PB&J Energy Bites (Gluten Free, Vegan)

GFGluten Free

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These PB&J Energy Bites are full of healthy fats, complex carbs, and are a perfect lunchbox treat or afternoon snack. Plus they are Vegan & Gluten Free!

Peanut Butter and Jelly will always be a classic sandwich recipe. However, seeing as there are so many other delicious Vegan Lunch options out there, most of us may opt for something else.

Luckily we don’t have to give up on the PB&J flavor entirely…because now we have these PB&J Energy Bites!

PB&J Energy Bites Vegan Gluten Free

To kick things up a notch, these are Peanut Butter and Jelly stuffed energy bites. Uh huh, you head me.

PB&J Energy Bites Vegan Gluten Free

It all starts with a dollop of jelly (I used this Organic Strawberry one). Then comes the creamy peanut butter, oat, and date ball “dough.” Finally, I rolled a few of mine in some powdered freeze dried strawberries for a pop of color, but you could use chia seeds, hemp seeds, or just enjoy as-is!

PB&J Energy Bites Vegan Gluten Free

Now that it’s back-to-school season, I’ve been trying to have more Lunchbox-friendly recipes here for you on From My Bowl. This recipe is actually a part of my latest YouTube video, in which I show you 3 easy Vegan lunchbox snacks! Check out the video below, or go directly to the recipes for some Pizza Roasted Nuts or Vegan Cosmic Brownies.

A Few Final Thoughts:
  • If you have a nut allergy or are bringing these bites to a place with nut sensitivities, you could easily make these with Almond Butter or Sunflower Butter instead!
  • I used a Jam sweetened lightly with Cane Sugar, but you could also use a fruit-sweetened Jam or Chia Jam as well.
  • On the other hand, if you aren’t feelin’ the Jam step, you could skip that entirely! It will still make some delicious Peanut Butter bites 🙂

Finally, if you make this recipe be sure to post a photo on Instagram and tag me @frommybowl + #frommybowl so I can see your delicious creation!

Print

PB&J Energy Bites

These PB&J Energy Bites are full of healthy fats, complex carbs, and are a perfect lunchbox treat or afternoon snack. Plus they are Vegan & Gluten Free!

  • Prep Time: 70 minutes
  • Total Time: 70 minutes
  • Yield: 12 balls 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1/2 cup Medjool Dates
  • 1 cup Rolled or Quick Oats
  • 1/2 cup Natural Peanut Butter (should be runny)
  • 1 tbsp + 1 tsp Jam of Choice, divided

Instructions

  1. First, use a 1/2 teaspoon measure to scoop out jam “balls” and place them on a parchment paper lined plate or baking sheet. Place in the freezer for about 60 minutes to harden.
  2. Pit the Medjool Dates and place them in a bowl. Cover them with hot water and let sit until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain.
  3. Add the oats to a food processor or high speed blender and blend for 45-60 seconds, until a fine flour forms. Add in the drained Dates and Peanut Butter, then process until evenly combined. Set aside.
  4. Once the Jam “balls” have hardened, scoop 1 tbsp of the PB Dough into your hand and form a flat cookie shape. Then, place one Jam “ball” into the center of the “cookie” and use your fingers to fold the dough around the Jam and seal it. Repeat the process until no more dough or Jam remains.
  5. Store in the fridge for up to 12 days, or the freezer for up to 1 month (Note: while these keep best in the fridge, they will be fine at room temperature in a lunch box until devoured).

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PB&J Energy Bites Vegan Gluten Free

About the Author

Hey there, I’m Caitlin! I make easy-to-follow, wholesome, and budget-friendly vegan recipes that are mostly gluten-free and refined sugar-free. I’m also an avid yogi, love the great outdoors, am chocolate-obsessed, and enjoy eating almond butter straight off of the spoon.

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Comments

    1. The dates help bind and sweeten, one thing you could try (which we haven’t tested) is using maple syrup. If you decide to do that, try adding a small amount at a time as you mix everything together until you get a consistency that will hold together.

  1. These were delicious! Fyi though – I tried saving this to Pinterest and it keeps saying this link was blocked because it could lead to spam (I also can’t choose a star rating on here which is too bad because it would be 5 stars)

    1. Hi Sara,
      Thank you for letting me know! I have contacted Pinterest…not sure what the problem is!

  2. I followed this recipe exactly and the dough did not stick together as well as it does in your video? What did I do wrong?

    1. Hi Alayna, there could be a lot of factors here – too much oat flour, not soaking your dates long enough, etc. In general, if a ball mixture is every too dry, you can add water to it in 1 tbsp increments until it gets more sticky 🙂

    1. Tara, there shouldn’t really be one if you have a high speed blender. I prefer to use a food processor though as it has a wider base for chopping

    1. You can use any other dried fruit, like cranberries, raisins, or figs! Just make sure to soak them first x