Chocolate Peanut Butter Energy Balls

In one of my recent posts, I mentioned a substitute I found for the popular Nutella spread. I used it one of my most recent posts Choco Peanut Butter & Fruit Bites.

I came across this heavenly spread by accident. It was on sale for $1.98 compared to $3.54 for Nutella, so I thought, what the heck, let's try it out. Not only that, but the Skippy Chocolate spread also contains 60% less sugar than Nutella. 

(Top: Nutella; Bottom: Skippy)

I began to compare the two and did some further research. 

Skippy contains:

- less saturated fat

- less carbs 

- more protein (the picture is cut off, but it has 6g vs Nutella's 2g). 

Skippy is made in the U.S., Nutella is made in Canada. AND look at Nutella's FIRST ingredient. SUGAR. Keep looking at the ingredient list. It also contains VANILLIN: AN ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR.

I wasn't sure what that meant, so I looked it up. Needless to say, I will never eat Nutella again. 

"Now call me fussy, but I do not want to be eating something that is a product of petrochemicals. I put petrochemicals in my car, I use plastics made from petrochemicals, I wear materials made from petrochemicals, but I do NOT want to be eating the stuff." (Source)

This is where eating clean has its pros and cons because if there's an ingredient in a particular food that I can't pronounce or don't recognize, I look it up. In many cases, they're synthetic chemicals that are harmful to your body. I no longer consume those kinds of foods and instead, I look for healthier alternatives to eat instead. You have to be careful and aware of the ingredients that are listed on the every day foods you consume because they may actually contain hidden ingredients that are harmful to your health.

On a more positive note, these Chocolate Peanut Butter Energy Balls are healthy and are also super tasty!

Here's what you'll need for this recipe:

1/2 cup of crispy rice cereal

1/2 cup of old fashioned rolled oats
1/4 cup of Skippy Natural Peanut Butter Spread with Dark Chocolate*
2-3 tablespoons Honey*
1/4 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1/8 teaspoon Cinnamon
2 tablespoons Dried Cranberries or Chocolate Chips (optional)
2 tablespoons Chopped Nuts (optional)

*Note: You can use your favorite spread, but keep in mind you may have to reduce or increase the honey amount.

In a medium-sized bowl, add honey, spread, cinnamon and vanilla. Mix until all the ingredients become smooth. This is where I would taste your mixture and double-check to see if you need to add more honey, especially if you're using regular peanut butter or a spread that's not as sweet in flavor.

In a food processor, add your choice of nuts and chocolate chips. This part is optional. I used almonds and white chocolate chips. I pulsed the two ingredients until they were finely chopped.

Add the remaining ingredients into the bowl, including what's in the processor. Mix thoroughly until coated well.

Store in the fridge for 30 minutes. Then, roll mixture into 1-inch balls. 

My batch made 15. Feel free to double the batch! I ate them when I was craving something sweet or before a workout.