So many healthy whole food snacks taste either like cardboard (or just not that great), OR they are super expensive at the store. These come together super super quick, are cost effective, and taste just like a PB&J. Making them sooo worth making again and again and again if you ask me.
The twist is that there’s no peanut butter in them. Instead, salted roasted peanuts get blitzed in the food processor with medjool dates and oats until the dates go sticky and the peanuts break down enough to hold everything together all on their own. It sounds like it shouldn’t work, and yet it totally does; a real trust the process recipe if you ask me! Give it a little more processing time than you’d expect, since the peanuts and dates need to fully break down before anything else goes in.
Freeze-dried strawberries are the “jelly” half of the equation, and they pull double duty. Some get pulsed in at the end, just a few quick pulses so you get pink flecks throughout instead of a uniformly pink dough. The rest get crushed for rolling, so you get a hit of tart strawberry on the outside too. Half the batch gets rolled in crushed strawberries, half in crushed peanuts, just for fun!
If the mixture seems crumbly when you press it together, add water a teaspoon at a time and pulse in between. Dates vary a lot in how moist they are, so some batches won’t need any water at all. You want it to hold when you squeeze it, not fall apart like sand and not stick to everything within reach.
For the finish, grind a couple tablespoons of freeze-dried strawberries into a powder and sift it over the top right before serving. It looks like something a store would charge you $2 each for and takes about a minute of your time to blitz together. Just wait until the last second, because the powder soaks up moisture and goes blotchy if it sits. One label check while you’re shopping: some freeze-dried strawberry brands add sugar, so look for strawberries as the only ingredient!
If you make these, don’t forget to tag me @herbyeater on TikTok or Instagram! Happy snacking!
PB&J Inspired Peanut Strawberry Oat Balls
Equipment
- Food Processor
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Baking sheet or plate
- Parchment paper
- Fine mesh sieve (for dusting)
- Spice grinder (optional)
Ingredients
- 1 cup pitted Medjool dates 150g
- 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats, certified gluten-free 90g
- ¾ cup salted roasted peanuts 100g, plus extra for coating
- ½ cup freeze-dried strawberries 15g, plus extra for coating
- 1–3 tsp water, as needed 5–15g
- 1 pinch salt optional, to taste
For Dusting
- 2 tbsp freeze-dried strawberries, powdered 6g
Instructions
- Add the dates, oats, and peanuts to a food processor. Pulse until broken down and starting to clump, 30 to 45 seconds.
- Press a bit of the mixture together. If it’s crumbly and won’t hold, add water 1 tsp at a time, pulsing after each addition, until it holds together when pressed.
- Add the freeze-dried strawberries. Pulse briefly, just a few times. You want visible pink flecks, not a uniform pink dough.
- Roll into balls, about 1 tablespoon each, pressing firmly so they hold.
- Crush the extra peanuts and freeze-dried strawberries separately. Roll half the balls in crushed peanuts and half in crushed strawberries.
- For the dusted finish, blitz the 2 tbsp freeze-dried strawberries in a clean food processor or spice grinder until powdered. Sift over the finished balls through a fine mesh sieve right before serving.
- Chill 20 minutes to firm up, or eat immediately (your choice!).
Notes
Swap the peanuts for almonds if needed. It changes the PB&J idea but works the same texturally.
If your mixture won’t hold even with water, a spoonful of peanut butter can go in as a binder. Optional Add-ins
Chia seeds or hemp hearts, pulsed in with the oats Tips
Process the dates and peanuts well before adding anything else. The dates need to break down enough to bind everything.
Dates vary in moisture, so some batches won’t need water at all. Check first, then add it sparingly.
Use certified gluten-free oats if you’re cooking for someone with celiac.
Dust with strawberry powder right before serving. It absorbs moisture and goes patchy if it sits. Storage
Store un-dusted in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week, or freeze up to 2 months. Dust just before serving.