School Day Snacks: Choco-Chunk Energy Balls

There comes a time in every teacher’s day when snacks are a necessity.

For me it always arrived sometime mid-morning, and having energy balls like these babies in the classroom was the perfect thing. They are transportable, filling, and so easy to throw together. They prevent extreme hunger by lunchtime, and would keep me away from unhealthy snacks in the teacher’s lounge.

Another thing I love about making my own energy balls is that I know exactly what’s in them - you can tweak the add-ins to your taste preferences, and you won’t have any of questionable ingredients like you might find in store-bought granola bars.

Plus, with a base of peanut butter and oats they are cheap! Love, love, and love.

I am a huge fan of both coconut and dark chocolate, but you can swap out the chocolate chunks and coconut for whatever you want. Follow your taste buds and your heart <3

I have also included a few ingredient swaps so that you can make this recipe vegan, dairy-free, and gluten-free depending on your dietary needs.

Without further ado, here’s my easy, quick recipe for energy balls that you can snack on any time during the school day.

Choco-Chunk Energy Balls

Yield: 18, 1-inch balls

Prep Time: 10 Minutes

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups rolled oats (To make these gluten-free. I recommend using Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Oats)

1/2 cup nut butter of choice

1/3 cup honey (To make this recipe vegan, swap out honey with maple syrup like this one)

1/3 cup dark chocolate chunks (you can use Enjoy Life Chocolate Chunks to make this dairy free and vegan)

1/4 cup finely shredded coconut.

Pinch of Salt

Instructions:

1. Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl, stirring well to combine. If the mixture is too wet, add more oats. If the mixture is too dry, add more nut butter.

2. Roll the mixture into 1-inch balls and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or until set.

If the mixture is hard to roll, place it in the refrigerator so it can set first, and then roll it. I usually roll them into balls right away because…well because I’m usually too impatient to wait.

Not a fan of coconut and chocolate? You can also add: dried fruit, nuts, seeds, white chocolate chips…your imagination is the limit!

This recipe was adapted from Well Plated by Erin.

Want more meal planning and nutrition tips for your busy school week?

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