Rather than reaching for another cup of coffee or diet soda, a couple of these will power you up instead. Rich, dense, fudgy, and not overly sweet. They’re no-bake, vegan, gluten-free and come together in minutes. The recipe is ripe for substitutions (see blog post for suggestions). If your dough is sticky or tacky, it means it’s too moist and needs to be dried out – add more oats. Chilling the dough for an hour before rolling into balls is also helpful. The powerballs keep for months in the fridge or freezer and come in handy for those afternoon slumps or before a workout.
about 1 1/4 cups old-fashioned whole-rolled oatsuse certified gluten-free if necessary; quick-cook oats may be substituted – start with 1 cup, and add more as needed
sprinkles or cocoa powder for rollingoptional
Instructions
To the canister of a food processor, add peanut butter, sweetener of choice, cocoa powder, espresso granules, vanilla, 1 cup oats, and blend until mixture comes together.
Add 1/4 cup oats, or as needed, until dough comes together. When dough is the correct consistency, it travels around the base of the canister like a tennis ball. If it’s sticky, tacky, or isn’t clumping together in a ball; or if you’re trying to roll into balls and it’s very difficult to shape, it’s too wet and more oats should be added. Add more until it firms up.
Using a small cookie scoop or your hands, form 1-inch balls (approximately). Roll between your palms until smooth. If dough is very sticky, even after adding additional oats, chill it for about 1 hour before rolling. Repeat until dough is gone.
Optionally dredge balls through sprinkles or cocoa powder.
Place balls in a large airtight container in a single, flat layer. I prefer to store balls in the fridge and serve slightly chilled. Balls will keep for at least 6 weeks in the fridge, and can be frozen for up to 6 months.