Peanut Butter Pretzel Energy Bites combine salty peanut butter, crunchy pretzels and sweet chocolate in one delicious snack! A wholesome sweet and salty treat that comes together with ingredients you have in your pantry!
These energy bites are perfect for meal prep, healthy snack, lunch treat. No bake (super easy to make), vegan and gluten-free.
Sweet and salty is a dreamy combination!
I’m more of a salty than sweets kind of a girl, so when a treat has that combo, it’s very hard for me to resist! If you also can’t resist sweet and salty combo, you will really love these energy bites.
The best part is that when you get the craving, you probably have every thing in your pantry to put these delicious energy bites together. I have been making these energy bites for a long time and most often adapting it with what I have on hand.
A wholesome treat that is super simple to make. These energy bites are a really great not too sweet treat for the kiddos after school. It’s also a a fun recipe for the kids to learn how to make (no-bake= super easy!)
I had a bag of gluten-free pretzels on hand and a couple of jars of peanut butter (I always fall for the buy one get one free sales). Since I was the only one enjoying the GF pretzels, I had to make a treat with them.
My love for peanut butter and pretzels goes way back! I LOVE baking with pretzels and a pretzel crust is a favorite of mine. This peanut butter butter pretzel tart with caramel drizzle is one of my favorite recipes! Also, this chocolate-peanut butter pretzel pie (pretty much the flavors of these bites in an amazing pie!).
So playing around with the peanut butter/pretzel combo, it. Creamy peanut butter, crunchy and salty pretzels, a bit of sweetness from maple syrup and chocolate chips…this is a perfect no-bake snack!
No-bake peanut butter pretzel energy bites
They’re not just wholesome, but also:
- Simple and easy
- Delicious snack
- Freezer friendly
- Gluten-free friendly
What ingredients are needed to make these energy bites?
There are just 8 ingredients in these delicious peanut butter pretzel energy bites:
- Old Fashioned Oats – Whatever kind you have will work (quick oats, rolled oats, old fashioned oats, gluten free oats) because we’re going to whiz them up in the blender first anyway,
- Pretzels – I used gluten free pretzels but any small pretzel will do fine.
- Chia Seeds – Super healthy…filled with fiber and they add a nice bit of crunch.
- Flax-A really amazing super food that is filled with fiber, protein, and healthy fat into these little protein balls of goodness.
- Creamy Peanut Butter – You could sub with almond, cashew or sunflower seed butter. Feel free to substitute for whatever nut butter you want! Cashew, almond, or sunflower seed would all be great.
- Coconut Oil
- Pure Maple Syrup – Sub with agave syrup or honey.
- Vanilla
- Mini Chocolate chips – I used my favorite dairy-free brand. Use regular or mini (with dairy)chips you enjoy. The mini are just easier to mix in. The regular sized ones will have to be pushed in when you're forming the balls to make sure they stick.
Once you have pulsed the oats and the pretzels, every thing gets added to the wet ingredients and stirred together. At this point, you could really adapt the recipe to your cravings!
Mix-in options
There are endless possibilities to what could be added into these energy bites. Here are some ideas:
- seeds (hemp, sunflower)
- chopped nuts
- dried cranberries
- raisins
- dried cherries
- chopped dates
- chopped dried mango
- cacao nibs
Is there gluten in no bake energy balls?
These energy bites are totally gluten-free if you use certified gluten-free oats and gluten-free pretzels. If you are not GF, use traditional oats/pretzels.
Are these energy bites vegan?
YES! If you use dairy-free chocolate chips, this is totally vegan.
Can I make substitutions in these Peanut Butter Pretzel Energy Bites:
YES! These no-bake energy bites are one of the easiest recipes to adjust and sub with other ingredients. It really is a matter of your taste and you can be flexible with with you have in your pantry.
Can I substitute peanut butter for almond butter?
Yes, you could use almond butter or cashew butter. Even sunflower seed butter is great for recipe. Also, I have made these with 1/2 crunchy and 1/2 creamy peanut butter and it is wonderful!
Can I sub maple syrup for honey in these energy bites?
Yes, honey works great! Or even agave syrup will be perfect.
How much should I process the oats?
If you happen to have a food processor (or a blender), it’s really easy to pulse the oats and check how much it is breaking up. It shouldn’t be totally pulverized. But if you happen to hold and pulse and it does turn to powder, that is fine too. You could still make the bites. I usually pulse about 7 rounds. But even if you pulse 5 rounds and the oats are left more whole, that is fine!
If you do not own a processor or blender, place oats and pretzels in a large zipped lock bag. Seal it closed (be sure to get all the air out while you close it) and use a rolling pin or a cup and crush it up.
Can I substitute peanut butter for almond butter?
Yes, you could use almond butter or cashew butter. Even sunflower seed butter is great for recipe.
What is the best way to store these energy bites?
I usually have a portion of these in the freezer ready for when I need a little treat. I keep them in an airtight container. They do last for up to 3 months in the freezer, but they disappear before that! Let them sit at room temperature for a few minutes to soften slightly before taking a bite.
Or keep them in the refrigerator where they will be fine for up to two weeks.
Some other healthier sweet treats:
- Vegan Blueberry Cheesecake
- Vegan Banana Snacking Cake
- Vegan Orange Marmalade Muffins
- Vegan Matcha Brownies
Peanut Butter Pretzel Energy Bites
Ingredients
- ¾ cup all-natural creamy or chunky peanut butter
- 1 cups old-fashioned oats
- 1 cup pretzels or pretzel sticks I use gluten free
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 3 Tbsp coconut oil melted (or more nut/seed butter)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 flaxseed meal
- 2 Tbsp chia seeds
- 1/4 cup chocolate chips I use dairy free
- flaky sea salt optional
Instructions
- In a large bowl, stir together peanut butter, syrup, coconut oil, vanilla and chocolate chips until well combined; set aside.
- Place the oats in a food processor (or a blender), and 5-6 times. The pieces should begin to break up, not ending up in a flour.
- Add the oats to the wet mixture.
- Add 1/2 cup pretzels to the food processor (or blender…no need to clean it out before doing this). Pulse-6-7 times until you get large pieces of pretzel. Measure out 1/2 cup of the crushed pretzels. Add more pretzels if you didn’t get to 1/2 cup crushed pretzels.
- Or, if you don’t have a food processer/blender, place oats and pretzels in large zipped lock bag. Push out all the air and seal bag closed. Use bottom of a cup or a rolling pin to break them up.
- Add the pulsed pretzels, flax and chia seeds to the wet mixture (that already has pulsed oats in it).
- Add chocolate chips into the peanut butter mixture. Stir together. If mixture is too dry, add a couple of drops of syrup or oil. If it seems too wet, add a bit more pulsed oats or pretzels.
- Line a cookie sheet (or a large plate) with parchment paper.
- Slightly dampen your hands and begin to take out small portions of the mixture. If when rolling the balls the mixture seems to dry, add a teaspoon of water at a time. Squish each portion into 1” balls (it’s about 2 tablespoons per ball…should get about 25 balls, depending on how large you are rolling them).
- If you are adding some flaky salt, sprinkle some on once you roll out all the balls (I only did a handful with the salt for me).
- Refrigerate for 20-30 minutes, until they firm up.
- Transfer to a zipped lock bag or an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to a week and in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- To thaw, simply place the desired number of bites on the counter or in the fridge for 10-30 minutes.
Notes
*Be sure to thaw in fridge or on counter for at least 10 minutes before taking a bite (you don’t want to break a tooth!)
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