Groaty Oaty Power Balls
I made these once for snack. There were none left at the end of pickups, and a few people were convinced to keep their oat groats, so I guess you could call them a success. There is much room for improvement and adaptation, but with only four ingredients, it’s a great jumping off point. Run with it.
Preparation
Ingredients (these quantities are approximate, as I didn’t really measure anything)
1.5 c. oat groats, toasted
10 dates, pitted and chopped fine
1 c. peanut butter with semi-sweet chocolate
1/3c. honey
Toast the oat groats in a dry cast iron or heavy bottomed skillet over medium heat until they just begin to color, about 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often (at the end you’ll want to stir constantly or they may burn!). Remove from heat and continue to stir until the pan has cooled enough not to continue toasting. You can also spread them out into an empty baking pan to cool.
If you are not as lazy as me, you may choose to heat your peanut butter and honey a bit to mix them evenly. You could put the two in a big glass bowl and microwave for one minute, stir well, then add the dates and toasted oat groats and mix well to combine.
To form the balls, you’ll need wet fingers, so get a bowl of water to keep at the ready. Dip your fingers in, take about a teaspoon of the mixture and form it into a little ball. Place on a plate or tray and continue with the remainder. This made about 40ish balls, which I refrigerated for about half an hour before serving.
Pecans or other chopped nuts and coconut would make good additions. What else sounds good?