These No-Bake Peanut Butter Carrot Balls are easy, delicious, and veggie-loaded! Gluten free, dairy-free, naturally sweetened and super easy to throw together. Bite-sized and made from healthy real food ingredients, this is a treat everyone will love!
Guys, it is silly hot out. As I write this, I have all the shades pulled closed and every fan in the house going. I am doing everything I can think of to keep the house at a tolerable temperature, aside from busting out the AC unit (which I buried in the garage under some Christmas decorations).
This kind of weather makes me want to be as far away from my kitchen and stove as humanly possible. But this is not exactly ideal when you have a family to feed.
Luckily, there are lots of easy, no-cooking-required real food options to make to help keep you from melting into a puddle of sweat in front of your stove. Like these No-Bake Peanut Butter Carrot Energy Balls.
I love that these bite-size pieces of heaven do all their “baking” in my freezer. Totally my favorite way to cook in the summer.
These No-Bake Peanut Butter Carrot Balls are full of healthy fat, carrot goodness and are made with just a handful of real food ingredients that you probably already have hanging out in your kitchen. So, you can whip up these suckers together now without breaking a sweat and still enjoy a nutrient-dense treat without touching your oven.
Tips
Use a thick peanut butter
Natural peanut butter tends to be thin and can vary from brand to brand. Depending on how a peanut butter is made, it may have more oil. And other brands will have less. If the peanut butter you use for these no-Bake Peanut Butter Carrot Balls is extra runny, your end result will still be delicious….but a bit soft. The thicker the PB, the firmer the bites will be.
Store your No-Bake Peanut Butter Carrot Balls in the freezer
As I mentioned above, natural PB can be thin. And since there are no dates in these bites to act as a binding agent, these balls have the best texture right out of the freezer. Because of the natural oils in the peanut butter, they never get super hard, so even frozen they are easy to bite into.
Make sure you stir your peanut butter well
Open a new jar of natural peanut butter. You will probably notice that there is a layer of oil on top of the nutty goodness. This is totally normal and your PB just needs a good stir. Put on some tunes, grab a spoon and stir your little heart out until you peanut butter has an even consistency. If you skip this step or only give it a few courtesy stirs, you will have runny PB at the start of your jar and dry PB at the end.
Suggested Adaptations
Reduce the sugar
Some like it sweet. And some want to keep the sugar (even the natural kind) to a minimum in their life. So if that’s you, you can cut down on the sugar in this recipe by using 1/4 cup honey and skipping the chocolate chips.
Make them nut-free
Ease peasy. Just swap out the peanut butter for sunflower seed butter!
Swap the chocolate chips for dried fruit
Chopped dates, raisins, figs, blueberries, cranberries….whatever you fancy. Swap away!
Throw in extra goodness!
Add hemp hearts to help pump up the protein. Swap out the chia seeds for ground flax! Toss in a handful of chopped nuts!
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No-Bake Peanut Butter Carrot Balls
Equipment
- grater
- small cookie scoop
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup natural and smooth peanut butter; if using unsalted, add a pinch of salt to the mix
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1 cup dry rolled oats
- 2 tbsp chia seeds
- 1/2 cup finely grated carrot
- 1/3 cup quality mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl.
- Mix until all ingredients are incorporated and evenly distributed throughout.
- Chill in your freezer for 30 minutes. This helps make the batter to form into balls easier.
- Using a small cookie scoop or heaping tablespoon, portion the mixture out and roll it into balls.
- Place the balls on a cookie sheet and chill in your freezer for about 2 hours or until firm. Tip: for easy clean up, line the baking sheet with parchment or wax paper.
- Once the balls have set, transfer them to an air-tight, freezer-safe container and return to freezer to enjoy for up to a month (though I doubt they will last that long). Enjoy the chilled sweet treat straight from the freezer all summer long.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information is provided as an estimate only and may vary based on the product type, servings and other factors. If you are following a diet, please consult with a professional nutritionist or your doctor. Stay healthy!
LOVE LOVE LOVE these!! Such a great, easy make ahead for snacks or lunch pairing, and so yummy out of the freezer!!
Any suggestions for grain-free substitute for oats? Thank you!
Maybe coconut and/or hemp hearts? Almond meal might also work!
Can’t wait to try these! Do you think it would work to omit the honey altogether? I’m on a low FODMAP diet, and honey is not allowed. Thank you!
I might sub some of the honey with maple syrup (which is low FODMAP from what I know). They might be a little extra soft, but they should still taste amazing!
OMG! Where have these been all my life? So easy! So good! They are going to be my summer obsession
Just made this morning. Super easy and delicious. Thank you!
These are such a great frozen snack!
What is the serving size for the nutrition listed? Thank you!
It is for each ball
These are great! When I open a new jar of natural peanut butter, I empty the jar into a large bowl to stir it up and then return it to the jar. So much easier and no mess like you have when trying to stir in the jar.
Oh such a great tip!
for some reason my kid isn’t into PB, has anyone tried subbing a different nut butter?
Almond butter or sunflower seed butter would also be delicious!
Amazing! So easy to make and truly delicious
I’m so glad you enjoyed them, Ana!
Just made these . They are delicious.
So glad you enjoyed them! I love how easy they are!