If you’re the sweet-and-salty type then you’re going to love these no-bake Sweet & Salty Peanut Butter Bites made with just a handful of pantry staples. They’re the perfect little ‘something sweet’ after-meal treat or after-school snack. Kids love to help make them almost as much as they love to eat them so enlist their help and watch these peanut butter bites disappear.
No-Bake Snacks for the Win!
With just 8 ingredients and 20 minutes of total prep time, you’ll be enjoying these chocolate and pretzel-studded peanut butter bites before you know it. You’ll love the combination of sweet-salty-crunchy and the fact that they can be made nut-free and entirely from ingredients you probably already have in your pantry.
We like to keep these in the freezer for whenever the urge for a little something sweet hits – and they’re surprisingly delicious when enjoyed frozen – but they’ll keep on the counter for up to 3 days and a little longer in the fridge. Assuming they don’t disappear shortly after you make them, of course!
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Sweet & Salty Peanut Butter Bites Ingredients
- Rolled oats – Otherwise known as ‘old-fashioned oats’. Quick oats will work in a pinch but you may need to add more if your bites are too sticky to roll into balls. Use certified gluten-free oats, if needed.
- Ground flaxseed – Also known as ‘flaxseed meal‘. It comes in both regular (brown) and golden which are interchangeable – only the color is different
- Chia seeds – It’s important not to use ground chia seeds or the bites will be really sticky. Chia seeds are available in both black and white – they taste the same, only their color differs so feel free to use whichever you have on hand
- Creamy peanut butter – Creamy almond butter will also work for a peanut-free option. Substitute sunflower seed butter for a nut-free option
- Maple syrup – Be sure to use pure maple syrup and not ‘pancake syrup’ – they’re definitely not the same thing
- Vanilla
- Mini chocolate chips – We love these semi-sweet mini chips that are free of the Top 8 allergens, vegan, and are dairy-free
- Pretzels – Use gluten-free, if needed (we’ve found that this brand of gluten-free pretzels stays the crunchiest in these peanut butter bites and in these Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Pretzel Cookies)
- Flaky sea salt – Regular sea salt will also work but once you’ve used sea salt flakes it’s hard to go back!
How to Make Sweet & Salty Peanut Butter Bites
Step 1: Add the rolled oats to a food processor or blender and pulse 10-15 times. While it may be tempting to skip this step, it’s important for helping the bites stick together. Add the oats to a large bowl.
Step 2: Place ⅔ cup pretzels into the food processor or blender and pulse 10-15 times or until broken into small pieces (this should give you roughly ⅓ cup crushed pretzels depending on the size of your pretzels and how much you process them). Alternatively, you can chop the pretzels into pieces using a large knife or have the kids break them into small pieces.
Step 3: Add the chopped pretzels to the bowl with the oats then add the remaining ingredients with the exception of the sea salt (flax meal, chia seeds, maple syrup, vanilla, peanut butter, and chocolate chips).
Step 4: Stir with a large spoon until well combined and a soft dough forms. If the dough does not stick together when pinched together, add 2-3 Tbsp. water (1 Tbsp. at a time) until you are able to easily form a ball when you roll a bit of the dough in your hands.
Step 5: Roll dough into 20-24 bites and set onto a plate or a large lidded container that you plan to use to store them. Sprinkle each bite with a little flaky sea salt.
Step 6: Enjoy!
How to Store Sweet & Salty Peanut Butter Bites
Your bites can be stored in a covered container on the counter for 3 days, in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
If you’d like to freeze your peanut butter bites, we recommend placing them on a baking sheet or plate in the freezer until they are frozen solid before transferring to a freezer-safe container with a lid or zip-top bag.
To thaw, simply place the desired number of bites on the counter or in the fridge for 10-30 minutes. Bites may also be enjoyed frozen!
Sweet & Salty Peanut Butter Bites
If you’re the sweet-and-salty type then you’re going to love these no-bake Sweet & Salty Peanut Butter Bites made with just a handful of pantry staples. They’re the perfect little ‘something sweet’ after-meal treat or after-school snack.
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups rolled oats
- ¼ cup flaxseed meal
- 1 Tbsp. chia seeds
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter* (may substitute almond butter)
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla
- ⅓ cup mini chocolate chips
- ⅓ cup crushed pretzels, gluten-free if needed
- Flaky sea salt
Instructions
- Add the oats to a food processor or blender. Pulse 10-15 times until some of the oats are broken into very small pieces and others remain relatively intact. Place them into a mixing bowl.
- Add the remaining ingredients (except the flaky sea salt) to the oats in the mixing bowl. Mix well to combine with a large spoon.
- With slightly damp hands, roll the dough into balls using about 2 Tbsp of dough per bite. If the bites do not stick together, add 2-3 Tbsp of water (1 Tbsp at a time) and stir until dough sticks together when formed into a ball.
- Once all dough has been rolled out, sprinkle with the flaky sea salt.
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Notes
*May substitute sunflower seed butter for a nut-free option
Nutrition Information
- Serving Size: 1 Bites
- Calories: 132
- Fat: 7g
- (Sat Fat: 1g)
- Sodium: 115mg
- Carbohydrate: 13g
- (Fiber: 2g
- Sugar: 3g)
- Protein: 4g
Dietary
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I’m excited to try these! The recipe says 2/3c pretzels but the ingredient list calls for 1/3c. Which is correct?
If you add ⅔ cup pretzels to the food processor, that should give you about ⅓ cup crushed pretzels. If you’re crushing them by hand, just chop a large handful until you have enough to fill a ⅓ cup measuring cup.
Thanks for all your great recipes. Do you think these
Would hold up well in a care package for my daughter
At college?
You’re welcome! These should travel fine if you pack them fairly snuggly into a container with lid then add some padding to the box.
These turned out great! The peanut butter flavor is a bit overpowering. I might use slightly less next time and swap honey for maple syrup so they still have a sticky bind. I also would add a bit more pretzels as the flavor is not as noticeable as I would’ve liked. My 3 year old has no complaints!
I love a good sweet & salty treat — and these did not disappoint.
Even my picky husband (who typically only eats processed store bought granola bars) enjoyed them! These need to be come a weekly thing!
Awesome! Love hearing that they are husband-approved, too!
Can I substitute flaxseed for chia seeds or hemp hearts?
Yes, that should work just fine.