These peanut-free “PB&J” Energy Balls are made with just nuts and fruit (and a pinch of salt). They’re portable no-bake Paleo and vegan healthy snacks that taste just like peanut butter and jelly!
Peanut Free!
Nope—there’s actually no peanut butter or jelly in these bite-size “PB&J” energy balls, but their nutty crunch and sweet strawberry flavor never fail to bring back fond memories of munching on my favorite after-school snack. In fact, I created this recipe for our latest cookbook, Ready or Not!, because I wanted a portable and crave-worthy bite that’s easily made in a flash. (If you don’t already own a copy of our second cookbook, what are you waiting for? Buy one here!)
5 Healthy Ingredients!
Unlike the PB&J sandwiches I used to make for myself, these homemade no-bake treats are made with just nuts and fruit (and a pinch of salt). So when you need a pick-me-up after a long run, a hard workout, or an afternoon of gardening like a maniac, just pop a ball or two in your mouth, and I guarantee you’ll feel like a kid again. And yes, your kids will love them, too!
More Tips!
Feel free to substitute another freeze-dried fruit of your choice for the strawberries to mix things up. I’ve had great success blitzing up these energy balls with freeze-dried blueberries and raspberries. Also, if your dates have been hanging out in your pantry for a while and are no longer super moist, add a few drops of water when you’re blending them together, and your balls will form beautifully!
Let’s Make PB and J Energy Balls!
Makes 15 balls (I eat 2 balls as a snack)
Ingredients:
- ½ cup (10 grams) freeze-dried strawberries
- ½ cup (60 grams) dry-roasted unsalted almonds
- 1 cup (150 grams) pitted and chopped dried Medjool dates
- Diamond Crystal brand kosher salt
- ¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut, toasted in a 300°F oven until golden, about 3 minutes
Equipment:
- Food processor
- Large bowl
- Silicone spatula
- Shallow plate or parchment paper
Method:
Pulse the freeze-dried strawberries in a food processor until it forms a powder. Let the pink dust settle.
Toss in the almonds.
Pulse to roughly chop the almonds. Transfer the chopped almonds and strawberry powder to another bowl.
Throw the dates into the now-empty food processor bowl, and pulse a few times to roughly chop up the pieces. Then, pulverize the dates until they form a sticky ball that thwacks against the side of the work bowl. (If your dates are especially dry, you can add a few drops of water to get the right consistency.)
Add the strawberry powder, almonds, and a pinch of salt to the sticky date paste in the food processor bowl.
Pulse a few times until combined. The result should be a dense mass that comes together as a nutty dough. If it doesn’t come together, add a few drops of water and pulse again!
Pinch off about a tablespoon of the dough and roll it in your palms to form a smooth ball. Repeat ’til you’re out of dough.
Put the toasted shredded coconut in a shallow plate or a piece of parchment paper. Toss each of the balls into the coconut, making sure to coat the entire surface.
You can refrigerate your balls in a covered container for up to 1 week, or freeze ’em for up to a month.
Want to make a tropical energy ball? Throw together a batch of Liar Balls!
Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my iPhone and iPad app, and in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013), Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017), and Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2021).
PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE CARD
Peanut Butter and Jelly Energy Balls
Ingredients
- ½ cup freeze-dried strawberries
- ½ cup dry-roasted unsalted almonds
- 1 cup pitted and chopped dried Medjool dates
- Diamond Crystal brand kosher salt
- ¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut toasted in a 300°F oven until golden, about 3 minutes
Instructions
- Pulse the freeze-dried strawberries in a food processor until it forms a powder. Let the pink dust settle.
- Toss in the almonds. Pulse to roughly chop the almonds. Transfer the chopped almonds and strawberry powder to another bowl.
- Throw the dates into the now-empty food processor bowl, and pulse a few times to roughly chop up the pieces. Then, pulverize the dates until they form a sticky ball that thwacks against the side of the work bowl. (If your dates are especially dry, you can add a few drops of water to get the right consistency.)
- Add the strawberry powder, almonds, and a pinch of salt to the sticky date paste in the food processor bowl. Pulse a few times until combined. The result should be a dense mass that comes together as a nutty dough. If it doesn’t come together, add a few drops of water and pulse again!
- Pinch off about a tablespoon of the dough and roll it in your palms to form a smooth ball. Repeat ’til you’re out of dough.
- Put the toasted shredded coconut in a shallow plate or a piece of parchment paper. Toss each of the balls into the coconut, making sure to coat the entire surface.
- You can refrigerate your balls in a covered container for up to 1 week, or freeze ’em for up to a month.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
My mixture didn’t come together in the food processor either, but I just dumped it out on a sheet pan and smooshed it all together. Next time I might add a few more drops of water. I made a double batch and only got 17 balls! Must have rolled them too big 🙂 These are delicious but I would like a more pronounced strawberry flavor, maybe next time I will try rolling them in some pulverized dried strawberries. Thanks for the recipe.
Just made these today. So freaking good! Will definitely try with blueberry or other freeze-dried fruits. I used a small melon-baller for uniform-sized balls, which worked great. I did need to add a little water for it to look like your “dough” in the photo, but was super simple to do with the photo as a reference. I made a double batch, which is the way to go. Will DEFINITELY make these again! Thank you, Michelle!
Could this be done using dried, unsweetened cranberries, cherries or blueberries (instead of freeze dried fruit?)
Hi,
Does the fruit have to be freeze dried, can I just used frozen fruit?
Thanks
They have to be free dried! Frozen fruit will be too moist and mushy.
Has anyone tried this with the dried strawberry powder? Wondering how the measurements would change.
So good! These taste just like peanut butter and jelly! I found that I like them even better without the coconut, since it gives more of a traditional PB&J flavor.
These are delicious! I skipped the coconut, used salted roasted almonds (and skipped the pinch of salt), and made a double batch (somehow still only got 18). Love that these are so flavorful with so few ingredients. Freeze dried strawberries are such an awesome product – smelling them takes me right back to summer! Yum!
After a few attempts as written, I added 3T of almond butter and finally got a “dough” to work with. I used a 1T disher and got 15 (and a half) balls. Nom!
You can add a little water if your dates are dry!
I’m trying whole30 this month for the first time and hoping to make these. Would these be whole30 or do we think the freeze dried strawberries would be out of bounds due to added sugar?
Technically this recipe and any Paleo sweets aren’t considered Whole30 because one of the official rules is to avoid treats even with “approved” ingredients. Michelle has a “Whole30” filter on her blog so you can easily search what’s Whole30 or not!
The freeze-dried strawberries are genius! I’m not paleo so I went ahead and used peanuts and a bit of natural unsweetened peanut butter and these are so delicious!