8 No-Bake Oatmeal Energy Balls
on Jan 04, 2021, Updated Mar 04, 2024
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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!
Table of Contents
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:
- Add the peanut butter and honey to a small bowl and mix them up.
- 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!
- Mix everything together well.
- Let the mixture chill.
- Form into balls (about 10 to 12 per recipe).
- Store in an air-tight container in the fridge for about a week.
- 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!)
8 No-Bake Oatmeal Energy Balls
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.
Ingredients
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
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.
- 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
Like this recipe? Rate and comment below!
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!
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!
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 🙂
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!
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.
I read that all oats are naturally gluten-free. However if they are processed in a factory that makes flour they might not be.
You are correct, if you are GF, make sure you buy oats that specifically say that they are GF which means their processing will be done in a facility without other gluten carriers.
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 – https://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!
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!
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
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 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!
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!