These Peanut Butter Granola Bites are a healthy little snack to munch on when you are trying to what you are eating.
After an entire month of enjoying holiday food and not working out very much at all, I am ready to jump back on the healthy eating and exercise bandwagon full force.
But don't worry. I have a few other recipes that I will have to jump off the wagon, so I can share them with you soon! It's all about that moderation, right?
Do you set resolutions or goals at the beginning of each new year? My goal is to continue working out in our garage doing some BeachBody workouts and eating lean and green dinners. Eating right and working out isn't about losing weight. I honestly feel better mentally and physically when I fuel my body this way.
But..I'm also planning to also enjoy a few bites of each new dessert that I create because I love me some sugar. I do need to work on my will power though.
When I have Homemade Chocolate Chip Brownies and Reese's Peanut Butter Pudding Cookies in our kitchen, my sweet tooth becomes so much stronger than my will power.
I'm always looking for an easy snack idea, so I made these sweet little granola balls to pacify my sweet tooth. These little oatmeal energy bites did not last very long in our house. My entire family loved them and helped me gobble them up in a hurry. They also loved these Peanut Butter Banana Cookies.
I took the recipe for these No Bake M&M Granola Bars and removed the sugar and then added some peanut butter and a little bit of raw honey. There is no need for any sugar when you use honey to sweeten these healthy no bake granola bites.
Basically the old recipe looks nothing like the new, and these are way softer. I'm a fan of soft chewy granola snacks.
Now I realize the name of this recipe is kind of a farce because something with honey and chocolate chips cannot really be considered a skinny treat. But hey, these are better for you than a candy bar or a chocolate laden cookie, right?
What are skinny granola bites?
They are a no bake mixture of whole grain oats, honey, and peanut butter. That's it. A great little snack that is full of protein and keeps you full until your next meal.
Now I did add some mini chocolate chips to these healthy granola balls because this is me we are talking about. Chocolate is an anti-oxidant right? Totally still healthy-ish in my books.
Oh, and the sprinkles. Just because we are eating healthy doesn't mean we have to cut out sprinkles. They add a little bit of fun and flair without adding too many extra calories. Feel free to leave them out if you have an issue with cutesy sprinkle goodies.
My hubby told me I could make these no bake energy bites again, but he prefers the non-sprinkle version. Boring if you ask me, but whatevs.
I'm just excited to have a "sweet" treat that he is asking for seconds on. Score another point for the baking blog!
Now excuse me while I go polish off the last two skinny bites waiting for me in the kitchen. Wish me luck that I can resist the M&M Blonde Brownies that are also sitting beside them!
How to make Skinny Peanut Butter Granola Bites:
- Stir together the coconut oil, honey, and peanut butter in a small sauce pan over low heat until melted and smooth. Stir in the vanilla extract.
- Place the oats in a large bowl and pour the warm peanut butter mixture over them. Stir until all the oats are coated. Let the oat mixture cool for about 30-45 minutes.
- Stir in the mini chocolate chips and sprinkles. Spoon a Tablespoon of the mixture into your hands and press into a ball. Squeeze it together very tightly until if forms a ball. You may need to move it from one hand to another to get it to form a proper ball.
- Place on a piece of parchment and let them dry. Store in a sealed container on the counter or in the refrigerator.
What if I can't get the bites to stay in a ball?
You can also press the entire mixture firmly into a foil or parchment lined 8x8 square pan and let it cool completely. Cut it into 16 squares and press each square into a ball.
Do I have to use peanut butter?
Feel free to sub any other nut butter in these skinny granola bites.
Can I add anything else to these granola bites?
Yes. You can add nuts, chia seeds, or dried fruits instead of the chocolate chips and sprinkles.
More healthy no bake recipes:
- Almond Joy Energy Bites - honey and almond butter give these little oatmeal bites a sweet taste
- Healthy Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Bites - a mixture of peanuts and dates creates a sweet little snack that tastes great
- No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake - little cheesecake cups are a sweet and healthy treat to serve for dessert
- Raspberry Orange Frozen Yogurt Bowls - add fresh fruit and granola to the top of this healthy frozen yogurt for a sweet treat
- No Bake Apricot Chia Energy Bars - dried fruits and chia seeds come together in one easy sweet treat
Recipe
Peanut Butter Granola Bites
Peanut butter and honey make these Peanut Butter Granola Bites a healthy little snack to munch on when you are trying to what you are eating.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup coconut oil
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ cup creamy peanut butter
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 3 Tablespoons mini chocolate chips
- 2 Tablespoons sprinkles (optional)
Instructions
- In a saucepan heat the coconut oil, honey, and peanut butter until melted and creamy. Stir in the vanilla. Pour over the oats in a large bowl. Stir until thoroughly coated.
- Let the peanut butter oatmeal mixture cool on the counter for 30-45 minutes. You can refrigerate it to help cool it down, if needed.
- Stir in the mini chocolate chips and sprinkles. Take Tablespoons of oats in your hand and press very firmly until it forms a ball shape. You will have to squeeze the mixture very firmly to get it to stay in a ball.
- Set on a piece of wax paper to dry. Makes 16 granola bites. Store in a sealed container on your counter or in the fridge.
Notes
You can also press the mixture very firmly into a greased 8x8 pan, refrigerate, then cut into 16 even squares. From there you can either eat them square or press into the ball shape.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 16 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 126Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 20mgCarbohydrates: 15gFiber: 1gSugar: 7gProtein: 2g
Nutrition facts are an estimate and are not guaranteed to be accurate. If you need special diet advice, please see a registered dietician.
*This post for Skinny Peanut Butter Granola Bites was originally published on January 9, 2014. The post and pictures have been updated and republished on January 2, 2019.
Jessica
I also found that they didn’t form into balls and they didn’t stick in a pan as bars either. In my experience there is usually a lot more but butter to bind energy balls. I would recommend adding more nut butter for sure. My kids still are enjoying it as a granola type crumble on top of yogurt! So nothing is wasted!
Jocelyn
I am so sorry to hear you had trouble with this too! We really do make them all the time, and I have never have trouble forming them into balls. I do squeeze and press them really hard to form them though. Did you squeeze the mixture tightly in your fist? Or refrigerate it after pressing in the pan firmly? A few years ago I adjusted the amount of oats to help with this issue.
Dana B
Love this recipe! I make them and eat a couple for breakfast on busy mornings. I found that adding a mashed banana to it while you heat the peanut butter/oil/honey mixture on the stove helps a lot with getting it to ball up
Sarah
These look really good and easy to make. I'm going to give them a try.
Andie Thueson
These are one of my go-to treats! I love the idea of adding sprinkles for a fun twist!
Anna
My kiddos loved these granola bites! Perfect on-the-go snack!
Allyson Zea
These look like something my kids would love!! I would like to try them!!
Becky Hardin
Great snack option! Perfect for snacking on the go!
Rachael Yerkes
These are the perfect thing to snack on when I need something sweet but don't want to fill up on straight sugar
Kearney
These look fantastic! Do you know the calorie count? Thanks! 😀
Jocelyn
Hi, Kearney. I don't count calories, I just eat everything in moderation. There are a few different online calorie counters that you can add the recipe to if you want to see the calories.
Renee
Is there any chance that you have the nutritional information for these - calories per serving, fat, etc? Just wondering so I don't over indulge. I have a picky 3 year old who would eat these happily since they contain chocolate and sprinkles!
Jocelyn
Hi, Renee. I don't usually calculate the nutritional info on my baking, but I know a few others had asked and they used different websites that you can input a recipe in to see how many calories something has. I think caloriecount.com or myfitnesspal.com both have ones you can do that with.
David
Just a note. I found forming the balls was a bit difficult. However I found that if i put the mix in the fridge for about 20 min, the coconut oil solidified and it was simple to make the balls. Remember coconut oil is a solid below 72 degrees or so, at room temperature its very soft.
Jocelyn Brubaker
Awesome! Thanks for the tip 🙂
Jaymi
I was wondering what I can use instead of the coconut oil
Jocelyn Brubaker
You can also use melted butter in place of the coconut oil. I hope you enjoy the bites!
michelle
mine didn't stick!! i wasn't able to make them into a ball 🙁
Niccole LoMonaco
Do you have to put Coconut Oil in it? Is there a substitute for it?
Thank you,
Niccole LoMonaco
Jocelyn Brubaker
You could substitute butter for the coconut oil.
Niccole LoMonaco
Thank you so much!
Kayla
We have made these granola bars 2 times and they are very good but they are never at the right consistency to make in the ball form and we were wondering if you had any tips on how to make it thicker ?
Jocelyn Brubaker
I am stumped on what to tell everyone. I have made them several times and never had a problem making them into a ball. You could always add an extra tablespoon of peanut butter or honey to make it sticker. The other thing you can do is press them tightly into an 8x8 pan and let them cool. Then cut them into bars and squeeze into a ball...or just eat them as is.