Homemade Energy Balls Recipe: The Ultimate Guide

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Flat out? Try an energy ball! Ideal for breakfast, dessert or simply as a snack, they are high in proteins to give you a kick when your tank is near empty. With this homemade energy balls recipe, easy and quick to prepare, no more excuses. You will be hitting the ground (or trails) running!

Energy balls, energy bites, protein balls or power balls, whatever the name you give them, are your best ally when out and about in the outdoor or going through a full-on day at work. With an infinite variety of flavours, you will never get bored of these little bites!

What you need to know

How it started

I love energy bars, always have a lunch box full of them in my backpack when I am on a hike. I buy them at a specialist store week in week out. But when you spend £9 a week on energy bars, it adds up at the end of the month. So I needed to come up with something else.

It’s only when one day, I was telling one of my friends about adding recipes to my blog. In my mind, it was more about healthy and nutritive lunch options you can bring on a hike. Nevertheless, her first reaction was: “Exactly… Instead of searching for homemade oat and nut balls… Have your hikes and snacks in one convenient location!” And here was my “Ah Ah” moment and the homemade energy balls recipe was born.

Twelve energy balls displayed on a lunch box lined with foil on a rock — A healthy snack

Are energy balls actually healthy?

Yes. That is the short answer. Now here is the long answer.

They are high in nutrients, proteins, fibre and good fat which increase your energy level, help build muscle mass and give you a sensation of satiety so they are often utilised in weight-loss diets. But like everything else, they need to be consumed with moderation. You should not forget that the manufactured energy balls are high in sugar.

To get the best out of the energy balls you should consume them reasonably throughout the day and the best times are before and after workouts and for a morning or afternoon snack.

Why Make Energy Balls?

If you read everything so far, you know that eating energy balls is good for you. It is like a guilty-free pleasure. So why make them rather than buying them? Here are the two main reasons.

First, they come with a hefty price tag. A pack of 10 balls is presently sold for £15.99 on amazon.co.uk. That’s £1.59 per ball! You might as well eat all the ingredients individually, it would be cheaper.

The second reason is that most of the manufacturers are more concerned about the benefits you can read on the label than the actual taste of the product for the end consumer. This is why you often read in reviews that these balls are tasteless.

So, instead of breaking the bank and compromise on taste, why not make them yourself? It’s easy and quick and does not require many ingredients.

Fourteen energy balls displayed on a wooden chopping board on a grey background — A guilty-free pleasure

Are protein balls and energy balls the same things?

No, energy balls and protein balls are not the same. So what is the difference?

The difference is simple. Protein balls are energy balls with added protein powder. While protein powder is a great way to build muscle mass, lose weight and boost your metabolism, there are adverse risks to their consumption. The Harvard Medical School warns about the side effects of protein powders, highlighting the absence of control around their production, the lack of research on their long-term effects and the high level of sugar they contain.

For these reasons, in this recipe, we will focus solely on energy balls and not on protein balls.

Energy balls dough in a yellow bowl on a white background — Energy balls dough

My tips

If you want the texture to be less crunchy, you can use a mixer instead of combining the ingredients using your hands. Additionally, it is quicker to do it that way, so worth noting in case you are in a hurry
You can keep the balls in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks and in the freezer for up to 3 months
If you don’t like energy balls, you can make energy bars instead. For that, lay the dough flat on a baking tray lined with baking paper, leave it in the refrigerator and when you are ready, cut it into squares. You’ve got homemade non-baked energy bars!
If you suffer from a peanut allergy or simply don’t like peanut butter, you can use a different nut butter such as almond or cashew
Most of the energy balls recipes use 4 ingredients as opposed to 3 in this one for the base. This is because they add chia seed or flaxseed to the dough. Rich in fibre, proteins and omega 3, they are a good addition to the dough, but I personally find it too much
You read very often to make the balls after putting the dough in the refrigerator. As a tip, I would suggest that you make them before as the texture is softer
What do I do if the texture is too dry? Simply add some water to the mix or more sirup to bind everything up

Oatmeal, peanut butter and dried fruits in a white bowl with a red spatula on the side — The dough before mixing

How can do you make homemade energy balls?

The base

The recipe is easy and does not require many ingredients. It works always the same way for the base and then you can add the favours you want. So what goes in the base?

A butter to help bind the mixture such as peanut butter or any other nut butter
Oatmeal
A sticky liquid such as honey, agave nectar or maple syrup

Combine the ingredients, either by hand in a bowl or in a mixer. Then you can vary the creation by adding different flavours to the mix. Here are some ideas:

Chocolate chips
Dried fruits
Nuts
Coconut shaving
Lemon

And the list goes on…

In this recipe, we will focus on dried fruits and nuts for a jam-packed protein ball!

What’s inside the homemade energy balls recipe

So let’s have a closer look at what ingredients we use for the homemade energy balls recipe to understand better the benefits.

Peanut butter: Source of proteins, fibre, minerals and good fat, peanut butter is however low in carbs. It worth mentioning as well that some manufacturers add sugar and trans fat, which can cause a variety of health diseases such as heart problem. It is therefore important to look at the label before buying peanut butter and only go for the brands where it contains nothing else than peanut butter and salt.

Oat: Source of fibre, minerals, vitamins and antioxidants, the consumption of oats is proven to bring down cholesterol levels and therefore prevent heart disease. Studies have also shown that consuming oat reduce appetite making it an excellent choice for weight-loss diets.

Agave nectar: In this recipe, I chose agave nectar for the sticky liquid as it is a natural source of sugar. It is one time and a half sweeter than table sugar, meaning that you use less of it. It is a source of carbs, which boost energy levels. Finally, it does not contain fat or trans fat which is harmful to health.

Almond: They are a source of antioxidants that are found in the brown layer. This is why you should not remove the skin. They are also rich in fibre, proteins and vitamin `E which helps prevent coronary illness.

Dried apricot: They contain the same vitamins and nutrients as fresh apricots. They are good for the skin and the eyes.

Raisin: They are rich in fibre and anti-oxidants providing many health benefits such as reducing the risk of heart attack, boosting energy levels and supporting good dental health.

The Homemade Energy balls recipe

Homemade Energy Balls Recipe

Lily

Flat out? Try energy balls! They are easy to prepare and do not require many ingredients. Convenient to transport either to work or in the great outdoors, they are a healthy alternative to snacks. Let me walk you through the homemade energy balls recipe.

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Prep Time 20

Total Time 20

Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American, vegetarian

Servings 12 Balls

Calories 123.5 kcal

Ingredients

130 g Oatmeal
120 g Peanut butter
40 g Almonds
20 g Raisin
4 Dried apricots
3 tbsp Agave nectar
1 tsp Vanilla powder

Instructions

Cut the dried apricots into small pieces
Crush the almonds
Cut the raisin in half
In a bowl, mix the oatmeal, the crushed almonds, 1 tsp of vanilla powder
Add 120g of peanut butter, the raisin, the dried apricots, 3 tbsp of agave syrup and combine using hands
Portion the dough into balls
Place in the refrigerator

Notes

You can use a mixer
You can keep the balls in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks and in the freezer for up to 3 months
To make energy bars, lay the dough flat on a baking tray lined with baking paper, leave it in the refrigerator and cut the dough into squares
You can swap peanut butter for any other nut butter
You can add chia seed or flaxseed
Make the balls before putting them in the refrigerator so that the texture is softer
If the texture is too dry, simply add some water or more sirup to bind everything up
Nutrition facts table

Homemade energy balls recipe nutrition facts table

Keyword cold, easy, Energy, Sport

I hope you enjoyed the energy balls. If you know of any variation to the above recipe, please drop me a message in the comment section below. I would love to read about your version of the energy balls.