Peanut Butter and Jelly: Plant-Based Energy Juice
These plant-based energy bites have the classic combination of peanut butter and jelly. PB and J is Plant-Based Juice! This simple vegan recipe comes together quickly for a healthy, gluten-free snack. Kids, adults…everyone loves a little PB&J energy!
PB&J Combination: A Childhood Classic
The classic combination of peanut butter and jelly takes us all back to the memories of childhood. Growing up, you probably had a few sandwiches like this: bread, rich peanut butter, and sweet jelly. I spent a few years carrying that to school for lunch. However, it wasn’t the healthiest snack.
The bread was usually a loaf made with whole grains. Yet, looking at the ingredients list would reveal refined flours, oils, sugar, and odd preservatives. Jelly is definitely a sugar bomb. But, even the peanut butter would often have added oils or sweeteners.
PB&J Flavor with Whole Foods, Plant-Based Ingredients
For this grown-up recipe, I wanted to recreate those classic flavors with whole foods, plant-based ingredients.
- Peanut butter was easy: Choose a brand without any added sugars, syrups, or oils. For this, double-check the ingredients label
- Jelly became currants: For that sweet jelly-like flavor, dried zante currants took over. These little dried fruits are like tiny grapes. They have tons of grape flavor packed into small bites.
- Ditch Bread for Oats: Instead of making a sandwich, I thought these energy bites made more sense. Whole Grain Oats stand in for bread. They offer chew texture and heart-healthy fiber.
- Dash of Cinnamon and Vanilla: To highlight the natural sweet flavors, I added a little pop with cinnamon and vanilla. Plus, you also get a bit of grown-up appeal with these interesting ingredients.
Make a batch of these gluten-free vegan bites and keep extras in the freezer…you’ll be ready for healthy snacking any time.
Chef Katie’s Plant-Based Cooking Tips:
Peanut-Free: For a peanut-free alternative, try it with almond butter or sunflower seed butter.
Travel-Friendly: These are perfect fuel for traveling through airports or training for marathons. You can freeze them ahead of time than keep in your gym bag or carry-on until ready to enjoy.
No Refined Sugar or Syrup? I’m on a mission to get rid of empty calories. These energy bites don’t use any refined sugar, maple syrup, or other refined sweetener. Dried fruits provide sweetness, along with healthy fiber and essential nutrients.
Gluten-Free Celiac: Oats are naturally gluten-free, but they can processed in a facility near wheat. If this is a concern, check for “Certified Gluten-Free” oats.
Weigh Your Ingredients: For precise measuring and consistent results, always weigh your ingredients. A small kitchen scale makes this easy to do. This will save you time and give you more delicious muffins and breads.
Whole grain oats are pulsed until you get a flaky consistency, sort of like shredded coconut. 
Peanut Butter and Currants create the classic PB and J theme. A dash of cinnamon and vanilla are the secret to even more delicious flavor 
Oats, currants, peanut butter come together for these plant-based energy bites 
Drizzle in a couple tablespoons of water until your energy ball mixture clumps together 
Roll 2 teaspoons of the mixture between your hands to get small, bite-sized energy bites
Watch the Recipe Video:
Peanut Butter and Jelly Chewy Energy Bites
- Easy
- Servings: 10
- Ready In: 15 minutes
- Yield: about 20 energy bites
If you like this recipe, you’ll also crave: Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies, Peanut Butter Quinoa Flake Cookies, Cocoa Peanut Butter Energy Bites . and Chocolate Walnut Brownies.
Peanut Butter and Jelly Chewy Energy Bites
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter no added sugars or oils
- 1 1/4 cup dried zante currants
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt adjust, depending on salt in peanut butter
- 2-4 tablespoons warm water as needed
Instructions
- o make the PB and J Chewy Oat Bites: Place the oats in your food processor. Puree oats until well-chopped, resembling shredded coconut. Remove from food processor and pour into a medium bowl.
- Add the peanut butter, currants, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt to the food processor. Puree peanut butter mixture until currants are chopped and everything is well-combined.
- Add shredded oats back to the food processor. Puree. Add 2-4 tablespoons warm water, until mixture comes together. Puree until mixture naturally clumps into a large ball. Add a tablespoon of water at time to reach this consistency.
- Remove mixture from the food processor into a medium bowl. Roll about 1 tablespoon of batter into a two-bite ball. Repeat with remaining mixture.
- Keep refrigerated for up to 1 week or freeze for longer.
- Yield: 20 “Bites”
Video
Notes
Serving size: 1/10 of a recipe (about 2 balls).
- Calories 219.71
- Calories From Fat (31%) 68.31
- Total Fat 8.17g 13%
- Saturated Fat 1.65g 8%
- Cholesterol 0mg 0%
- Sodium 177.46mg 7%
- Potassium 346.45mg 10%
- Total Carbohydrates 31.63g 11%
- Fiber 4.62g 18%
- Sugar 13.36g
- Protein 7.93g 16%
- Calcium 0.86mg <1%
- Iron 36.39mg 202%
- Vitamin A 13.91IU <1%
- Vitamin C 0.04mg <1%
Shopping List
Discover more from Plants-Rule
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
