Healthy Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice Crispy Balls

These chocolate covered peanut butter rice crispy balls are such a delicious, healthy treat! This recipe is vegan, gluten-free, and no-bake. Enjoy!

These chocolate covered peanut butter rice crispy bliss balls are delicious enough to eat as dessert, but nourishing and healthy enough to enjoy as a snack! Plus, they’re only 7 simple ingredients, and so easy to make.

This recipe also happens to be gluten-free and vegan – just be sure to use dark vegan chocolate. They’re perfect for multiple dietary concerns, and you could even make them nut-free by using sunflower seed butter (if needed)!

As always, as a registered dietitian I try to make sure that all the recipes I share on here are filled with nutrition benefits. I go into more details on the nutrition profiles on these recipe ingredients below if you’re interested in learning more.

I’d love to know if you try these little treats! Enjoy 🙂

Want more energy ball recipe ideas? Check out my roundup of healthy, no-bake energy balls! I’ve also got a roundup of 30+ healthy meal prep snack recipes for even more snack inspiration!

Ingredients Needed

All you need to make this recipe are 7 simple, healthy ingredients:

• medjool dates
• peanut butter (or almond butter if preferred)
• rice crisps/puffed rice
• sunflower seeds
• hemp hearts (seeds)
• dark chocolate chips
• sea salt

TIP: if you can, try to choose a rice crisp/puffed rice cereal that doesn’t contain too many added ingredients (like sugar). There are brands available where the only ingredient is brown rice. I personally love these ones from Nature’s Path!

How To Make Chocolate Covered Rice Crispy Balls

Making these peanut butter rice crispy balls is super easy!

Start by adding the medjool dates, peanut butter, hemp hearts, sea salt, and water to a food processor. Pulse until the medjool dates break down completely into a paste-like texture (see image below).

Then, transfer the date mixture to a large bowl and stir in the sunflower seeds and puffed rice. The reason we don’t want to add these to the processor first is so that they maintain their texture!

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Then, scoop a spoonful of the mixture into your hands and roll into a ball. Place the ball on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and repeat until all the date mixture is used up (about 10-12 balls, depending on size).

TIP: if the balls aren’t sticking together, simply add a splash more water to the mixture until everything sticks!

Next, place the chocolate chips in a small bowl and melt in the microwave. I do this in increments of 30 seconds, stirring each time, until completely melted (usually takes a couple minutes).

Using a spoon, dip one ball into the chocolate bowl and stir around until it’s completely coated in chocolate.

Remove with the spoon, and place back on the parchment paper. Repeat until done, then transfer to the freezer for 2 hours!

NOTE: you may have noticed that the chocolate balls in these pictures have an extra drizzle of chocolate on top. That was PURELY aesthetic (to make the pics more exciting haha) and doesn’t change the taste of the recipe at all. If you’d like to do the same, simply freeze the chocolate-covered balls for about 30 mins. Then, melt a handful more chocolate chips and take a spoon to drizzle the chocolate overtop, before returning to the freezer.

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Recipe Modifications & Ingredient Swaps

Here are some ways you can play around with this recipe:

1. Instead of peanut butter, use another nut butter like almond butter or even cashew butter
2. If a nut-free version is needed, why not try making these with sunflower seed butter instead?
3. If you’d prefer not to use chocolate, I also tested these by rolling the balls into shredded (desiccated) coconut – it will obviously taste different but they were quite delicious also!
4. If you don’t feel like using sunflower seeds, simply add more rice crispy puffs in the same amount
5. Instead of hemp hearts, you could try using chia seeds

How To Store Energy Balls

These chocolate balls can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, or in the freezer for a couple months.

I would recommend placing parchment paper between balls if you need to store them in layers!

If keeping in the freezer, make sure to thaw balls for about 10 or so minutes, until soft enough to bite into.

Recipe Nutrition Benefits

Peanut Butter Nutrition:

• an awesome source of heart-healthy fats and plant-based protein
• packed with micronutrients like:
  • magnesium
  • vitamin B6
  • iron
  • phosphorus
  • niacin

Medjool Date Nutrition:

• rich in dietary fibre
• a source of essential micronutrients like: 
  • potassium
  • magnesium
  • copper
  • manganese
  • iron
  • vitamin B6
• a source of antioxidants like flavonoids, carotenoids, and phenolic acid
• like other dried fruit, they’re a concentrated source of natural sugar and are not a low sugar food
  • despite their high sugar content, they also pack in a ton of nutrition benefits and can be enjoyed in moderation!
  • the protein, fibre, and fat content of the other ingredients in this recipe will lessen the impact of dates on blood sugar

Hemp Seed Nutrition:

• one of the best plant-based sources of omega-3 fatty acids
• a great source of plant-based protein
• a good source of micronutrients, like:
  • vitamin E
  • zinc
  • iron
  • calcium
  • potassium
  • magnesium

Sunflower Seed Nutrition:

• a great source of heart-healthy unsaturated fats, plant-based protein, and dietary fibre
• a good source of micronutrients, like:
  • vitamin E
  • vitamin B6
  • selenium
  • zinc
  • copper
  • magnesium
  • iron

More Easy, Healthy Energy Ball Recipes

• Easy Chocolate Coconut Date Balls
• Coconut Matcha Energy Balls
• 5-Ingredient Chocolate Hazelnut Bliss Balls
• No-Bake Chocolate Cherry Energy Bites
• Healthy Carrot Cake Energy Bites

Did you give this Healthy Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice Crispy Balls Recipe a try? Let me know by leaving a comment and recipe rating below!

If you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram or Pinterest – seeing your creations always makes my day. You can also subscribe to my email list to never miss a new recipe or nutrition education post!

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