While these bites are made with healthy ingredients like nuts, dates, oats, and goji berries, there’s zero deprivation in my Peanut Butter & Jam bliss balls. I wouldn’t have it any other way! Who doesn’t love the pairing of fresh peanut butter (always toast your nuts first!) and the sweetness of dried fruit. In this case, I’ve loaded up these truffles with vitamin-packed mulberries, goji berries, and Medjool dates—and then stepped up the flavors with a hint of sea salt and vanilla bean paste. And when kept in the freezer, the goji berries add the perfect amount of crunch—making them especially tasty. Warning: these PB&J bites are downright addicting! But I love having them around.
Makes 12 bites
What you need:
- 1 cup unsalted peanuts
- 8 Medjool dates
- ¼ cup dried mulberries
- ¾ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- ⅓ cup rolled oats
- ⅓ cup goji berries
What you do:
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spread peanuts onto a baking sheet and toast for 10 minutes.
- Into a high-speed blender or food processor, blend peanuts, dates, mulberries, salt, cinnamon, and vanilla bean paste for 3 minutes, or until mixture forms into a ball. If needed, add one teaspoon of water at a time until dough comes together. To mixture, add oats and goji berries, and blend until combined.
- To prevent sticking, wet your hands. Form dough into 1½-inch balls.
- Place balls in an airtight container and then freeze for at least 30 minutes. These bites taste great frozen!
Healthy Hints:
- >> Love the flavor of hazelnuts or almonds? These pb&j bites can easily be switched up using your favorite nuts. I always recommend toasting your raw nuts first!
- >> Drizzle bites with melted, dark chocolate for a next-level snack.
>> Vanilla bean paste is a mixture of ground vanilla beans and vanilla extract, offering a concentrated, superior flavor over vanilla extract. While a high-quality vanilla bean paste can be a bit pricey, it will elevate any dish. Another great alternative is vanilla bean powder (I like this one), which is vanilla beans ground into a fine powder.