How To Make Peanut Butter Balls
Peanut butter balls were a staple in our school lunchrooms. Word got around fast on the day the lunch ladies were making them and we all looked forward to the single serving we got on our trays come noon meal. Single serving for everyone but my brother.
My brother, who never once passed up a chance to be unusually cruel to me, managed to singlehandedly wrap every one of the hair netted lunch ladies around his little finger. While we all surfaced with our single peanut butter ball, Bill waltzed to his table with at least three. Alright, so maybe he wasn’t always unusually cruel. He did let me be a backup singer when he was singing Buddy Holly, but that wasn’t my point here.
This is a great snack for children and grown ups alike. They are kept in ziploc bags in the freezer and when we manage to have any (they are eaten so fast!), I often see my husband or son coming back from the freezer with a handful at a time. Full of all sorts of goodness, its one snack that will not only tide your family over until you can finish up supper, but one you can feel good about letting them have.
Note about honey: If you have children under the age of two, substitute corn syrup as raw honey poses health risks.
I can go into why but don’t I go off on enough tangents as it is?
I make a LOT of these at a time so I need a dishpan.
Feel free to half this recipe!
Ingredients
- 2 C honey or corn syrup
- 3 C creamy peanut butter
- 5 C dry milk powder
- 6 C quick oats
Instructions
- Mix all together with hand mixer. Form into balls with hands and freeze on waxed paper lined cookie sheets until hardened. Store in freezer in ziploc bags. (Makes about 100)
Nutrition
If my brother shows up, only let him have one. ~grins~
Sounds like a great recipe for my hubby. He adores peanut butter, so I’m thinking this will be his work snack next week! Thanks much for the timely Twitter link 🙂
Way back in 1971 when my first son was born I learned to make these from someone in La Leche League. We didn’t put the oats in there though, just P-Nut Butter, honey and powdered milk. We’d shape them in tiny little squares for toddlers and sometimes put a little raisen on top. I’ll have to try with the oats. BTW if you eat Muesli cereal (love it!) you eat raw rolled oats. Thanks Christy!
what about the powder milk, can we subsitute anything for that?
thanks, I just love your site.
Hey Lenna!
I would experiment with more oats and a little confectioner’s sugar if you wanted to stay away from the powdered milk.
Let me know how it turns out! thanks!
Christy 🙂
Remember that it is the powdered milk that really pumps up the nutritional content of these treats…
When my kids were young I would add powdered milk to many things. If recipe called for a cup of milk I would use that but also add powdered milk to double up on the protein and calcium.
These look GREAT. And I love “brown sauce” and “flaked nuts”! You’re hilarious!
In California ours were covered in light coating of powdered sugar.
Additionally they used rice crispies instead of outs- gives them a totally different crunch…..
amazing how everybody has wonderful memories of this one cafeteria food huh?
oh @nicole, you are AWESOME! i was all over this, but i knew my kids woudln’t eat it because of the oats. this is exactly what I needed!
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