Low-FODMAP Energy Balls

Michael Eisenwasser

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Peanut butter and oat energy balls sweetened with maple syrup instead of dates or honey.

Prep 15 min

Cook 1 min

Serves 12

Gluten-free-optionDairy-freeVegan

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups (135 g) rolled oats (not steel-cut; certified gluten-free if needed)
• 3/4 cup (195 g) natural peanut butter, no honey or added sugar blends
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) pure maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons (24 g) chia seeds
• 1/4 cup (20 g) unsweetened shredded coconut (optional)
• 2 tablespoons dark chocolate chips, chopped (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt

Instructions

Mix

1. Stir the peanut butter, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt together in a medium bowl until smooth.
2. Add the oats, chia seeds, coconut, and chocolate chips. Fold until every oat is coated and no dry pockets remain.

Chill

1. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes. This firms the peanut butter and lets the chia absorb moisture so the balls hold together.

Roll

1. Scoop a rounded tablespoon of dough (about 30 g) and roll between your palms into a ball. You should get 12 to 14 balls, depending on scoop size.
2. If the dough cracks, knead in 1 teaspoon of peanut butter. If it feels oily, add 1 tablespoon of oats.
3. Set the balls on a parchment-lined plate or tray and refrigerate for another 30 minutes before eating.

Tips & Substitutions

• Start with one ball. Each ball lands at roughly 1 tablespoon peanut butter, 2 teaspoons oats, and 1 teaspoon maple syrup. Many people tolerate two, but fat and fiber load adds up; build up slowly.
• Check the peanut butter label. Plain peanuts and salt is ideal. Skip anything with honey, agave, high-fructose corn syrup, or inulin. Almond butter can swap in, but its low-FODMAP serve is smaller than peanut butter's; check the Monash app for your brand.
• Regular dark chocolate chips. Dark chocolate is low-FODMAP at 30 g. "Sugar-free" or keto chips sweetened with xylitol, sorbitol, maltitol, or isomalt are high-FODMAP and a problem if you're sensitive to sugar alcohols.
• Add-ins, in small amounts. A tablespoon of chopped walnuts or pecans, or a tablespoon of pumpkin seeds, spread across the batch stays within serves. For dried cranberries, use 1 tablespoon total and pick ones sweetened with sugar rather than apple juice concentrate.
• Skip the dates. Most energy-ball recipes use medjool dates as the binder. Dates have very small low-FODMAP serves (varies by type) and are easy to overdo once you batch them. Maple syrup keeps the sweetness without piling on fructans.
• Coconut, modestly. Shredded coconut has a smaller low-FODMAP serve than you'd guess; the 20 g spread across 12 balls is fine, but don't double it. Omit if coconut has bothered your gut before.
• Make them firmer. For a denser ball, stir in 2 tablespoons of oat flour or ground flaxseed before chilling.

Why This Works

Oats stay low in 1/4 cup serves. Monash tests rolled oats as low-FODMAP at 1/4 cup dry (23 g). This recipe spreads 1 1/2 cups across 12 balls, so each ball lands well under the limit.

Peanut butter is naturally low-FODMAP. Plain peanuts test low at 2 tablespoons (50 g). The main issue is added ingredients, so labels matter more than the nut itself.

Maple syrup beats honey. Maple is low-FODMAP at 2 tablespoons; honey is high-fructose at any real serve and has to stay out.

Chia binds without fruit. Chia seeds absorb liquid and pull the dough together, which is the job dates normally do. They also keep the texture from drying out in the fridge.

Storage

Keep the balls in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week at 40°F (4°C) or below. For longer storage, freeze on a tray until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw a few in the fridge the night before, or eat straight from the freezer.

Not sure about an ingredient? FODMAP Tracker includes a database of 1,000+ foods with FODMAP ratings to help you cook with confidence.