Power Balls (AKA Energy Bites) 4 ways
Hello! Today I made our power balls for this week. What are power balls? I’m glad you asked! Power balls are sometimes called energy bites. They are great for when you need a little “pick me up” during the day. They are snacks that you don’t have to feel bad about because they are good for you! They are easy to make and only require a few ingredients. Here’s the best part… just because they are healthy, that doesn’t mean they can’t taste good! I made 4 different varieties, but the possibilities are truly endless.
First, let me introduce you to the cast of characters you will frequently encounter in my blog.
I love this picture. It’s a perfect picture of our family. We have a very unique dynamic. It’s so fun when we’re all together, but it just doesn’t happen enough these days! Maybe that’s why things are crazy chaotic when we are all in the same place. It’s a good crazy chaos, and I honestly can’t get enough of it. These people are my heart and soul. They are why I get up every day. I’m blessed with two mama’s boys (who aren’t afraid to admit it) and a mama’s girl. I have such a close relationship with my kids. I admire them, I respect them, I’m proud of them and I love them so much it hurts sometimes. My Man is my best friend. You name it, we’ve probably been through it. People always tell us they wish they could have a relationship like ours. What we have is rare.
From left to right, you have my oldest, he’s a submarine sonar tech in the US Navy. He currently lives in New England, so we will refer to him as My Misplaced Redneck. Next to him is me! Next is My Middle Child. He’s also in the US Navy. Currently he’s stationed in Japan. He’ll be coming back to go to Masters at Arms school in Texas in roughly 9 months, and I can’t wait! This picture was taken at his boot camp graduation a few years ago. To his right is my youngest, the beautiful Girl Child. She is smart, talented and so funny. She’s homeschooled, which I selfishly enjoy because I get to spend all day with her. She’s planning on joining the US Navy when she graduates. Finally, I bet you guessed… that’s My Man. He used to be a security forces officer in the US Air Force. Now he is in the Oklahoma National Guard and works full time for an airline. He’s one of the greatest men you could ever hope to meet. He’s generous, honest, hardworking and he loves me more than I probably deserve!
Ok, back to the reason you’re here. Amazingly delicious little power balls. Let’s start by going over a very basic go to recipe that I use. I want you to see what I mean when I say that the possibilities are endless.
First you need 1 cup of rolled oats. This never changes. Every way I make these, it all starts with 1 cup of oats. Next you need 1/2 cup of some kind of nut butter. I always use peanut butter. (Let me mention that I do not normally like peanut butter, but I love power balls. Weird, right?) You can substitute with almond butter, hazelnut butter or whatever you desire. Next you are going to sweeten it up by adding 1/3 cup of honey, agave nectar or maple syrup. Now for the fun part! Add in 3/4 cup of mix-ins. This can be anything from nuts or seeds to chocolate chips to dried fruit. You can also use spices to add flavor. I use cinnamon in some of mine. Vanilla extract is something else I frequently use.
Making these today had me thinking about My Displaced Redneck. That boy has always loved cinnamon and he loves mint. He used to be able to polish off a box of Girl Scout Thin Mints or a bag of York Peppermint Patties in nothing flat. He also loves peanut butter. I used to make him double decker PB&J sandwiches. These days he’s all about peanut butter whiskey. I know he’d love today’s power ball creations.
Let’s start with the white chocolate cinnamon roll. Here’s what you’ll need:
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
3/4 cup white chocolate chips
1/3 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
(1 TBSP cinnamon and 1 TBSP sugar)
Place the ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Stir together until evenly combined. Place the bowl in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to 1 hour. This makes the mixture easier to work with.
After the mixture has chilled, remove from the refrigerator and shape into approximately 1 inch balls.
In a small bowl mix together 1 TBSP cinnamon and 1 TBSP white sugar.
Take your power ball and roll it in the cinnamon sugar. Tap off any excess.
Place in an air tight container and store in the refrigerator. That’s it! You made your first delicous batch of white chocolate cinnamon roll power balls!
Next, let’s talk about dark chocolate mint power balls. Think Andes mints, those yummy chocolate mints that you get after dinner in some restaurants. That’s the flavor I went for with these. Here’s what you’ll need:
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/3 cup honey
3/4 cup Nestle dark chocolate and mint morsels (if you can’t find these, just chop some Andes mints into small pieces)
1 tsp vanilla extract
Place the ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Stir until evenly combined. Place the bowl in the refrigerator for 30 to 1 hour.
After the mixture has chilled, remove from the refrigerator and shape into approximately 1 inch balls.
Place the power balls in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator.
I love cinnamon oatmeal raisin cookies. They are delicous with my hot tea in the morning. That’s what inspired these cinnamon oatmeal raisin cookie power balls. If you want to try this version, here’s what you’ll need:
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup raisins
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
Place ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Stir until evenly combined. Place mixture in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
After the mixture has cooled, remove it from the refrigerator and shape into 1 inch balls.
Place power balls in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator.
Last, but certainly not least, let’s get to the peanut butter milk chocolate power balls. This was the first variety I made and My Man and The Girl Child love them. Here’s what you’ll need:
1 cup rolled oats
2/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
2 TBSP honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 TBSP cocoa powder
Place the ingredients in a medium sized bowl. Stir to evenly combine. Place mixture in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
After the mixture is chilled, remove from refrigerator and shape into approximately 1 inch balls.
Place the power balls in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator.
There you have it! You now have 4 recipes packed with deliciousness to get you started on your adventures in power ball making! Each batch yeilds approximately 18 power balls. I hope you enjoy these as much as we do. Have fun getting creative with ingredients to make your own fabulous power balls!
Thanks for stopping by!