Healthy PB & Oat Balls

Swimsuit weather is finally here, and we all know what that means... It's time to stop chowing down Pop-Tarts and find a healthier alternate. Or at least, that's what I need to do.

Today's recipe is the perfect Pop-Tart replacement: healthy peanut butter and oatmeal energy balls! My family has been making these for a couple of years now. They're super easy to whip up, they're freezable, and they make a convenient and tasty grab-and-go snack for when you're on the run. Plus, they're packed full of healthy ingredients like flax meal and chia seeds, so they'll give you the energy you need to keep going all day long.

Another plus is that this recipe is very forgiving, so you really don't even need to measure out the ingredients. I usually just eyeball it, and then add some more oats or honey depending if they seem too wet or too dry. I really enjoy this aspect of the recipe because baking is always more fun when you don't have to wash a million measuring cups afterwards, especially when sticky honey is involved.

And did I mention that these energy balls are NO-BAKE?! Well they are, so it's the ideal recipe to make in this already scorching summer weather when heating up your oven is the last thing you want to be doing.

You can also make tons of variations of this recipe. Need an extra boost throughout your day? Add some expresso powder. A die-hard chocolate enthusiast? Mix in some cocoa powder or extra chocolate chips. Not a peanut butter person? Substitute some almond or cashew butter instead. You can also add M&Ms, raisins, coconut flakes, orange or lemon zest, or whatever else you're feeling.

Play around with this recipe and customize it to your liking. I hope that you find this as perfect of an easy summer snack as I do.

Healthy PB & Oat Balls

Ingredients:

• 1 cup old-fashioned oats (uncooked)
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/2 cup flax meal (I used Bob's Red Mill Organic Golden Flaxseed Meal)
• 2 tbsp. chia seeds
• 1/3 cup chocolate chips
• 1/2 tbsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients together until well combined.
2. Roll into 1" balls and chill in freezer for 1 hour, or until firm.
3. Enjoy! Store balls in air-tight container in freezer to keep fresh and hold shape.