Trail Mix Peanut Butter Energy Balls

These delicious no-bake peanut butter energy balls are studded with crunchy nuts and dried cranberries. This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Back To Nature Foods. All opinions are 100% mine.

The back-to-school season is now melding into the holiday season. We are starting to make plans for Halloween, Thanksgiving, and even winter holidays. I absolutely adore the holiday season, but it can also mean extra cooking while hosting family and friends, and undoubtedly sugar overload. When our house is filled with tempting leftover Halloween candy or holiday cookies, energy balls are my better-for-you hack. If I have these sweet peanut butter energy balls in the fridge it’s easy to resist less wholesome temptations. Before I found balance through a more nourishing diet, I had moments of binging on cheap Halloween candy, and always felt horrible afterward. I am so glad I realized that delicious sweet treats can be made with real foods that leave me feeling light and energized, rather than bloated and grumpy. Not only do these energy balls cure my sweet tooth, they are satisfying, unprocessed and filled with nutrition from nature. That’s a win-win in my book!

These no-bake energy bars come together in just a few minutes and then go into the fridge for snacking. Thanks to a bag of trail mix from Back to Nature, this recipe only requires 5 ingredients! I bet you have most of them in the pantry already. Though Back to Nature carries several varieties of nuts and trail mix, the Nantucket Blend is my choice for these energy balls. The crunchy almonds and tart cranberries are just perfect with the peanut butter base. These easy-to-make energy balls are packed with protein and fiber from the nuts and oats, antioxidants from the dried fruit, and omega-3s from the flax meal.

My family and I love Back to Nature products because they are all about great tasting foods that are better for you. Just like the recipes I create and share here, their products are inspired by nature, and I appreciate their commitment to using non-GMO ingredients. They have an array of products from crackers, to soups, to cookies and nuts that can help simplify the busy back-to-school and holiday seasons in a majorly delicious way.

These trail mix energy bites are peanut buttery, crunchy, a little sweet, a little tart, and completely addictive. I love stocking my refrigerator with wholesome energy balls because I can grab a couple when I’m too rushed for breakfast or as a post-workout snack. When my kids or hubby are on the  hunt for a snack, which seems to be ALL the time, there’s a tasty snack ready to go. Yummy Hubby gets really excited when I make energy balls. He love grabbing one before he heads out on a long bike ride and when he gets home from a long day at work.

I love the colors we have going on in this trail mix version of peanut butter energy balls. The red cranberries and green pistachios add a pop of color that’s so festive and fun for the holiday season. I always keep a few bags of nuts and trail mix in the pantry for when we have guests over. Nuts are the perfect snack to add to antipasti or cheese platters, or just serve in a bowl for nibbling. With a bunch of active family members staying with us over the holidays, I will be making several batches of these energy bites to keep in the fridge. I know you’re going to love these as much as I do!

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Yield: about 13 balls

Trail Mix Energy Balls

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

These delicious and nourishing peanut butter energy balls are studded with trail mix. They are the perfect anytime snack!

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Ingredients

• 1 cup oats
• 1/3 cup flax meal
• ½ cup creamy unsweetened peanut butter
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• 2/3 cup Back to Nature trail mix (I used Nantucket Blend)

Instructions

1. Place all of the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times to combine. The nuts and oats should be broken up a bit, but not finely ground. Use a rubber spatula if the peanut butter needs more mixing in. Use a small cookie scoop to scoop up balls of the energy ball mixture. Roll into balls and place into a storage dish. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes and store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

Notes

Recipe note: If you have flax seed it's easy to make flax meal! Just toss it in the blender and whirl until finely ground.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 13 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 170Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 52mgCarbohydrates: 16gFiber: 3gSugar: 7gProtein: 5g