Try these healthy no-bake energy balls for a healthy snack that’s made with wholesome ingredients like peanut butter, oats, coconut flour, and raisins.
I also provide a nut-free option for the peanut butter so everyone can enjoy a bite or two!
Homemade Oatmeal Energy Balls
When you need something sweet but don’t want to grab a cookie, these no-bake energy balls are a delicious option that tastes like oatmeal raisin cookie dough, without the raw egg or guilt.
This snack is also a gluten-free and grain-free recipe made without a ton of added sugar or refined grains. Just clean and simple ingredients.
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No Bake Energy Ball Ingredients
Let’s take a look at what you’ll need to make a batch of no-bake oatmeal balls:
- creamy almond butter: is the glue that holds these energy bites together. It’s loaded with healthy fats to make them more satiating. You can also use peanut butter or your favorite nut butter alternative.
- honey: just enough to bind everything together and give these bites the right amount of sweetness.
- vanilla extract: for extra flavor.
- coconut flour: is a grain-free flour that absorbs excess moisture and provides a good source of fiber.
- quick oats: to add great texture.
- ground flaxseed: it’s primary use in this recipe is to help bind the ingredients while adding omega-3 fatty acids.
- cinnamon & salt: cinnamon for flavor and salt helps to balance out the sweetness from the honey.
- raisins: golden or regular raisins make a yummy add-in.
- chocolate chips: these are optional but add a delicious sweet touch! 2 tablespoons to ¼ cup are all you need to add a bit of extra sweetness!
How to Make No Bake Oatmeal Energy Balls
If you can make oatmeal cookie dough, then you can make these oatmeal energy bites! Let me show you how:
- Grab a large bowl
Mix the nut butter, honey, and vanilla until creamy and well blended. - Blend the dry ingredients
Combine the coconut flour, ground flaxseed, quick oats, cinnamon, and sea salt in a separate bowl. - Make the dough
Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients to form a dough. Add the raisins and fold to combine. - Roll up your sleeves
Using your hands, knead the dough. If it’s too wet, add a bit more coconut flour. If it’s too dry, knead in an additional teaspoon of water. - Shape them into bites
Using a tablespoon, scoop out the dough and roll it into a ball. Repeat with the remaining dough. - Chill out
Place them in an airtight container and refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.
Swaps and Substitutions for No-Bake Energy Balls
Don’t have a few of the ingredients above or need a nut-free alternative to the peanut butter? I’ve got you covered with a few ingredients you can use instead to make these energy bites:
- Almond butter: swap for equal parts soy butter or sunflower seed butter.
- Honey: swap for equal parts maple syrup.
- Raisins: swap for chopped nuts, dried cranberries, or chocolate chips.
A little note about the coconut flour. As with any recipe that uses this ingredient, it’s important to remember not to swap it for a coconut flour alternative. This would affect the amount of liquid needed, and the bites wouldn’t turn out.
Are Energy Balls High Protein?
These energy balls aren’t necessarily a high-protein snack. Each bite provides only 2 grams, but they are perfect for pairing with a protein-rich source such as string cheese, Greek yogurt, hard-boiled eggs, or rolled deli meat.
Are Oatmeal Balls Healthy?
Each oatmeal ball provides complex carbs and healthy fats, a combination that satiates and keeps you full until the next meal. It also helps that they are just as delicious and much healthier than store-bought energy bites or granola bars
How to Store Oatmeal Energy Balls
To keep these oatmeal energy bites fresh, refrigerate them in a sturdy airtight container. I don’t recommend keeping them at room temperature. This will cause them to become too soft and quickly expire.
How Long do Energy Balls Last?
Once refrigerated, oatmeal energy bites will stay good for up to a week if they last that long.
No-Bake Oatmeal Energy Balls
Try these healthy, no-bake energy balls for a healthy snack that’s made with real ingredients like peanut butter, oats, coconut flour & raisins.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 18 bites
- Category: Dessert / Snack
Ingredients
-
- ½ cup creamy raw almond butter or peanut butter
- ½ cup honey or maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup coconut flour
- 3 tablespoons quick oats
- 2 tablespoons ground flax seed
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup raisins
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the nut butter, honey (or maple syrup), and vanilla extract until creamy.
- In a separate bowl, combine the coconut flour, ground flaxseed, quick oats, cinnamon, and salt.
- Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients to form a smooth dough. Add the raisins and fold to combine.
- Use your hands to knead the dough. If the dough is too wet, add a teaspoon of coconut flour. If it’s too dry add a teaspoon (or two) of water until the dough holds together.
- Using a tablespoon or cookie scoop, scoop the dough and roll into balls between your hands.
- Place the bites in an airtight container and refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving.
- Refrigerate the leftovers for up to a week.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bite
- Calories: 78
- Sugar: 6.2g
- Sodium: 64.7mg
- Fat: 4.2g
- Saturated Fat: 0.9g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 8.9g
- Fiber: 1.3g
- Protein: 2.3g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
Petunia
I modified the recipe a bit. used almond instead of coconut AND I added 1/4 cup of unsweetened coconut and rolled the balls in it. also added a handful of choc chips with the raisins. they were delish!
Carmen L Swilley
Do you have the nutritional info on these?
Laura Fuentes
Hi Carmen, the recipe has been updated and the nutritional information is available for you. Enjoy!
Ana
Hi! Thank you for this healthy recipe! I’m just starting my adventures into healthy eating and cooking, and this sounds like something my family would thoroughly enjoy. …with one caveat. We have a peanut allergy and a tree nut allergy. That might automatically disqualify us from this no-bake recipe, but I thought I’d ask, is there anything we could substitute for the peanut and almond butters? Thanks again!
Laura Fuentes
Try Sunflower Butter 🙂
Laura
can these be made with gluten free oats (not quick oats)? I have celiac disease and I haven’t seen gluten free quick oats.
Laura Fuentes
Bob’s Red Mill has a dedicated gluten-free line I’d check them out. And yes, you could make them with regular oats. Perhaps you want to pulse them a few times in a food processor or blender to break them down a little.
Ami
Thank you for thus recipe! Just made them and they are fab! Taste great! My 18 month old seemed to love them but my 3 year old wasn’t sure! I love them so it’s still a winner!
★★★★
Laura Fuentes
I am glad 1 out of 2 approved! Enjoy Ami!
Meredith
Ooooooh man, these are so good. We used the honey instead of maple syrup and I added a few chocolate chips.
Laura Fuentes
Great!
Meredith
I have Bob’s Red Mill Whole Ground Flaxseed Meal. What is the difference between that and the ground flax seed that this recipe calls for? Thanks in advance.
Laura Fuentes
Meredith, it’s the same. I grind my own flax and therefore it’s ground flax or flaxseed meal. thank you for clarifying!
Pam M.
Has anyone tried this with Sun Butter or Soy Nut Butter? I am guessing it would work fine, but if someone has already tested it, I would be curious (nut allergy in some settings I would want to make these for). Thanks in advance!
Laura Fuentes
Hi Pam! It will work just fine.
Desiree
Simple enough…looks tasty Can’t wait to try it! My husband’s not a fan of raisins so let’s see how it goes.
Btw, thank you for letting us busy moms know about contests like the raisin recipe contest, those are great little opportunities to put our culinary creations out there!
Unfortunately I currently live in Puerto Rico and most contests don’t apply here, even if it is a US territory =(
Laura Fuentes
oh shucks! well, I will keep you posted of more contests and hopefully the do let you enter! If he doesn’t eat raisins you can use chocolate chips 🙂
Amanda
Looks great! I have never heard of coconut flour, or seen it. Is that available at whole foods?
Laura Fuentes
it sure is! that’s where I got mine. It’s a green bag.
Helen
This looks amazing!! I can’t wait to try it!!
Laura Fuentes
thank you Helen! you’ll soon be addicted.
Tiffany's Toy Box
I love how you are super honest in saying you don’t want to always bake. I am sooo not a cooking-kinda mom. Although I do love when I make something and my family loves it. So these cookie dough bites are a win-win for me!
Kate
Can you make this without coconut flour? Or is there a substitute?
Laura Fuentes
I would substitute almond flour.