Make a batch of these no-bake Peanut Butter Oatmeal Energy Balls to have on hand for hungry kiddos during the week—or to feed yourself a naturally sweet snack whenever you need one! They taste so good and are filled with nutritious ingredients. Plus: They’re ready in under 10 minutes!
Peanut Butter Oatmeal Energy Balls
Before anyone states the obvious, I do realize that most toddlers do not need more energy! They usually have plenty all on their own. But these “energy balls” are such a delicious (and easy snack) full of nutritious ingredients for little bodies.
These are an easy snack to make ahead and keep in the fridge. Plus, you don’t need to use any fancy ingredients or complicated methods to make these energy bites. You simply warm the wet ingredients and stir them into the dry—all in under 10 minutes.
And they have a texture that’s sort of like cookie dough so they’re great for younger toddlers, too—just dice them up if needed.
We love these for afternoon snack with some milk, as an easy bedtime snack, or a quick on-the-go bite.
Ingredients You Need
Here’s a look at the pantry ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe to share with the kids so you know what to have on hand.
- Creamy unsweetened peanut butter: I like the “natural” kind from Smuckers or Teddies, but any brand will do.
- Honey: The honey in this recipe helps the bites hold together. You can also swap in brown rice syrup for a less sweet taste.
- Vanilla extract: You can use pure or imitation vanilla extract here.
- Rolled oats: You can use the oats as they are out of the canister or bag, or you can grind them up in a food processor or blender to make a finer texture. (We like them ground up so the bites have the texture of cookie dough.)
- Chia seeds: These little seeds add some texture and additional fats. You can omit them if you don’t have them.
- Raisins or chocolate chips: Add these in for more flavor and yumminess.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here’s a look at how to make this easy energy ball recipe so you know what to expect. Scroll to the bottom of the post for the full recipe.
- Warm the peanut butter and honey. Stir together
- Cut the raisins in half, if large, to make the balls easier to bite into for the little eaters.
- Add all ingredients to a medium bowl and stir together.
- Roll into balls.
TIP: The recipe works with regular oats, but grinding the oats—or using quick oats or oat flour—makes the balls taste more like cookie dough. You can skip the chia seeds if you don’t have any!
Frequently Asked Questions
Sure, just use mini chocolate chips in place of the raisins! That will definitely taste like cookie dough and I expect will make the kids really happy. (And probably the grown ups too!)
If you can’t do peanut butter in your house or you need a nut-free snack to send to preschool or school, try these energy bites with sunflower seed butter instead of peanut butter. They should work just fine and taste similar.
Sure thing, just reach for certified gluten-free rolled oats and you should be good to go.
How to Store
You can keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. They will likely be gobbled up well before that. though—I make these as much for my kids as I do for myself. I store each batch in a quart-size mason jar in the fridge and cut them up for younger eaters to ensure they are easy to chew.
Best Tips for Success
- Grind the oats in a blender or food processor. Or use quick oats or oat flour. This will make the final texture smoother and more like cookie dough.
- Cut the raisins in half if they are very large so they are easier for the kids to bite into and chew.
- Warm the peanut butter and honey so they are easy to stir into the other ingredients.
- Use sunflower seed butter to make these nut-free.
- Use a tablespoon, measuring spoon, or a small spoon to portion out the dough.
- Cut up if needed to serve to younger kids.
- If they feel too firm for younger eaters, simply let sit at room temperature for a bit before storing.
- Use mini chocolate chips instead of raisins if you prefer.
Related Recipes
I’d love to hear your feedback on the recipe if you try it, so please comment below to share!
Peanut Butter Oatmeal Energy Balls
Ingredients
- ½ cup creamy unsweetened peanut butter
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 cup rolled oats ground into a coarse flour in a blender or food processor (or use quick oats or oat flour)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon chia seeds
- ¼ cup raisins, cut in half (optional, but recommended for overall texture)
Instructions
- Place the peanut butter and honey in a heat-proof container (such as a glass measuring cup) and warm for 15-30 seconds in the microwave.
- Add to a medium bowl with the rest of the ingredients.
- Stir thoroughly with a wooden spoon as much as you can. If the dough is at all stiff, mix with clean hands.
- Use a tablespoon-size measuring spoon to portion and roll into balls. Squeeze the batter, then roll it into a ball to help it hold together easily.
- Serve or store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
Equipment
Notes
- To store, place in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. Let sit at room temperature to soften slightly if needed for your toddler.
- If you don’t have chia seeds on hand, you can simply skip them.
- Nut-free: Use Sunbutter or another sunflower seed butter instead of peanut butter.
- Grind the oats in a blender or food processor or use quick oats or oat flour. This will make the final texture smoother and more like cookie dough.
- Cut the raisins in half if they are very large so they are easier for the kids to bite into and chew.
- Warm the peanut butter and honey so they are easy to stir into the other ingredients.
- Use a tablespoon measuring spoon or a small spoon to portion out the dough.
- Cut up if needed to serve to younger kids.
- Try snipped dried cherries, cranberries, or apricots instead of the raisins.
- Use mini chocolate chips instead of raisins.
Nutrition
This recipe was first published June 2017.
Delicious!
I added 1tablespoon of flax seed and used 1/8th cup maple syrup (we try to minimize sugar in our house). The dough wasn’t coming together too well bc I didn’t have enough wet ingredients . So I added a half ripe smashed banana and viola! Ah-mazinh!
Thanks for your brilliant recipes!
My 12 year old loves these! At first they were too crumbly. (I used our home-boiled maple syrup in place of honey, and ground flax instead of chia, since I had it on hand.) So, I returned the whole batch to the food processor along with a handful of chocolate chips. Then I popped the mixture in the microwave for 45 seconds, which melted those tiny chocolate bits. Scooped, rolled and chilled. Now they hold their shape, even in a jostled lunchbox. For the second batch I reduced maple syrup to 2 tablespoons, and they were still great.
I tried these and they did not roll into balls. they were just mush. Delicious mush tho. What could I have done wrong?
Did you change any of the ingredients? Was your peanut butter super dry or was the mixture too wet?
Can you freeze these?
Sure! Store them in a freezer bag with as much air removed as possible.
Made these with my little one and forgot to add vanilla but they were still delicious!
These are great, and simple to make. I pulsed my sultanas in the flood processor after grinding the oats so I didn’t need to mess around with a chopping board. I found them sticky to hold (before chilling), so I rolled them in desiccated coconut and a small amount of sprinkles.
I’m making these for the second time. Packed them on vacation and I need to make more for the way home! Delicious and easy! Nice to have something less processed as well.
Delicious! Whole family loved them, not just the little. And so so easy to make.
To avoid this being too dry and crumbly – MEASURE your OATS BEFORE GRINDING. (Please change recipe to include also the measurement of ground oats.)
Four yr old grandson loves it, “helped” make it. We followed the recipe exactly, added a tbs of honey for extra moisture (our oats are older and the honey was crystallized a bit), and he is very happy with it. Keeper!
I’m so glad!
Can you please include the measurement of ground oats? I had to guess how much ground oats = 1 cup of unground oats, as already had ground oats.
Use the same amount!
1 cup of unground oats is less than 1 cup of ground oats and could be the reason for people having crumbly batter. I used less than 1 cup of ground oats and the batter was perfect – if I had used 1 cup of ground oats it would not have worked.
Looks great! I’m always curious – do the chia seeds need to be soaked before adding to the mixture? I always used raw seeds until a friend told me to soak. I would appreciate your take! Thanks you!
In this recipe, they do not need to be soaked. They soften a little from the other ingredients. I think the texture would be odd if you soaked them.
Such a good go-to snack recipe! We make these often.
I mixed these up and used mini chocolate chips instead of raisens. I honestly don’t even roll them, I put it in the fridge and just give my boys a little bowl of it and they eat it with a spoon! Big hit. Thanks!
Hi, I’ve the Quaker old fashioned oats. Can I grind it and use it? Is it ok to give a toddler raw oats? Please let me know. Thanks 🙂
Yes, grind up those oats and they work well. And yes, they are fine to eat. They soften nicely in the batter and are easy to eat.
Thank you! I just made it. It took me 10 minutes to make it! And it tasted absolutely heavenly. I ended up eating 3 in one go 🙁