Monster Balls

This is my kids last week of school and I'm trying to get prepared for them to be home all summer. That includes, but is not limited to, stocking my pantry and fridge with snacks. These boys eat me out of my house I swear. I'm always trying to provide them with healthy snacks but they get tired of fruit, cheese and yogurt and honestly I don't blame them. I really don't want them eating chips and cookies for a snack so I wanted to get prepared and have something that they would really enjoy and feel was a yummy treat but something that I could also feel good about them eating. Enter: Monster Balls. 

This is a popular Pinterest snack and there's a lot of different recipes on there. You can add pretty much anything you want to these and they'll taste delicious. I like the "monster" version of these energy balls because it gives my boys a tiny bit of chocolate which satisfies their sweet tooth and they feel like they're getting a really special treat. These keep you full and you can make a big batch of them, leave them in the refrigerator, (these definitely taste best if they're cold) and can easily grab and go. I've tweaked with this recipe and found this to be the best tasting to me. It's super simple and requires no baking.

-2 1/2 cups of old fashioned oats (I use Quaker) 

-1.5 cups of creamy peanut butter

- a little less than 1/2 cup of honey

-1 tsp vanilla extract

-1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips

-1/2 cup of mini M&M's

Mix together using a hand mixer until well blended. Roll into small balls and refrigerate. I leave mine in the refrigerator because I think they taste extra delicious cold! Sometimes I may sprinkle in a few more M&M's or oats or peanut butter until I feel like it's a good mix of all three. Be careful with the honey because if you put too much in there the taste can be overpowering. 

These are a great snack that everyone in our house loves. I'm going to be on the hunt for more easy, grab and go healthy snacks for summer and hopefully I can find some. If  I do I'll share them here. If you have one you love please share in the comments!!