Make a batch of these no-bake Peanut Butter Oatmeal Energy Balls to have on hand for hungry kiddos during the week. They taste so good and are filled with nutritious ingredients. Plus: They’re ready in under 10 minutes!
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 toddler snack) full of nutritious ingredients for little bodies.
Quick Look: Peanut Butter Oatmeal Energy Balls
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Serving: 16
- Flavor Profile: Peanut butter cookie dough flavor and texture
- Difficulty: Easy, perfect for everyday snacks and dessert
- Why to Make: It’s a quick, nutritious snack to share
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Table of Contents
And they have a texture that’s sort of like edible cookie dough so they’re great for younger toddlers, too—just dice them up if needed.
Along with my Almond Butter Protein Balls and Bliss Balls, we love these for afternoon snack with some milk, as an easy bedtime snack, or a quick on-the-go bite.
Why this Recipe Works
These are an easy snack to make at home in under 10 minutes and keep in the fridge to serve quickly. Plus, you don’t need to use any fancy ingredients or complicated methods to make these energy bites—yet they are full of nutrition including protein, beneficial fats, and fiber.
(You may also like Peanut Butter Muffins, no-bake Chewy Granola Bars, and Chocolate Balls.)
Ingredients You Need
Here’s a look at the pantry ingredients you’ll need to make this Peanut Butter Oatmeal Energy Balls 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.
How to Make Peanut Butter Oatmeal Energy Balls
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.
Step 1. Warm the peanut butter and honey. Stir together
Step 2. Cut the raisins in half, if large, to make the balls easier to bite into for the little eaters.
Step 3. Add all ingredients to a medium bowl and stir together.
Step 4. Use a measuring spoon or mini cookie scoop to form 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!
Featured Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“Sooo good! I tried another batch and used date paste in place of the honey and it was just as yummy! Great, quick snack for the whole family.” —JV
Peanut Butter Oatmeal Energy Balls FAQs
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.
- Use Date Paste in place of the honey.
- Use sunflower seed butter to make these nut-free.
- 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.
- Serve with a Toddler Protein Shake, Vanilla Milk, fresh fruit, or veggies as you like.
More No-Bake Bites
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.
My almost 3 year old and 20 month old love these. I also added hemp seeds and walnuts for added protein. I ground my oats and the texture was good. Next time I’ll try less honey and more PB to try and cut down some sugar content.
We love these, but they’re a bit too sweet for us- I tried halving the honey and adding some extra nut butter and a few tsp of water, but they’re definitely too dry and don’t hold together well. Any suggestions for making them less sweet?
You could try using more peanut butter and less honey or using brown rice syrup instead of the honey which is sticky but less sweet in flavor.
So delicious! I made them to freeze for the week but they were gone before I had the chance, the kids loved them!
My almost 2 years old hasnt hardly had any sugar on purpose anyways. So these are his “baby treats”. He absolutely loves them! Great snack before nap or bedtime too. I use the kodiak protein oats for this since my kid doesn’t like meat, beans, eggs or cheese. So I sneak in extra protein where I can.
Can you bake these? I think uncooked oats upsets my stomach.
I suspect you wouldn’t be able to bake them long enough without burning for the oats to be thoroughly cooked through, especially if you left them as balls. You might be able to get away with it if you use pat flour and then flatten them so that they are basically a gluten-free peanut butter cookie. But at that point, you are probably better off just looking up a recipe for a gluten-free peanut butter cookie.
A staple in our house, my son loves them! 🙂
Do you think it would be possible to sub maple syrup for the honey?
You could use maple syrup but they likely won’t hold together as well.
Love this recipe for my toddler. After trying it for the first time I felt like it was a bit too sweet. I adjusted the amount of honey used to 2 Tbsp and it was a lot better!
These taste great! Can they be frozen? Also is it okay to eat uncooked oat flour? Can it cause digestive issues? My son ate one last night and was up crying for two hours overnight.. could be a coincidence but just curious!
Yes they can be frozen. It is likely a coincidence and I hope you both get some sleep!
Do these have 122 kcal in 100g?
If you make 12 balls like I did, that is the calorie count per each one.
I’ve made this 3 or 4 times now for my kids using sunbutter (nut-free school) and they LOVE it. They ask for it for breakfast, for snacks, as an add-on to lunch, basically any time they open the fridge and realize we still have some left. Going to try with peanut butter now and I’m sure they will be scarfed down as quickly as the other batches were. So easy to make and delicious! Thanks for a great recipe!
Made these with whole quick oats, brown rice syrup, and chocolate chips. Love that it can be a one-bowl recipe. Held together perfectly, and not as dry as a different recipe I tried. A bit low on flavor, might try adding cinnamon next time, or using the raisins instead of chocolate chips.
these were so easy to throw together – kids helped and loved them! Will definitely be making again and try different combinations!
Wow! Huge hit in our household! My 3 year old LOVES them and I do too! He’s low weight and I’m nursing our newborn so it’s great for both of us to have this super easy snack to get in extra protein and calories. I made exactly as is but I can’t wait to try out other combos of flavors too!
I tried this and loved it but my 15 month old hates it! What do you suggest changing or trying for an easy snack for him?
I guess if he dislikes the flavor, it might not be the best option. Or try it another day and see if it was a fluke?