Chocolate Peanut Oat Balls (no bake recipe)

Chocolate Peanut Oat Balls are a delicious, easy treat or foodie gift that need no baking.

Oats combined with rich peanut butter, pieces of chocolate, roasted peanuts, vanilla and coconut, are sweetened with maple syrup and rolled into balls. Dipped and completely covered in melted chocolate, you won’t believe just how good they are.

You can vary the flavour by using different nut butters, seeds, or swap in all milk, dark, or white chocolate. But, to my taste, the recipe I’m sharing today is absolute perfection.

So, treat yourself or, if you can bear to give them away, Chocolate Peanut Oat Balls make a wonderful gift.

Jump to Recipe

HOW IT STARTED: OAT BITES

I can’t believe it’s almost four years since I posted my recipe for Oat Bites. A close relation of trendy ‘energy balls’, ‘nutrition balls’ and the like, I preferred my simpler, more honest, name. That’s because, although all three flavours were loaded with whole food, nutritious ingredients, Oat Bites are still an occasional, sweet treat rather than some miracle health food!

Anyway, it wasn’t long before I created a more indulgent version of my favourite peanut and chocolate Oat Bites: completely covering them in chocolate. Since then, after more tinkering, they’ve developed into something so incredibly delicious that I think they deserve a whole new name and post of their own.

Say hello to Chocolate Peanut Oat Balls!

CHOCOLATE PEANUT OAT BALLS

These wonderful nuggets of loveliness are still made with fantastic, everyday ingredients like nutritious oats and sugar-free peanut butter. They also require zero baking and can be put together really fast. Simply mix up the ingredients in a bowl then roll into balls.

They’re then dipped into melted chocolate and sprinkled with chopped nuts. Leave to set and that’s it.

So easy, you honestly won’t believe how good they taste. Nutty, sweet without being overly sweet, and chocolatey. In fact, a little bit like a certain bar that used to be called Marathon. But so much nicer!

Ready to make Chocolate Peanut Oat Balls? Jump to Recipe. Otherwise, read on for a step-by-step guide with images, including ideas for varying the flavour.

INGREDIENTS

For that all important centre, you need just a handful of everyday ingredients. I also include a couple of extras which are entirely optional.

• OATS. You can use either rolled/jumbo oats or the flakier kind labelled porridge oats. My preference is for rolled oats as I like the chewier texture.
• PEANUT BUTTER. I recommend one that has no added sugar or oil as they’re unnecessary. These days, I prefer brands with a little salt added – which also goes well with chocolate, I think. It’s crunchy all the way for me and here I’ve used a dark roasted one. Yum!
• CHOCOLATE. I think dark chocolate goes best with peanut butter. Chopping a half decent brand into irregular pieces is also nicer than uniform chips of nasty cooking chocolate.

• ROASTED PEANUTS. Although I’ve used crunchy peanut butter, I’ve upped the texture and flavour by adding a few roasted, salted peanuts, roughly chopped. Chop some finely too for sprinkling at the end.
• COCONUT. I love coconut in almost anything, so add a little desiccated here. The flavour isn’t boldly coconutty, but it does add to the texture.
• MAPLE SYRUP. As well as providing sweetness and its distinctive flavour, sticky maple syrup helps to bind the ingredients. If you don’t like or don’t have it, then replace with another liquid sweetener such as honey.
• VANILLA. Adds extra flavour and an impression of sweetness. I happened to have vanilla paste in the cupboard which helps to bind the ingredients, but vanilla extract would be fine too.

OPTIONAL

• GROUND CHIA SEEDS. These are entirely optional and can be replaced with more coconut or oats if you prefer. I just think they add a little something in terms of nutrition, texture and flavour. Other seeds, whole or ground, could be used instead.
• SALT. Because I enjoy the taste of salt with both chocolate and peanuts, I add a pinch. I think it balances the sweet elements beautifully but leave out if you have less liking of saltiness.

EASY CHOCOLATE PEANUT OAT BALLS

To make the balls, simply put all the ingredients in a bowl and stir. I start with a silicone spoon then switch to my hands to scrunch it together. If you think the mixture isn’t coming together easily (perhaps your peanut butter is a little stiffer than mine), add a few extra teaspoons of peanut butter or a dash of maple syrup.

Now just divide the mixture into however many balls you want to make. In the recipe card at the end, I give an approximate amount in grams for making either 20 small, 16 medium, or 20 large Chocolate Peanut Oat Balls. Bear in mind they’ll be bigger once they’re covered in chocolate.

All you do is roll each piece between the palms of your hands. Try to make them as smooth as you can.

You don’t need to chill the oat balls before coating them. But I pop them in the fridge while I melt the chocolate anyway. It will set quicker if they’re cold.

CHOCOLATE COATING

I like a combination of dark and milk chocolate for the coating on these delicious oat balls. About two thirds dark to one third milk. Use one or the other if you prefer or change the proportions. But, whatever you do, please don’t buy cooking chocolate. It’s a vile waste of money.

It’s a mathematical fact that, due to the larger total surface area, it takes a greater amount of chocolate to cover 20 small balls than it does to cover 16 or 12 larger balls. So, depending on the size you made, you’ll need between 150-200 grams of chocolate for the coating.

I melt the chocolate in my microwave on full power. Depending on the wattage, you may need to do it in 30, 20, or 10 second blasts. Stir between each blast. Alternatively, melt the chocolate in a bowl over a saucepan containing gently simmering water. Make sure the water doesn’t reach the bottom of the bowl.

Next, drop an oat ball into the melted chocolate and turn it around and around until it’s completely coated. Once you’re more confidant at this you can do two or more balls at once if you like.

I recommend using a fork to turn the balls over in the chocolate. As you coat each one, lift it up for a few seconds so excess chocolate can drip through the tines and back into the bowl.

COOLING & STORING

I have ready a baking paper-lined tray to place the Chocolate Peanut Oat Balls on as they’re done. Sprinkle a little finely chopped roasted peanut over the top straight away: it won’t stick once the chocolate sets.

Transfer the tray to somewhere cool until the chocolate has set. The fridge is fine. Later, the oat bites should easily come away from the baking paper and you can put them in an airtight container.

They don’t have to be stored in the fridge, so long as the room isn’t warm. But I think they’re quite nice to eat cold anyway.

Either way, they’ll be fine for a week. Or you can freeze then defrost before serving.

VARIATION: TRIPLE CHOCOLATE PEANUT OAT BALLS

If you’re a real chocolate fan then you might like to make TRIPLE Chocolate Peanut Oat Balls.

The recipe is exactly the same except that as well as chocolate pieces and a chocolate coating, you add 2 – 3 teaspoons of cocoa or cacao powder to the oat mixture.

PERFECTION

But I have to say that, for me, the recipe as written is absolute perfection. I’ve yet to meet anyone who likes both peanut butter and chocolate who doesn’t love these delicious treats.

With just the right combination of sweet, but not-too-sweet, lightly salty, nutty and chocolatey, I think they’re irresistible. This makes them ideal for giving as presents too: just pop some in a pretty box or gift bag. Easter, Christmas, birthdays, or just to say, ‘I love you’, everyone will be bowled over.

And no one but you and me needs to know just how easy they were to make 😉.

HAVE YOU MADE THIS RECIPE? LEAVE A COMMENT & DON’T FORGET TO RATE IT

5 from 1 vote

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Chocolate Peanut Oat Balls (no bake recipe)

A delicious, no bake, easy treat or foodie gift.

Oats, peanut butter, chocolate, roasted peanuts, vanilla, and coconut, are sweetened with maple syrup and rolled into balls before being coated in melted chocolate,

Course Snack

Cuisine Vegetarian, Vegan, plant-based, World

Keyword oats, no bake

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 0 minutes

Melting the chocolate 2 minutes

Total Time 27 minutes

Servings 20 small balls

Author Moorlands Eater

Ingredients

• 120 g peanut butter sugar-free
• 60 g rolled or porridge oats
• 50 g dark chocolate chopped finely
• 25 g roasted peanuts chopped roughly
• 15 g desiccated coconut
• 15 g ground chia seeds can be replaced with more coconut
• 2 tbsp maple syrup or other liquid sweetener e.g. honey
• 1 tsp vanilla paste or extract
• 1 pinch salt

For the coating

• 150 - 200 g chocolate (⅔ dark, ⅓ milk recommended) see Recipe Notes for guidance on amount
• 1 tbsp finely chopped roasted peanuts for sprinkling

Instructions

1. Put all the ingredients, except those for the coating, in a bowl and stir well to combine.

2. Take a piece of the mixture and roll into a smooth ball between the palms of your hands. Set aside on a plate or tray and continue until all the mixture is used up.

   - To make 20 SMALL balls: use approximately 17-18 grams per ball

   - To make 16 MEDIUM balls: use approximately 21-22 grams per ball

   - To make 12 LARGE balls: use approximately 28-29 grams per ball

   Set aside, in the fridge if liked, while you melt the chocolate.

3. Line a tray or board with baking paper.

4. Break the chocolate into pieces and put in a small, deepish microwave-safe bowl.

   Melt on full power at 10 - 30 second intervals, stirring between each one.

   Alternatively, melt the chocolate in a bowl above a pan of gently simmering water: stir constantly and make sure the water doesn't touch the bottom of the bowl.

5. Taking one ball at a time, drop it into the melted chocolate. Using a fork, turn it over until covered in chocolate. Lift it up on the fork for a few seconds so excess chocolate drips through the tines and back into the bowl, then transfer to the lined tray.

   Immediately sprinkle the top with some of the finely chopped peanuts: if you wait until the chocolate hardens it will fall off.

   Repeat with the rest of the balls and melted chocolate then transfer to the fridge or cool place until completely cold.

6. Take the balls off the paper and store in a covered container in the fridge or other cool place.

   Use within a week or can be frozen and defrosted.

Recipe Notes

Amount of chocolate needed for coating. A larger number of small oat balls have a greater total surface area than a smaller number of larger ones. Therefore, you will need approximately 200g of chocolate for 20 small oat bites, 175g for 16 medium, and 150 for 12 large.

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