These no bake strawberry peanut butter chickpea balls are a nutritious snack or breakfast for your baby, made with no added sugar and wholesome ingredients. They are easy to whip up, naturally gluten-free and vegan, and great for baby led weaning!

When you need something nutritious to feed your baby or toddler quick, it's so nice to have a homemade snack on hand in the refrigerator to keep you from reaching for packaged, sugary snacks. These peanut butter chickpea balls are just the ticket - made with healthy ingredients like oats, chickpeas, and natural peanut butter. Make them ahead of time and stash in the refrigerator or freezer to keep your child's hunger at bay with the beloved taste of peanut butter and jelly with no added sugar! (PS, they make a great lactation snack for nursing mamas, too!)
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Why You'll Love These Peanut Butter Chickpea Balls
These chickpea balls are an easy, nutritious snack for little ones. With plenty of fiber and healthy fat from chickpeas, oats and peanut butter, and no added sugar, you can feel good about giving them to your kids! They are a great texture for baby led weaning babies and toddlers, and the taste is delicious - reminiscent of a PB&J without all the sugar! They are also great for allergen exposure of peanuts. You can make them ahead and add them to:
- Baby or toddler breakfasts
- Toddler lunchboxes
- Morning or afternoon snacks
What You'll Need
- Dates - Use pitted medjool dates, or an equal amount of another kind of fresh, unsweetened date.
- Oats - Rolled oats (also called old fashioned oats), certified gluten free if necessary
- Chickpeas - Rinsing the chickpeas helps remove excess salt if you're using canned chickpeas.
- Peanut butter - Use the natural kind, with just peanuts and salt.
- Strawberries
Helpful equipment: Food processor (I love this mini one!), 1 tablespoon cookie scoop
How To Make Them
Here is a quick rundown. For the full detailed instructions and amounts, see the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Soak the dates. Place the dates in a small bowl and soak in hot water for 10-15 minutes to soften them. Drain them after soaking.
- Pulse the oats in a food processor until they form a powder.
- Add the chickpeas, peanut butter and drained dates to the oat powder. Pulse until you have a smooth-ish 'dough'.
- Add the strawberries.
- Pulse to mix in and break up the strawberries a little, but stop before they are completely blended in.
- Scoop the mixture into balls using a 1 tablespoon scoop. Use wet hands to roll them into nice, neat balls if you'd like.
Tips and Ingredient Substitutions
- If the dough doesn't completely come together before adding the strawberries, that's okay. The berries will add a little moisture. If it is too wet and sticky, add more oats before adding the strawberries.
- Wetting your hands can help prevent sticking when you're rolling the balls.
- Feel free to swap the peanut butter for another natural nut butter, such as almond butter or cashew butter.
- Swap the strawberries for raspberries or blackberries.
Storage
Store chickpea balls in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You may also freeze them for up to 3 months. If you freeze them, thaw in the refrigerator overnight before serving to baby. Adults and big kids may enjoy them straight from the freezer!
How To Serve Them for Baby Led Weaning
You can serve these balls as-is for baby led weaning babies to pick up and nibble on. If it makes you feel more comfortable, you can also roll the balls into a 'finger' shape, about the length and width of an adult finger.
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No Bake Strawberry Peanut Butter Chickpea Balls
These no bake strawberry peanut butter chickpea balls are a nutritious snack or breakfast for your baby, made with no added sugar and wholesome ingredients. They are easy to whip up, naturally gluten-free and vegan, and great for baby led weaning!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: about 10 balls 1x
- Category: snack
- Method: no cook
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 2 pitted medjool dates
- ½ cup rolled oats (certified GF if necessary)
- ½ cup chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2 tbsp natural creamy peanut butter
- ¼ cup diced fresh strawberries
Instructions
- Place dates in a small bowl. Add enough hot water to completely cover the dates and let them soak for 10-15 minutes. After soaking, drain the excess liquid. If your dates are very fresh and soft, you can skip this step.
- In a food processor (I love this mini one!) pulse the oats until they form a powder.
- Add chickpeas, peanut butter and drained dates to the food processor and pulse until you have a fairly smooth 'dough'.
- Add the diced strawberries to the food processor and pulse briefly to incorporate and break up the berries just a little bit without completely blending everything into a uniform dough.
- Use a 1-tbsp cookie scoop to scoop the mixture into balls. Roll with wet hands to form into nice, neat balls.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Notes
- I used natural peanut butter, the kind with just peanuts and salt. 'No stir' types of peanut butter will be too thick.
- You can sub the peanut butter for almond butter or another creamy nut butter.
- If you have another type of date, you'll need about ¼ cup.
- If the 'dough' mixture is still a tad dry and doesn't come together completely before adding the strawberries, that's okay. The strawberries will add moisture. If it's too wet and sticky, add some more oats before adding the strawberries.
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