Snickers Balls (4g Protein, Healthy)

These Snickers Balls are easy, healthy energy balls ready in under 15 minutes and full of classic Snickers flavors, but with no eggs, no dairy, and no refined sugar.

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While the whole recipe is just below, don’t miss all my tips further down, including ingredient swaps, my cooking tips, and step-by-step shots!

Snickers Balls

These Snickers Balls are easy, healthy energy balls ready in under 15 minutes and full of classic Snickers flavors, but with no eggs, no dairy, and no refined sugar.

5 from 3 votes

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Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Total Time: 15 minutes mins

Course: Snack

Cuisine: American

Servings: 11 balls

Calories: 185.4 kcal

Author: Carine Claudepierre

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Ingredients

US Customary – Metric

• ▢ 1 cup Medjool Dates - (note 1) about 12-14 pitted medjool dates
• ▢ ½ cup Rolled Oats - (note 2)
• ▢ ¼ cup Peanut Butter - (note 3)
• ▢ ⅓ cup Roasted Salted Peanuts - (note 4)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Chocolate Cover

• ▢ ¾ cup Dark Chocolate Chips
• ▢ 1 pinch Salt
• ▢ 2 teaspoons Olive Oil

Instructions

• Line a plate with lightly oiled parchment paper. Set aside.
• Place the Medjool dates in a bowl and cover them with boiled water. Set it aside for 5 minutes.
• Drain the pitted Medjool dates over a sieve. Press them gently in your hand to remove any water. Place them into the bowl of a food processor with the S-blade attachment.
• Add oats, peanut butter, vanilla, and salted roasted peanuts.
• Blend at high speed until it comes together into a sticky dough. I usually work in 3-4 times, blend 20 seconds, stop the food processor, scrape down sides with a rubber spatula, repeat, until it comes together into a sticky caramel-like batter.
• Oil your hands with olive oil to prevent the batter from sticking to your hands.
• Scoop out about 1 1/2 tablespoon of dough, and roll the dough in your hand to form a ball. Place on a plate covered with parchment paper.
• Roll into 10 balls. Refrigerate while melting the chocolate.
• In a microwave-safe bowl, add chocolate chips, olive oil, and microwave in 30-second bursts until fully melted.
• Use a fork to dip each ball into the melted chocolate and coat entirely. Wait a few seconds above the bowl to let excess melted chocolate run down to the ball, then release the coated ball on the plate covered with parchment paper.

Notes

Note 1: I haven’t tried other date varieties, but I am sure they will work well. Since other varieties are less ‘juicy’, you might need a few more to reach the same caramel-like texture.

Note 2: Or quick oats. Feel free to use gluten-free certified oats, if needed. You can also swap for almond flour or quinoa flakes.

Note 3: Or almond butter, cashew butter. Use sunflower seed butter or tahini for a nut-free option.

Note 4: Or any nuts, like pecans, walnuts, or even seeds like hemp seeds for a high-protein option, or sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds. 

Storage: Store in the fridge for 30 minutes to set. Store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 1 month.

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Nutrition

Serving: 1ball | Calories: 185.4kcal | Carbohydrates: 21.5g | Protein: 4.3g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 4.6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3.1g | Sodium: 61.4mg | Potassium: 252mg | Fiber: 2.4g | Sugar: 13.8g | Vitamin A: 21.1IU | Vitamin B12: 0.03µg | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 55mg | Iron: 0.6mg | Magnesium: 34.1mg | Phosphorus: 75.9mg | Zinc: 0.9mg

Ingredients and Substitutions

You only need 5 simple ingredients to make this recipe and 3 for the coating. Here’s how to pick and swap them.

• Medjool Dates – These create the sticky, caramel-like base for the balls, providing natural sweetness and binding the ingredients together. You can also use other date varieties, but you might need to adjust the quantity slightly as they can be less ‘juicy’.
• Rolled Oats – This adds structure and body to the balls, making them more substantial. Quick oats work just as well, or you can swap them for almond flour or quinoa flakes.
• Peanut Butter – This brings a rich, nutty flavor and helps bind the mixture. You can also use almond butter or cashew butter. For a nut-free option, sunflower seed butter or tahini are fine.
• Roasted Salted Peanuts – These provide a satisfying crunch and enhance the classic Snickers flavor with their saltiness. Any nuts like pecans, walnuts, or even seeds like hemp seeds, sunflower seeds, or pumpkin seeds are also great.
• Vanilla Extract – This enhances the overall flavor profile, adding a warm, sweet aroma to the balls.
• Dark Chocolate Chips – This forms the delicious outer coating for the balls.
• Salt – A pinch of salt balances the sweetness of the chocolate, making the flavor more complex.
• Olive Oil – This helps to thin out the melted chocolate, making it smoother and easier to work with for coating the balls.

How to Make Snickers Balls

These balls are really easy to whip up. Here’s how in a few pictures.

Combine all the base ingredients in a food processor.

Process and roll the batter into small balls in your hands.

Dip the balls in melted dark chocolate and sprinkle chopped peanuts.

Place the balls in the fridge to set.

Carine’s Tips

Let me share a few more tips for a perfect snickers balls.

• Prep Ahead – You can prepare the date mixture a day in advance and store it in the fridge. This makes assembling the balls on the day of serving much quicker.
• Chill Thoroughly – Don’t skip the refrigeration step before dipping the balls. Chilled balls hold their shape better and are easier to coat evenly with chocolate.
• Nut-Free Option – If you’re making these for someone with a nut allergy, swap the peanuts for sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds and use sunflower seed butter or tahini instead of peanut butter.
• Flavor Boost – Sprinkle a pinch of sea salt flakes on top of the chocolate-coated balls just after dipping. This really makes the flavors pop.
• Powdered Peanut Butter – For a higher protein, lower calorie, and lower fat version, use 3 tablespoons of powdered peanut butter instead of regular peanut butter. Do not rehydrate it first! If the batter seems too dry, add 1-2 tablespoons of water to the food processor to thin it out.
• Almond Snickers – Create an almond version of these balls by swapping the roasted peanuts for almonds and using almond butter in place of peanut butter.

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