NO-BAKE PEANUT BUTTER AND OATS BLISS BALLS/BARS with pecans and raisins is my current favorite instant, quick and delicious healthy snack to indulge in when there is a hunger/snack attack and want to feel “not so guilty”! These easy to make (just mix and roll into balls or set into bars) scrumptious treats are so, so good and yummy, I have already made them more than a couple of times since I first shared on my Instagram; they are that addictive and so guilt free! With heart healthy oats, natural peanut butter, good for you honey and chock full of nuts and raisins, what is not to love in these?
PEANUT BUTTER AND OATS BLISS BITES/BARS:
Like it says, these soft and scrumptious bites have totally natural peanut butter (no sugar added), good for you honey, rolled oats (I roasted them a bit to crisp them up), some chopped pecans for added crunch (you can use any nut or nuts you like) and plump black raisins to sweeten things up a bit more (and also dot the bars or bliss balls for a pretty look)! No cooking, baking, heating, beating etc.! Now, cinnamon powder is always good for you and is always recommended in desserts or in sweet snacks as it helps in stabilizing blood sugar, so I have sprinkled a bit of cinnamon powder in these sweet delights. too Being high in antioxidants and heart healthy among other nutritional benefits, it is a good spice to add in most dishes like in our Indian curries, pulaos/biryani, tea/chai etc. Now back to coming to these delightful treats, all you need to do is mix these up and roll into bliss balls or laddoos or pat in a pan to chill and cut into bars; your choice. In mixing bowl, stir peanut butter and honey/maple syrup.
Add the nuts, raisins and oats along with cinnamon powder.
Mix well to form a thoroughly combined mixture.
For bliss balls roll into bite sized balls and if making into bars, pat onto a parchment lined pan. If needed (and to make it look pretty too), dot with whole pecans; totally optional.
Chill thoroughly and cut into desired shapes; enjoy!
Easy peasy isn’t it? If the mixture is too dry, stir in more peanut butter and if too wet, stir in more oats; absolutely customizable! To make it kid friendly, you can add or substitute raisins with chocolate chips but I am sure they would love juicy raisins in them too.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO MAKE NO-BAKE PEANUT BUTTER BLISS BALLS/BARS:
Peanut butter – I have used natural peanut butter with no added sugar and also the creamy variety. You can use the crunchy one with bits of peanut in them if you like. If you have peanut allergy, you can use sunflower butter, almond butter etc. too. Oats – I like to use rolled oats but you can use instant oats too. If the oats are slightly larger in size, blitz them a bit to break them down; again optional. Honey – this is my preferred sweetener as it is a no bake treat; never, never heat up honey to temperatures above 108 degrees Centigrade; it has a negative effect on our body (according to Ayurvedic/traditional medicine practices) as this changes the molecular structure of honey and may turn toxic. If vegan, you can substitute with maple syrup. If your peanut butter has sugar in it, then adjust the amount of sweetener accordingly. Nuts – I had a large bag of pecans, so chopped them up roughly to add to texture and flavor but you can use your favorite nuts (cashews, almonds, macadamia, hazelnuts etc.) or leave them out altogether Raisins – I prefer black raisins (as they look pretty in these cute and sweet delights) but you can use golden raisins or even cranberries or chopped dates, prunes etc. too Optional ingredients – chocolate chips (dark or milk) or chopped chocolate and/or cocoa powder for a chocolaty delight etc. SERVING SUGGESTIONS: Once made into bliss balls or bars, totally chilled, they are a great snack to enjoy any time! These delicious sweet delights need to be stored in the refrigerator for best taste and texture (at room temperature, they turn softer although still super yummy); place parchment paper or butter paper in between layers to prevent them from sticking; can be stored in the freezer too for a longer shelf life. But either way, these delightful and divine bites are so delicious, I assure you they will be gone in no time! Enjoy and Happy Eating! If you do happen to try this, I would be thrilled to hear about it; please leave your comments and thoughts (do not forget to rate it with a star rating) in the box below or share your version on Instagram (tagging @curryandvanilla16) and/or share it on my Facebook page.
If you love such no bake recipes, then do check out these too:
No-bake Muesli Energy Bites No-bake Lime Cracker Pudding No-bake Date Brownies No-Bake Marbled Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars
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