Learn How To Make Low FODMAP Trail Mix Energy Balls
Just Google “energy balls” or “energy bites” and you will see that these tiny treats have taken over the Internet.
Our Low FODMAP Trail Mix Energy Balls pack in all of your favorite trail-mix ingredients like dried fruit, nuts, and seeds – with the addition of peanut butter and chocolate!
Chocolate Chips or M&Ms
You can use mini semisweet chocolate chips, or you can use mini M&Ms. They are both low FODMAP but we think the M&Ms add color and a fun factor. Lord knows this diet is often seemingly lacking in FUN factor! Use them as a treat.
You CAN have chocolate on the low FODMAP diet. Read All About Dark Chocolate, to learn more.
Read more about the low FODMAP status of your favorite candy in our article, Low FODMAP Candy Ingredients.
Choose The Right PB
The type of peanut butter that you use will greatly affect the outcome of these balls in terms of flavor and texture.We do not recommend the kind of natural peanut butter that you grind yourself at the market; it is simply too coarse and dry.
We have great results in the Test Kitchen with the reliability and standardization of both Smucker’s and Teddie brand natural peanut butters. The only ingredients on the label should be peanuts and salt.
If you want to use a no-stir style that also has palm oil added, the recipe will work but the resulting mixture might be a tad moister and possibly more difficult to roll.
In this case you can either chill longer or add a tablespoon or 2 more of one of the drier ingredients, such as the coconut or oats.
Some Coconut Products Are Low FODMAP
Read our article Is Coconut Low FODMAP? for information on all things coconut, from a FODMAP perspective, from flour to oil to cream, milk and different kinds of coconut meat.
This recipe calls for unsweetened dried coconut.
When it comes to unsweetened dried coconut there are three main types: large broad pieces (sometimes called chips or flakes), long thin shreds (sometimes called flaked or “angel flake”) and very fine grated coconut (sometimes labeled desiccated).
Unfortunately terminology does not seem to be consistent and one company might call theirs shredded when the same product might be called grated somewhere else. I like to use the long, thin shreds for this recipe.
If you use the larger chips they will break down during mixing, which is okay. The desiccated is very fine and will make your energy balls drier.
Speaking of Texture
You have a choice of liquid sweeteners. Maple syrup, corn syrup and rice syrup are all low FODMAP. Of all of them, maple is the least sticky. You actually want some stickiness to help the balls hold together.
Honey, which is sticky, too, is low FODMAP in small portions of 1 teaspoon. By adding a tiny bit of sticky liquid sweetener in addition to the maple syrup, you will have an easier time forming nice neat balls. Stick to the serving sizes of the finished balls and they will still be low FODMAP.
Oats Are Low FODMAP
Note that you can make these with raw oats but we find that lightly toasting them improves their texture and flavor. See Tips for directions.
Oats are low FODMAP in specific portions. We suggest heeding our serving size suggestions and see how you do. You can use conventional oats or oats that are gluten-free, depending on your need.
Please use regular rolled oats (sometimes labeled old-fashioned oats). Thick cut rolled oats, steel-cut, instant and quick oats will NOT work in this recipe.
Easy-To-Make
The beauty of these babies is that they are endlessly variable (just watch your FODMAPs when substituting ingredients) and you don’t need to bake them or even form them in a pan. They offer instant portion control and are easy to pack in small airtight containers or snack-size zip top bags.
With a stash of these Low FODMAP Trail Mix Energy Balls you will always have a low-FODMAP snack at hand when you are running out the door to work, the gym, school or are just lounging around the house when hunger strikes.
Also check out our PB Chocolate Energy balls and if you love coconut, out Almond Joy energy bites.
Low FODMAP Trail Mix Energy Balls
Low FODMAP Trail Mix Energy Balls are easy to make and pack well, too.
Low FODMAP Serving Size Info: Makes 24 balls; 12 servings; serving size 2 balls
Ingredients:
- 1 cup (99 g) old-fashioned oats, preferably lightly toasted; use gluten-free if following a gluten-free diet
- 1/2 cup (135 g) natural peanut butter
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons honey or rice syrup
- 1/4 cup (18 g) unsweetened coconut shreds
- 1/4 cup (40 g) dried cranberries roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup (42 g) raisins roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup (25 g) pecan or walnut halves finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons raw pumpkin seeds
- ¼ cup (50 g) miniature chocolate chips or mini M&Ms
Preparation:
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Place oats, PB, maple syrup, honey, coconut, cranberries, raisins, nuts and seeds in a bowl and stir together very well with a sturdy wooden spoon, large, firm silicone spatula or your hands until thoroughly combined. We like to use our stand mixer fitted with the flat paddle and highly recommend this approach. Once the mixture is thoroughly and evenly combined, fold in the chocolate chips or M&Ms.
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Roll the mixture into small, bite-size balls about 1-inch (2.5 cm) across. We use a tiny scoop to help the process. If the mixture is too soft, simply cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm enough to roll. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 week or freeze up to 1 month.
Dédé's Quick Recipe Tips Video
Notes:
Tips
- If you are going to toast the oats, position rack in middle of oven. Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C. Pour oats out onto a rimmed sheet pan. Bake for about 7 to 8 minutes or just until they take on the faintest amount of color and a toasty aroma emanates from the oven. Set pan on rack to cool completely.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more. For a more detailed explanation, please read our article Understanding The Nutrition Panel Within Our Recipes.
I’m allergic to pumpkin. What would you recommend for a substitution for the pumpkin seeds, or could I leave them out altogether?
Hi Katelyn, you could leave them out, use another LOFO seed of your choice, or add a bit more of the nuts.
I made these recently because they sounded healthy, but I found them more like a confection than an ‘energy ball.’ I know Americans do tend towards overly sweet food, but I wonder if you could recommend a way to get them to bind together without relying on the syrups as I feel that dried fruit is more than sweet enough on its own. I also found them difficult to roll with so many whole ingredients as the mixture was hard to keep in a ball even when using moistened hands to assist. I think if I made them again I would use a mini-chopper to break down the oats, dried fruits, seeds & nuts into smaller pieces. Thank you, Dede, for some further suggestions. I did find them very filling which was a distinct plus.
Hi Maree, a couple of things come to mind: I wanted to just check with you about a few things. First of all you chose one of the sweetest energy balls. These include mini M&Ms after all. There are other Energy balls on the site that are less sweet. As far as how to get them to hold together you do have to use the ingredients called for. As I point out in the recipe not all peanut butter are the same, for instance, and neither are all types of dried coconut. I also make note that the recipe will not work with different kinds of oats. I would make sure that you use the ingredients called for and measure them appropriately. To lessen the sweetness you could use all race see her up and no maple syrup whatsoever. That would go a long way to taking down the sweetness level. And finally, using a stand mixer as I recommend works beautifully and effortlessly in bringing them next year together. If you do not have one I admit that working the mixture by hand is not as easy. If you want to make it by hand I would literally use your hands and get in there and squish everything together. That will work much better than trying to use a wooden spoon or spatula. I think a mini chopper would not be strong enough and certainly the volume would not be large enough.
Thanks, Dede, for your reply. Just to clarify, I didn’t use the M & M’s, but I did use the recommended amount of choc. chips, mainly because an energy ball mix by LoFo site, A Little Bit Yummy, also incorporated them & I didn’t find that recipe too sweet, so I thought it would be okay to go that way with your recipe also. I used a smooth, commercial Aust. brand of Peanut Butter that would fall in line with your recommendations; I also used traditional/old-fashioned Oats & Shredded Coconut, so I can’t see any problems here. (I didn’t toast the oats as I was short on time.) Measurements for all ingredients were strict as I’m not knew to the LoFo diet & have been following it for several years now & have achieved relatively good symptom control. However, it has occurred to me that there may be differences between USA & Aust. measuring equipment that I’m not aware of …? I may have to look at the stand-mixer as that’s the only obvious potential ‘culprit’ I can see. Thanks for your input. I’ll see if my next batch comes together any easier when I make this change.
Hi Maree, tablespoons are different, as we detail in this article, and also, inaccuracy of measurement tools can happen more often than people realize. BTW our volume measurements are more accurate that the weights.