The Best Peanut Butter Bliss Balls (gluten-free)

Why you will love this recipe:

• They taste amazing! The combination of peanut butter and chocolate blends perfectly to give these energy balls the best flavour.
• These peanut butter cookie dough bliss balls are so quick and easy to make and are ready in just 5 minutes!
• This is a no bake dessert or snack that is healthy, refined sugar free, dairy-free, gluten-free and can easily be made vegan too. This recipe is also date free and made without banana, chia seeds or coconut.
• They store really well in the fridge or freezer and are perfect for meal prep or for a ready-to-eat snack.
• This recipe is easily adaptable - swap out the peanut butter for another nut butter or seed butter to make them allergy friendly and safe for kids to take to school.

Ingredients and substitutions: 

• Peanut butter - use smooth and unsweetened peanut butter for best results. Feel free to substitute the peanut butter for your favourite nut butter, such as cashew butter or almond butter. 
• Honey - this naturally sweetens these bliss balls while binding all the ingredients together. You can replace it with date syrup if you like. 
• Vanilla extract - to help enhance all the delicious flavours of this snack.
• Quick oats - these add the perfect texture to these bliss balls. Be sure to use quick oats rather than steel cut oats or rolled oats. I use gluten-free and sprouted quick oats.
• Almond flour - almond flour adds a delicious flavour and texture to these protein balls. If you don't have almond flour, it can be replaced with more quick oats or cashew flour instead.  
• Chocolate chips (optional) - chocolate chips compliment the peanut butter perfectly. I recommend using dark chocolate chips or chocolate chunks for this recipe. To keep this recipe refined sugar free, make sure your chocolate chips are sweetened with coconut sugar. 
• Sea salt - to help contrast the sweetness of these peanut butter balls.

Recipe variations and add ins: 

• To make these bliss balls vegan: use date syrup and vegan chocolate chips. 
• To make gluten-free: use certified gluten-free oats. 
• To make this recipe dairy free: use dairy-free chocolate chips. 
• If you like a smoother texture to your bliss balls, blend the quick oats in your food processor first to give them an even finer texture. 
• To make these into high protein bliss balls: add 4 tablespoons of collagen peptides.
• If you don't have almond flour: replace it with more quick oats or use almond meal instead.
• To keep these peanut butter balls refined sugar free: use chocolate chips sweetened with coconut sugar (or leave the chocolate chips out of the recipe). 
• Feel free to double or triple the recipe to have more on hand for later.

How to make peanut butter bliss balls: 

Step 1

In a large bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, vanilla extract, and honey until smooth.

Step 2

Next, stir in the oats, almond flour, and sea salt until you have a crumbly texture. 

Step 3

If you are adding chocolate chips, mix them in now. 

Step 4

Finally, using your hands, form the dough into 1 inch sized balls, then enjoy!

Top tips: 

• Be sure to use smooth, unsweetened peanut butter for this recipe rather than sweetened or chunky peanut butter. 
• I prefer eating these bliss balls cold so if you are like me, refrigerate them for 30-60 minutes after making them before enjoying. 
• I don't recommend using rolled oats for this recipe. The texture will be too gritty. Quick oats lead to the best results. 

How to store: 

Store these bliss balls in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. 

These peanut butter energy bites also freeze really well. Freeze them in an airtight container or freezer bag, and separate the layers with parchment paper or wax paper. They can be frozen for up to 3 months.