seeds
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
¼ teaspoon salt (see note)
Cocoa powder, for rolling
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients, minus the salt. Pulse until everything comes together. Add a splash or two of water if needed. The crumbled mixture should easily come together.
- Take roughly 2 tablespoons of the mixture and roll into a ball. Continue and roll mixture into 12 balls and place in the refrigerator. Place a couple tablespoons of cocoa powder on a plate and roll the balls in the cocoa powder.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Notes
Tips & Tricks: Taste your mixture first before adding salt. I’ve found that peanut butter that has added salt will change the amount needed for extra salt.
Stock up: get the pantry ingredients you will need: dates, peanuts/hemp seeds
Link: Recipe lightly adapted from Sarah Waldman’s cookbook, Feeding a Family.
Keywords: date balls, peanut butter balls
Explore Hemp Seeds
My pantry wouldn’t be complete without these powerhouse seeds. I love to use hemp seeds sprinkle of my breakfast porridges and waffles but even better, pureed with a water and the hemp seeds make for a lovely, nutrient-dense cream.
Halloumi Salad with Spinach and Quinoa
Summer Squash Pasta with Yogurt Sauce
Butternut Squash Salad with Hemp Dressing
Brittany Audra @ Audra's Appetite says
I’m obsessed with energy bites! Love having them on hand in the freezer. These remind me of a chocolate peanut butter no bake cookie!
Alexa says
peanut butter and chocolate has a great taste combination. Cheers to this bites.
Sylvia says
Hi Erin,
I recently joined your list because I love how organized your site is and the wealth of information you share about how to use foods in cooking. I love that this snack looks so healthy; I’m trying to find better alternatives to puffy cereal for my son. Do you know if these are okay for a toddler in terms of chewing? He’s got teeth but still learning not to swallow things whole.
Thanks for sharing, Sylvia
Erin Alderson says
Hi Sylvia! My son loves these. I do, however, usually pat them into a square and make bars. The key is to make sure the nuts are broken down well enough!
Alanna Taylor-Tobin says
OBSESSED. <3
Michelle M Pillow says
These look amazing. Thanks for sharing the recipe. Love chocolate and peanut butter. Sharing the link now <3