Healthy Peanut Butter Energy Balls with Almond Pulp

Don’t throw out your almond pulp after making almond milk! Make these super easy, delicious, Healthy peanut butter energy balls with almond pulp. A yummy treat that your whole family will love!

I’m always trying to figure out what kind of healthy snacks I can give my kids in the middle of the day when it’s not meal time, but everyone seems to be starving. Instead of grabbing a bag of chips or crackers, I love making a healthy snack that is filling, nutritious, and will carry us to the next meal. These energy balls do just that. Pair them with some fresh fruit or veggies on the side for a great afternoon snack!

I also love to have them ready at the end of the day when, again, my kids are hungry before bed! The last thing I want to do at bedtime is try and come up with something that doesn’t require too much effort, and is healthy. When I pull these energy balls out, everyone thinks they are getting a yummy dessert, which they are! But they are also healthy and filling! It’s a win all around.

How do you make almond pulp?

Almond pulp is the natural result of making homemade almond milk. During the straining process when the milk seeps out of the nut bag, you are left with a very fine, wet pulp. This is the thicker skin of the almond that can’t be blended fine enough to be let through a nut bag. Removing the almond pulp from the milk gives you a creamy almond milk. This pulp is just what you need to make these healthy almond pulp energy balls.

When I first made almond milk, I didn’t know what to do with the pulp. It sat in my fridge for too long and went bad. As much as I like making my own almond milk, I don’t like wasting the leftover pulp. So I came up with these healthy almond pulp energy balls and they are a game changer! Easy to throw together and no more waste! Even my pickiest eaters love them!

Ingredients

• Sprouted Rolled oats: Oats are one of those things that I know are a staple for many people. But it’s something that we don’t have a lot of in our family. Oats are very high in phytic acid which is something in nuts and grains that prevent important nutrients from being absorbed. Phytic acid can lead to serious problems with tooth decay if not managed properly. For this reason, we don’t have oat-anything very much. Not oatmeal or oatmeal cookies or anything. But…I found this bag of sprouted rolled oats at Costco! Sprouting doesn’t entirely take care of the phytic acid, and the company doesn’t specify how long they sprout the oats for, but, it’s a step in the right direction. I feel better about feeding these sprouted oats to my family on occasion. And I do love them in this recipe! Of course, if you don’t have sprouted rolled oats, any rolled oats will do the job for the purposes of this recipe.
• Almond Pulp: If you have made my almond milk recipe, you know that after straining the milk, you are left with a good amount of pulp! This is just what you want for these energy balls. Save it!
• Raw Honey: If you can get raw honey, this is what you want. Local is even better! Most honeys at the store are void of pollen, which is where the nutrients come from. They are from China, are processed at high heats and even have added ingredients like sugar and high fructose corn syrup. Bobby Parrish has a very educational video about storebought honey and what to buy instead. Raw, local honey is what you want! It is full of nutrients like antioxidants. And it tastes so much better than the fake stuff off the shelves at the store.
• Ground flax: You can buy flax pre-ground, but I prefer to grind my own! It is so easy to do with a coffee grinder. Griding your own flax ensures that you will have maximum nutrients. But if convenience is what you’re looking for, you’ll still get much of the good nutrients with pre-ground. One other thing about grinding your own flax seed–measure after grinding. The volume changes from whole flax to ground flax.
• Chia: Chia adds a nice crunch and is a great source of protein. For another delicious chia seed recipe, check out my Cashew Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding!
• Peanut butter: I used crunchy, but creamy would work to! Watch for the ingredients on your peanut butter. Many brands have added ingredients to prevent separation, add flavor, etc. For maximum nutrition, use peanut butter that only includes peanuts and salt.
• Coconut Oil: this helps bind the energy balls together. During refrigeration, the coconut oil will harden creating a more firm texture.
• Chocolate Chips: My favorite chocolate chips are the Bake Believe brand from Costco, but they haven’t been available at my Costco for some time. I haven’t ventured out to find them at other stores and haven’t experimented with other brands. Any chocolate chips will work for this recipe, but for a healthier option, use chocolate chips sweetened with erythritol.
• Sea Salt
• Vanilla

How to make Almond Pulp Energy Balls

1. Add sprouted rolled oats, almond pulp, honey, melted coconut oil, ground flax, chia, salt, and vanilla to a bowl. Mix well.
2. Add chocolate chips and mix until well incorporated.
3. Form 16 1-inch balls using a heaping tablespoon.
4. Refrigerate for at least one hour and enjoy!
5. Store for up to a week in the fridge.

Change it up!

You can really do so much with this recipe to change it up. Add dried fruit, chopped nuts, shredded coconut, or cinnamon. Other nut butters can also be used in place of peanut butter. There are lots of options here!

Yield: 16 balls

Peanut Butter Balls with Almond Pulp

Print

Make these delicious peanut butter balls using almond pulp that is leftover from making almond milk!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Additional Time 1 hour

Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup sprouted rolled oats
• 3/4 cup almond pulp
• 1/3 cup raw honey
• 1/4 cup ground flax
• 1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
• 1.5 Tbsp melted coconut oil
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Add everything except chocolate chips to a medium sized bowl and mix until well combined.

2. Mix in chocolate chips.

3. Form into 16 balls using a heaping tablespoon.

4. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour to create a more firm texture.

5. Enjoy! Store in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Notes

*Mixing in the chocolate chips after everything else is mixed gives the coconut oil time to cool if it is warm from cooling. This prevents melting of the chocolate chips.

*Change it up! Instead of chocolate chips, add dried fruit or chopped nuts. Shredded coconut is also yummy. Let me know what changes you make and how they turn out!

*I use crunchy peanut butter because the extra crunch is fun, but creamy peanut butter works just as well!

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 399Total Fat: 26gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 220mgCarbohydrates: 39gFiber: 6gSugar: 26gProtein: 9g