Your snack game will never be the same once you try these no-bake oatmeal energy balls. And with eight flavor options, plus tips on how to make up your own, you definitely won’t get bored!
Hello friends! I’m so excited to finally be getting this awesome post out to you today. I’ve had the recipes done and photographed for a while and then life happened; I had a pretty nasty illness, and spring sprung, which means I’ve been slow getting all these words written for you. Last year’s post about 9 Energy Bites was so well received that I wanted to share with you 8 recipes for no-bake oatmeal energy bites, the cookie-like cousin of the date ball.
We LOVE No-Bake Oatmeal Energy Balls, and I have been making them pretty much non-stop this year. It’s an easy thing for the kids to grab out of the fridge, they travel great, they are so easy to make, and they taste like a cookie. These are going to become a fast family favorite in your house too – that I guarantee! These are a great, easy, budget-friendly whole food snack you are going to make again and again. If you feel like your kids are constantly asking for food, you are going to love these. Best. Snack. Ever!
Want all 8 recipes in one easy printable? You can get it for free here!
What I Love About No-Bake Oatmeal Energy Balls
I have everything on hand to make them.
The base of No-Bake Oatmeal Energy Balls is oatmeal, peanut butter, and honey. You can mix in a lot of things to suit your taste, but in general, they are made from just a few simple ingredients that I always have on hand. There’s nothing special to put on a shopping list, they can be mixed together in just a few minutes, and my kids are crazy for them.
They are made with “whole food” ingredients.
Oats, peanut butter, and honey are some pretty great simple ingredients. I love that these have a good mix of health fats, carbs, protein, and fiber that help keep my family running. Some of the recipes also include almond butter and I’m sure that they could be made with sunbutter too. If you need these to be gluten-free, find gluten-free oats. I feel like these are very easy to adjust to your dietary needs, which is always nice. That being said, a few of the recipes do have chocolate chips in them and one even has 1/4 cup of mini M&M’s. I know that these aren’t whole foods. You can, however, find some great whole food chocolate chips and dye-free candies, if that’s important to you. Make them work for you and you’ll be one happy camper.
Oatmeal energy bites taste like cookies.
I’m never sad when easy whole food recipes taste like cookies. Neither are the kids. Long live the cookie!
My kids love them.
As much as I’d like you to think my kids eat all the things I put in front of them without fuss, that just isn’t true. These, however, are 100% kid approved. They have been tested by my kids plus about 10 other neighborhood buddies. The Monster Cookie No-Bake Oatmeal Energy Balls were the favorite… thanks to those M&M’s. 🙂
They can be made on a prep day, store well, and travel well.
Long live a prep day for busy moms! These are great made ahead of time, store well in the fridge, travel well, and are all around awesomeness.
Tips and Tricks for Making No-Bake Oatmeal Energy Balls
Rest time is a must.
Don’t skip the resting time. This is when the oats will absorb some of the moisture and will help everything stick together. It’s a must.
When in doubt, add something sticky.
Different factors like the kind of oatmeal and mix-in’s you add are going to affect the “stickiness” of the energy balls. If they are too dry and won’t stick together after the resting time, your best bet is to add a tablespoon or two of something sticky (like the peanut butter and/or honey).
Add what you love.
Don’t let my recipes stop you from adding what you think sounds good or what you might have on hand; these are just to get you started. You can also add some “superfoods” to these if you are looking to boost the nutrition (always a good idea, if you ask me). A tablespoon of chia seeds, ground flaxseed, and/or hemp hearts can be added to any and all of these recipes. Play with them! I’m going to make some with dried pineapple and cashew butter soon, because we love the stuff.
SUBSTITUTIONS
When it comes to the oats:
Did you know that quick cooking oats are still a whole grain? Unlike other “instant” kind of things, quick cooking oats are simply cut smaller. If you use quick cooking oats (sometimes called 1-minute oats), the texture of the oats will be softer/less chewy. If you use old-fashioned oats, the texture will be chewier. I found that a mix of the two was the best, though using one or the other will work well too. I like the chewy old-fashioned oats, but my husband thought they tasted too much like raw oats (LOL, because they are…).
When it comes to the honey:
I did not do much recipe testing using anything other than honey. If you would like to experiment, I think that agave or brown rice syrup might be a good place to start, though I didn’t work with either.
When it comes to the peanut butter:
You can use peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter, pecan butter, sunbutter, and just about any other nut butter that you like, though it will change the flavor of the oatmeal energy balls. I like to use almond butter when I don’t want the flavor of the nut butter to be very strong (like peanut butter). It worked great in recipes like the Blueberry Muffin No-Bake Oatmeal Energy Balls because the flavor is a bit more mellow than peanut butter.
Monster Cookie No-Bake Oatmeal Energy Balls
If there were an awards ceremony for No-Bake Oatmeal Energy Balls, this Monster Cookie version would win the kids’ choice award. What is it about a few pretty little candies that gets them so excited?! Peanut butter, M&M’s, whole peanuts, and chocolate chips all in one place was a big hit with all the little people. And let’s be honest, these were my husband’s favorites too. I couldn’t find any mini baking M&M’s, so I just bought a normal sized tube of the mini M&M’s from the candy aisle and they were just enough for one recipe.
PrintMonster Cookie No-Bake Oatmeal Energy Balls
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Total Time: 5 mins
- Yield: 12 balls
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry oats (I like 1/2 old fashioned oatmeal and 1/2 quick cooking)
- 1/4 cup peanut butter
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup dry roasted peanuts
- 1/4 cup mini M&M’s
- 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips
- dash of salt
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, optional
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, add all of the ingredients and stir to combine well. The mixture should be a bit sticky. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Use a spoon to scoop about a tablespoon of the cookie ball mixture into your hand. Roll into a ball. Repeat with remaining mixture. This should make about 12 oatmeal energy balls.
- Store the balls covered in the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer for much longer.
Blueberry Muffin No-Bake Oatmeal Energy Balls
Blueberry Muffin No-Bake Oatmeal Energy Balls are often my favorite because I love dried blueberries a whole lot! I used almond butter in this recipe because it has a more natural flavor compared to peanut butter. The addition of a little cinnamon and some toasted coconut really makes this no-bake recipe a treat.
PrintBlueberry Muffin No-Bake Oatmeal Energy Balls
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Total Time: 5 mins
- Yield: 12
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry oats (I like 1/2 old fashioned oatmeal and 1/2 quick cooking)
- 1/4 cup almond butter
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/2 cup dried blueberries
- dash of salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, optional
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, add all of the ingredients and stir to combine well. The mixture should be a bit sticky. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Use a spoon to scoop about a tablespoon of the cookie ball mixture into your hand. Roll into a ball. Repeat with remaining mixture. This should make about 12 oatmeal energy balls.
- Store the balls covered in the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer for much longer.
Classic Chocolate Chip and Peanut Butter No-Bake Oatmeal Energy Balls
This variety is forever a favorite thanks to the combination of peanut butter and chocolate. It’s simple but always delicious.
PrintClassic Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Energy Balls
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Total Time: 5 mins
- Yield: 12
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry oats (I like 1/2 old fashioned oatmeal and 1/2 quick cooking)
- 1/4 cup peanut butter
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
- dash of salt
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, optional
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, add all of the ingredients and stir to combine well. The mixture should be a bit sticky. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Use a spoon to scoop about a tablespoon of the cookie ball mixture into your hand. Roll into a ball. Repeat with remaining mixture. This should make about 12 oatmeal energy balls.
- Store the balls covered in the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer for much longer.
Sweet and Salty No-Bake Oatmeal Energy Balls
There’s something magical about Sweet and Salty No-Bake Oatmeal Energy Balls. These are made with almond butter, salted roasted almonds, and crushed pretzels. They are sweet but have some great crunchy and salty components that make them stand out from the crowd.
PrintSweet and Salty No-Bake Oatmeal Energy Balls
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Total Time: 5 mins
- Yield: 12
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry oats (I like 1/2 old fashioned oatmeal and 1/2 quick cooking)
- 1/4 cup almond butter
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup crushed pretzels
- 1/4 cup chopped roasted salted almonds
- dash of salt
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, optional
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, add all of the ingredients and stir to combine well. The mixture should be a bit sticky. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Use a spoon to scoop about a tablespoon of the cookie ball mixture into your hand. Roll into a ball. Repeat with remaining mixture. This should make about 12 oatmeal energy balls.
- Store the balls covered in the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer for much longer.
Peanut Butter Cookie No-Bake Oatmeal Energy Balls
Long live peanut butter! This No-Bake Oatmeal Energy Ball recipe has big peanut flavor and crunch thanks to peanut butter and whole peanuts. I’m never sad when I make a batch of these because peanut butter is my spirit animal.
PrintPeanut Butter Cookies No-Bake Oatmeal Energy Balls
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Total Time: 5 mins
- Yield: 12
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry oats (I like 1/2 old fashioned oatmeal and 1/2 quick cooking)
- 1/4 cup peanut butter
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/2 cup roasted salted peanuts
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, optional
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, add all of the ingredients and stir to combine well. The mixture should be a bit sticky. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Use a spoon to scoop about a tablespoon of the cookie ball mixture into your hand. Roll into a ball. Repeat with remaining mixture. This should make about 12 oatmeal energy balls.
- Store the balls covered in the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer for much longer.
Oatmeal Cookie No-Bake Oatmeal Energy Balls
I used almond butter, spices, chopped pecans, and raisins to mimic the flavors of a classic oatmeal cookie. The best part about this cookie though is you don’t have to bake it and it’s pretty darn good for you! If you like the classic oatmeal cookie taste but not the raisins, feel free to swap them out for a few chocolate chips.
PrintOatmeal Raisin Cookie No-Bake Oatmeal Energy Balls
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Total Time: 5 mins
- Yield: 12
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry oats (I like 1/2 old fashioned oatmeal and 1/2 quick cooking)
- 1/4 cup almond butter
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup raisins
- 1/4 cup chopped pecans
- 1/4 cup toasted coconut
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- dash of salt
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, optional
Instructions
- In a medium bowl add all of the ingredients, and stir to combine well. The mixture should be a bit sticky. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Use a spoon to scoop about a tablespoon of the cookie ball mixture into your hand. Roll into a ball. Repeat with remaining mixture. This should make about 12 oatmeal energy balls.
- Store the balls covered in the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer for much longer.
Double Chocolate No-Bake Oatmeal Energy Balls
Long live the chocolate fix without the guilt. A little cocoa powder and a few chocolate chips turn this no-bake oatmeal ball into a real treat. You can use peanut butter or almond butter. This is a great one to add any superfoods, too, because the dark color makes it harder for kids to detect their presence. 🙂
PrintDouble Chocolate No-Bake Oatmeal Energy Balls
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Total Time: 5 mins
- Yield: 12
Ingredients
- 1 cup dry oats (I like 1/2 old fashioned oatmeal and 1/2 quick cooking)
- 1/4 cup peanut butter
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
- dash of salt
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, optional
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, add all of the ingredients and stir to combine well. The mixture should be a bit sticky. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Use a spoon to scoop about a tablespoon of the cookie ball mixture into your hand. Roll into a ball. Repeat with remaining mixture. This should make about 12 oatmeal energy balls.
- Store the balls covered in the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer for much longer.
Vegan Banana No-Bake Oatmeal Energy Balls
This recipe is a bit different in the fact that it doesn’t follow our honey + nut butter formula. I wanted to try a vegan/nut free option for you. This No-Bake Oatmeal Energy Ball is made with a mashed banana and not much else. You’ll need to let this rest longer in the fridge (more moisture for the oats to soak up), but it turned out great. You can add vegan chocolate chips or skip them. Be sure to use a banana that is nice and ripe, but not so dark that it will taste old. This one was ok, but I didn’t love the banana in it. My toddler however couldn’t get enough. You’re going to have to be the judge on this one.
PrintVegan Banana No-Bake Oatmeal Energy Balls
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Total Time: 5 mins
- Yield: 12
Ingredients
- 1 ripe (but not grossly ripe) medium banana
- 1 cup dry oats (I like 1/2 old fashioned oatmeal and 1/2 quick cooking)
- 1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips (or something similar), optional
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, add the peeled banana and mash thoroughly with a fork. Add the dry oats and chocolate chips and stir to combine. Refrigerate until the mixture holds together when pressed into a ball (this took about an hour for me). Use a spoon to scoop a tablespoon of the mixture into you hands and roll into a ball.
- Repeat with the remaining mixture.
- Store the balls covered in the fridge for a few days, or in the freezer much longer. I feel like the banana started to get brown and slimy much faster than the other recipes, so if you make a couple types, eat these first!
Notes
The nutritional information includes regular semi-sweet chocolate chips. Nutritional details may change with vegan chocolate chips.
And there you have 8 amazing No-Bake Oatmeal Energy Ball recipes! Your snack game will never be the same.
This post is going to be your go-to No-Bake Oatmeal Energy Balls guide! I hope you use it over and over again. If this post speaks to you, you think someone else might like it, or you want to save it for later, by all means, share it on your social media platforms. Pin it, Facebook it, throw a picture up on Instagram and tag me (#blessthismesseats). All of those things are incredibly helpful to me. There is so much power in your sharing, you literally have no idea how important that is for me. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Now, which one are you going to make first?!
Want all 8 recipes in one easy printable? You can get it for free here!
I have a bunch of oats to use up. I was going to make oatmeal cookies, but these look so enticing…
PERFECT use for some extra oats 🙂
Thank you Melissa for this yummy no bake energy balls.
It will save me money and for sure more delish and fresh than the one I buy in the supermarket.
Making them tonight thanks!
mmmmmm these look fantastic!, off to the kitchen I go! but which one to make first?
Peanut butter is your spirit animal…bahahahaha….you are killing me over here!!!
Truer words were never written. 🙂
These would be perfect for a snack for my kids to bring to school! Do you know if they fall apart easily if they start to warm up? They leave the house at 7:00 a.m. and snack time isn’t until later in the day. They all look so good! Thanks!
They are fine! I like them cold but they will hold together at room temperature just fine. I took some to preschool this week and they were a huge hit!
I made your basic peanut butter cookies.
I’m a cyclist looking for an energy bar to take along for a mid-ride snack.
I used Natural Grocers in -store ground p-nut butter. Added ground flax seed, diced almonds.
After the 30 minute rest in the fridge I used an ice cream scoop and rolled into a ball. Definitely need to wet hands to keep from sticking to my hands.
I found the end product to be really sticky so I rolled the balls in wheat germ and that took care of the stickiness.Then wrapped the golf ball sized cookies in plastic wrap..like popcorn balls and frozen. They should travel okay on my bike rides.
These are fantastic…better than expensive energy bars !!! I am looking forward to trying the other balls.Next time I might trying rolling the balls in almond flour before packaging.
These recipes are a keeper and a great substitute to expensive energy bars.
Thanks Mellissa.
Thank you so much for the review! You can also up your oats a little if things feel sticky 🙂 But it sounds like you have it figured out. I’m so excited you made them and and they turned out well for you!
Hi,
These look amazing! I was wondering if you know the calories?
Any idea on calorie count for these bites?
I was wondering the same thing.
Could you add a protein powder to these?
Yes, you might need a little more peanut butter or honey to get them to stick together though!
Do you think these could be frozen? I’m due with my first child in a few weeks and am thinking these would be great to have on hand once he/she arrives.
Yes! I actually like to eat them a bit frozen or cold. They freeze great. I normally make a double or triple batch and keep the bulk of them in the freezer!
I made the monster cookie energy balls and it taste great but I had trouble with them sticking to form balls. I followed the recipe and your instructions, any thoughts or suggestions where I went wrong?
Everyone has different peanut butter and even the the brand of oats will change things up a bit. Next time if they aren’t sticking together after the chill time, add a little more peanut butter and/or honey, stir well, and see if they stick together better. They might just need a little more of something sticky! Did they taste great?
It was delicious, I’m eager to try the other recipes. I found that leaving them overnight in the fridge helped with them sticking☺
LOVE THE RECIPES. GREAT FOR THESE HOT SUMMERS IN LAS VEGAS.
Can I substitute honey for something else? I really want to try these but I’m allergic to honey.
I’d play around with agave or brown rice syrup! I think both should work though you might need to pay with how much you need to use!
I also saw someone used 100% maple syrup in one recipe also. Might be good. 😉
I made one “healthy” batch with raisins, sunflower seeds, molasses and honey, on, etc. Its okay.
THEN! I pulled my marshmallow sundae topping, mountain crumble topper (choc chips, cookie crumbles, and hard marshmallows), a big hand full of mini marshmallows, on, honey, oats etc. Its in the fridge resting. Those are going to disappear quickly!!
These look like the right thing for a mod afternoon pick me up but I’m courious as to the protine amount in them?
Just made the PB and chocolate chips. I’m very excited to try them! Any suggestions for a honey substitute that has less sugar?
Thanks!
I’m am not great at sweeteners other than honey and maple syrup… so I’m fairly useless to you. Maybe try looking up low carb energy balls? I feel like that might send you in the right direction.
My 2 kids and I just made the PB Chocolate Chip recipe and it was soooo good. Wishing I would’ve made a double batch because the kids ate most of them already!
My nutritionist uses your recipes for the energy balls. She has tried all of them and loves all of them. When I asked her for a healthy dessert she gave me recipes for the peanut butter, chocolate chip and the blueberry muffin energy ball, which I made this morn. Very easy to make and very delicious. It called for 1/4 cup of honey and I only had half of that amount. Still delicious. These will be my go to sweet treats.
Thanks for this! I am linking this recipe to a blog post I am working on. Stay tuned!
Do you know the calorie count on these recipes?
I’m working on it, plan on seeing it by the end of this week!
Do you cook the oatmeal first?
Nope, just use the raw oats.
How long is the keep time before they start to go bad? Also, how long can they be frozen for before they need be used up?
They last a pretty long time. I would say 10 days in the fridge and up to three months in the freezer!
If I can not use any nut butters can I omitt- nut allergies in the classroom
Try sunbutter (sunflower seeds) or Tahini (sesame seeds), do you need something or they won’t stick together.
Could you please fix the nutritional information for the double chocolate balls? There is no way that is correct for 1 ball. I assume it’s for the entire recipe but I can’t be sure. Thank you.
All fixed!
Many thanks!
What do you think about using coconut oil in place of the almond butter on the blueberry recipe? Or in place of the honey? Possibly not sticky or sweet enough?
I think that you could replace some of either of those with the coconut oil but I wouldn’t replace all of either if that makes sense… I have definitely added it in addition to those but not as a replacement for them all together. It’s a nice addition, especially when I make them for my kids and I feel like the extra fat is good for them.
So good!! Thank you for posting this. I just made the chocolate peanut butter balls and I couldn’t help but take a spoonful before putting in the frig. These really will be our go to snack!
Love these!!! Made the double chocolate, have a batch with banana in the fridge now… thanks for this idea!!
My daughter has a tree nut allergy. Can I substitute the almond butter with something else?
Sun butter or tahini would work great (sunflower or sesame seed paste)!
For the peanut butter cookie balls it says it makes 12, but for the nutritional facts it says serves 14. I’m body building and need a cup of oats to fulfill my intake per meal and about 30+ grams of protein. I’m just wondering if I ate all of them, what would be the total carb and protein numbers?
The totals would be based on the the numbers show in the nutrition box times 14!
I love these! On my second batch I tried agave necter instead of honey and the balls were harder to form. The agave necter was not as thick as honey is so I added some extra PB and it worked just fine. This page is a bookmark of mine. Thanks for sharing!
Awesome, thank you for sharing your experiment with agave too! Very useful for others.
I am considering making and shipping these to a friend. Would they last for two days travel?
I think they’d be fine as long as you packed them well!
I am allergic to nuts so I researched a substitution for the peanut and almond butters and found sunbutter. However, it smelled and tasted just like peanut butter which turned me off greatly. I then found apple butter in the organic aisle of my local supermarket. Do you have any experience using apple butter and whether or not it could be used as a suitable substitution for the no bake oatmeal balls?
Ooooh! That sounds delicious! I don’t really know if it would work but it’s sure try it. Apple butter is super sweet so I’d only add as much honey as you thought you needed!
Do these freeze well? I wanted to make some things for back to school lunches and wondering if they would last that long or should I hold off a little longer?
They hold up super well! I normally make a double batch and keep all of them in the freezer to be pulled out as needed. Freeze away friend!
I needed more recipes like these for my son. It is nice that they share some of the same ingredients. My preteen needs all the calories he can get due to his medications. Thank you
Hi – thanks for these, they look awesome! I’ve seen other recipes like this that process the oats in a food processor before mixing everything together. I’m curious if you’ve tried that and what you think? Thanks!
I have tried that and they taste/feel a bit more like cookie dough instead of a cookie since you are essentially making an oat flour in the blender. I thought they needed a little more moisture to get them to stick together too. It’s all a preference around the texture really, I like mine a little chewy with the whole rolled oats but the blended oats still tasted great. I say give both ways a try and see what you like best!
We make these all the time, and have tried several of your variations. I even created a variation of my own. We love them! One we haven’t tried, however, is the Monster Cookie version. My kids are anxiously wanting to make them, but I have never been able to find naturally colored mini M&Ms. I would normally just use chocolate chips, but in this case, that would basically be the classic peanut butter chocolate chip, and they really want that Monster Cookie for a special treat! You mentioned in the post that there are some great dye-free candies we could use…do you have any specific ones or suggestions on a naturally colored version we could use? Thank you, and thanks for the great recipes!
Here’s a popular brand on amazon – http://amzn.to/2woAMkV I normally just go to the bulk bins at one of the more high end grocery stores and get my dye-free candies there so I have no idea what brand they are. That’s the easiest and cheapest option for me that I know of. Maybe your health food or high end grocery store will have some in the bulk food section too!
Love these, thanks!
Just a heads up, all oats are gluten free ?
Really? I’ve had so many people tell me you have to find ones that are specifically grown gluten free? I’ll have to look this one up.
They don’t stay in a ball? Any tips?more honey?
More of anything stick like peanut butter, almond butter, or honey. You can also try adding something like flax meal or chia seeds which help things stick together too (replace a bit of the oats with them). Try again friend, they are so nice when they are in little balls of deliciousness!
Do you have the calorie per serving available? It would be so helpful. Love the variety you have provided!
All of the calories for these are under the recipes 🙂
Peanut Butter is not allowed at my daughter’s school. Can we swap it for Sunflower Seed butter ? It is more liquid than PB so want would you add to make stick…
I’d try it and see how it goes, sometimes the oats just absorb the extra liquid. If not, add a few more tablespoons of oats or some chia seeds if it is too sticky. My sunbutter tests turned out great! You are going to love them!