Tis the season for cookies, right? So that we can enjoy many batches throughout the month, we like to make a mix of healthier options—like these No-Bake Peanut Butter Balls—and more traditional holiday cookies. It just seems right to have treats on hand when there’s a festive tree in the house!
My grandmother did Christmas cookies like no one else I’ve ever known. She’d start weeks before, working her way through all of her favorites until she had stacks and stacks of cookie tins filled to the brim in the corner of her dining room. There were Snickerdoodles, Apricot Balls, Rum Balls, Russian Tea Balls, Gingersnaps, Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars, and so many others. She had a notebook where she kept track of how many dozens she made from year to year and would share them with us, her church, and really anyone who happened to stop by the house.
I don’t do anything nearly as ambitious, but I do like to have treats around during December to make our days feel a little extra special. Whether it’s the dark chocolate from the candy store near my hometown or a batch of easy holiday cookies, it’s a pretty lovely thing to share a treat with my family after dinner (or, I fully admit, as a mid-morning snack).
These No-Bake Peanut Butter Bites are not a traditional holiday cookie, but that doesn’t make them any less special. Actually, they are basically an energy bite, with a base of rolled oats and nut butter, with a bit of chocolate thrown in for good measure. They are easy to make—and fun for little hands to help roll—and they hold up incredibly well in the fridge. And they are exactly the sort of cookie that I prefer to keep on hand because despite being made with just a handful of (mostly) healthful ingredients, they completely taste like a cookie. (Plus, as a pregnant lady, I like that they have a hit of protein to help me meet my daily goal!)
I wrote up my take on this recipe in my latest post for Better Homes and Gardens, so head over there to check it out. (And know that if your kiddo can’t have peanut butter, these work really well with Sunbutter used instead.)
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