Almond Butter Energy Balls (5 Ingredients, No Bake!)

Name: Easy Almond Butter Energy Balls (5 Ingredients)
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 1 cup old-fashioned oats; ½ cup shredded unsweetened coconut; ½ cup almond butter; 3 tablespoons honey; 2 tablespoons mini semi-sweet chocolate chips; flaky salt (optional, for sprinkling)

I like to snack at night, and lately I've been trying to reach for something a bit healthier. Instead of baking cookies, I've been reaching for these almond butter energy balls! They taste amazing, and the mini chocolate chips do the trick whenever a chocolate craving hits. I've been making them every week since I developed this recipe, so I knew I had to share them with you!

They come together in a bowl with just 5 ingredients & 10 minutes of your time. No food processor, no blender, and no baking required!

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These energy balls remind me a little bit of Almond Joys, which I've loved since I was a kid! They have the chocolate, coconut, and almond flavors wrapped up in every bite. If you like these, you'll love my samoa brownies!

Sundays are my prep-for-the-week days, so I make a batch of these and keep them in the fridge. Whenever a sweet craving hits, I just grab one (or two or three 🤭) and it's cured!

This recipe makes about 17 energy bites, so plenty for me & my husband throughout the week! The recipe card has options to half or double it, though.

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Recipe Ingredients
Substitutions & Variations
How to Make No Bake Energy Balls
Expert Baking Tips
Common Questions
Storage
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Recipe Ingredients

You'll need the following ingredients to make this energy balls recipe:

The 5 ingredients needed to make energy balls.

Old-fashioned oats give these the best chewy texture. I haven't tested them with quick oats or steel-cut oats, so I'd stick with old-fashioned here.
Unsweetened shredded coconut adds a little chew and flavor without extra sweetness. The honey and chocolate chips bring plenty of sweetness on their own.
Almond butter is what holds everything together, so use a smooth, drippy one for the easiest mixing. I use the almond butter from Costco! It's delicious and I've found it more affordable than other grocery stores. The natural oils do separate, so give it a good mix before using it.
Honey helps bind the mixture and adds natural sweetness. I grab the honey bear bottles from Costco for the same reasons as the almond butter!
Mini semi-sweet chocolate chips distribute better than full-size chips, so you get a little chocolate in every bite.
Flaky salt is optional, but a few flakes on top really makes the flavor pop!

See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.

Substitutions & Variations

Swap almond butter for peanut butter, cashew butter, or sunflower seed butter.
Use maple syrup in place of honey for a vegan-friendly version (or if you just prefer the taste)!
Mix in a tablespoon of chia seeds or ground flaxseed for extra nutrients. You may need to add a tad more almond butter or honey to make up for the extra dryness.
Try dark chocolate chips instead of semi-sweet if you prefer a less sweet bite, or feel free to leave out the chocolate.

This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!

How to Make No Bake Energy Balls

Almond butter, oats, shredded coconut, honey, and mini chocolate chips mixed together.

Mix

In a medium bowl, mix together the oats, shredded coconut, almond butter, honey, and mini chocolate chips until everything is really well combined. The mixture should hold together when pressed.

Scoop

Use a small cookie scoop (about 1 tablespoon) to scoop the mixture. Press it firmly into the scoop so it forms a compact ball, then release it onto a plate or directly into your storage container.

Note: If the mixture is too sticky to scoop cleanly, pop it in the refrigerator for 15-30 minutes. It'll firm up and become a bit easier to work with!

Almond butter energy bites with flaky salt in a Pyrex container.

Salt & Chill

Optional but highly recommended: sprinkle a few flakes of flaky salt on top of each ball.

You can enjoy them right away, but I like to chill them in the fridge for at least 30 minutes first!

Expert Baking Tips

Skip the measuring cups. I highly recommend putting your bowl on a scale and weighing your ingredients directly into it (see the gram measurements in the recipe card). Just hit "tare" before adding each ingredient! It's the fastest, most foolproof way to make these, and you don't have to worry about cleaning sticky ingredients out of measuring cups!
Use a 1-tablespoon cookie scoop. It makes the perfect bite-size treats and saves you from having to try to roll the mixture into a ball.
Pack it in. Pressing the mixture into the cookie scoop helps the balls hold together instead of crumbling apart.
Enjoy them cold. These will get a little melty at warm temperatures, so I recommend eating them straight out of the fridge. I love how refreshing they are and how crunchy the chocolate is when they're cold!

Common Questions

Do I need a food processor to make these energy balls?

Nope! These energy balls come together in one bowl with just a spoon or spatula. No special equipment needed at all.

Can I use quick oats instead of old-fashioned oats?

I developed and tested this recipe with old-fashioned oats for the best chewy texture, so that's what I'd recommend. Quick oats may give you a softer, finer texture. Let us know in the comments below if you try a different kind!