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8 No-Bake Oatmeal Energy Balls

By Melissa

5 from 9 votes

on Jan 04, 2021, Updated Mar 04, 2024

8 simple no bake oatmeal energy ball recipes that you will love to make and snack on! Full of healthy whole food ingredients and so easy to make. Make a double batch, you won’t regret it!

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Oatmeal Energy Bites

We LOVE 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!

Here’s how you make energy bites:

1. Add the peanut butter and honey to a small bowl and mix them up.
2. Add the oats and other “mix-in’s” the recipe card has 8 different “recipes” for you to try and tips on how to try your own combinations!
3. Mix everything together well.
4. Let the mixture chill.
5. Form into balls (about 10 to 12 per recipe).
6. Store in an air-tight container in the fridge for about a week.
7. We loves these for easy breakfasts, snacks, and additions to lunches. They make the perfect little afternoon or nighttime treat.

Here are my favorite energy bite recipes:

I love that these are well balanced in fat, protein, fiber, and just the right amount of sweet.

• Sweet and Salty
• Blueberry Muffin
• Peanut Butter Cookie
• Vegan Banana
• Monster Cookie
• Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip
• Double Chocolate
• Oatmeal Raisin Cookie

All of these recipe are included in the recipe card! My personal favorite is the blueberry muffin version (I get small dried wild blueberries from Trader Joe’s) and my kids love the Monster Cookie oatmeal balls (because mini M&M’s…). I can’t wait for you to try them all an pick a favorite too.

Here’s a video on how making oatmeal bites should go!

More healthy snack recipes:

• 10 Healthy Snacks You Can Prep in Advance
• 8 Simple Healthy Smoothie Recipes
• Homemade Granola Bar Recipes
• 9 Date Energy Bites Recipes Everyone Needs
• Extra Protein Oatmeal Bites (here’s how to add protein powder or collagen to oatmeal bites!)

5 from 9 votes

8 No-Bake Oatmeal Energy Balls

By: Melissa Griffiths

8 simple variations to my favorite no bake oatmeal energy ball recipes that you will love to make and snack on! Full of healthy whole food ingredients and so easy to make.

Prep: 10 minutes mins

Chilling Time: 20 minutes mins

Total: 30 minutes mins

Servings: 10 balls

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Ingredients 

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Monster Cookie Energy Bites

• ▢ 1 cup dry oats, (old fashioned, instant, or a mix of the two)
• ▢ 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

Blueberry Muffin Energy Bites

• ▢ 1 cup dry oats, (old fashioned, instant, or a mix of the two)
• ▢ 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

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Energy Bites

• ▢ 1 cup dry oats, (old fashioned, instant, or a mix of the two)
• ▢ 1/4 cup peanut butter
• ▢ 1/4 cup honey
• ▢ 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
• ▢ dash of salt
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, optional

Sweet and Salty Energy Bites

• ▢ 1 cup dry oats, (old fashioned, instant, or a mix of the two)
• ▢ 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

Peanut Butter Cookie Energy Bites

• ▢ 1 cup dry oats, (old fashioned, instant, or a mix of the two)
• ▢ 1/4 cup peanut butter
• ▢ 1/4 cup honey
• ▢ 1/2 cup roasted salted peanuts
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, optional

Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Energy Bites

• ▢ 1 cup dry oats, (old fashioned, instant, or a mix of the two)
• ▢ 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

Double Chocolate Energy Bites

• ▢ 1 cup dry oats, (old fashioned, instant, or a mix of the two)
• ▢ 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

Vegan Banana Oatmeal Bites

• ▢ 1 ripe, but not grossly ripe medium banana
• ▢ 1 cup dry oats, (old fashioned, instant, or a mix of the two)
• ▢ 1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips, (or something similar), optional

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Instructions 

For the Energy Bites (first seven sets of ingredients)

• Add the nut butter and honey and stir to combine well. Add the all of the other ingredients and stir to combine well.
• Refrigerate the mixture for about 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.

For the Banana Oatmeal Bites:

• 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, about 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.

Video

Notes

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.
• Don’t over measure your oats or add-in’s (don’t use heaping cups). It’ll throw off the ratios and they won’t stick together well.
• If your oatmeal bites aren’t sticking together well, 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).
• If they are too sticky add a few more tablespoons of oats.
• If it’s sticking to your hands badly, wet your hands lightly with water! The water helps to be able to work the dough into a ball without sticking.
• 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.
• 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.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 Monster Cookie Energy Bites, Calories: 136kcal, Carbohydrates: 16g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0.02g, Cholesterol: 1mg, Sodium: 341mg, Potassium: 65mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 14g, Vitamin A: 22IU, Vitamin C: 0.1mg, Calcium: 17mg, Iron: 0.3mg

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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.
• Don’t over measure your oats or add-in’s (don’t use heaping cups). It’ll throw off the ratios and they won’t stick together well.
• If your oatmeal bites aren’t sticking together well, 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).
• If they are too sticky add a few more tablespoons of oats.
• If it’s sticking to your hands badly, wet your hands lightly with water! The water helps to be able to work the dough into a ball without sticking.
• 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.

Tips on 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 love Bob’s Red Mill organic oats for this recipe.
• 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.

Ohhh I can’t wait for you to make these no bake oatmeal bites to enjoy with your family. When you do, I’d love to know which recipe you made and if you made more than one, which was your favorite! Enjoy from my kitchen to yours!