No-Bake Oatmeal Energy Balls
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If you’re looking for a quick, easy and healthy snack to make for the week look no further than these No-Bake Oatmeal Energy Balls. Made with rolled oats, dates, dried cranberries, walnuts, chocolate chips, and peanut butter. They are packed with protein, healthy fats and fiber making them the perfect on-the-go snack. These energy balls are gluten-free, refined-sugar free and dairy-free.
No-Bake Oatmeal Energy Balls
Energy balls are without a doubt one of the top snacks in this house. We’re all fans, they’re easy to make, and are extremely healthy. They actually carry a lot of nutrition which makes them the perfect snack.
These No-Bake Oatmeal Energy Balls are one of our go-to’s. Emma can eat 2 at a time! That’s how much she loves them. It’s too bad her school is nut-free and I can’t pack them in her lunchbox. That’s not to stop her from enjoying some when she gets home from school or on the days she’s home.
Emma is not the only one who loves these though. My husband is also a great fan of these No-Bake Oatmeal Energy Balls. I often pack them for him as a snack for work too. Of course I love to indulge in these every time I make them as well. One of my favorite ways to enjoy these is on top of some coconut yogurt or chia pudding. They’re so good like that too. You can of course enjoy them just as is if you wish.
Ingredients needed to make No-Bake Oatmeal Energy Balls:
- Gluten-Free Rolled Oats– Also known as old fashioned oats.
- Peanut Butter– You want to use unsalted creamy peanut butter so that they blend better with the rest of the ingredients.
- Raw Walnuts– They give these a nice crunch.
- Dried Cranberries– You can use dried cherries instead.
- Dates– For natural sweetness.
- Dark Chocolate Chips– I like to use mini ones for these but you can use regular chocolate morsels.
- Maple Syrup– Adds more sweetness.
- Ground Cinnamon– For flavor.
- Vanilla Extract– Add depth to flavors.
Equipment needed to make No-Bake Oatmeal Energy Balls:
- Food Processor– For pulsing ingredients together.
- Large Mixing Bowl– You don’t have to, but I like to transfer the oat mixture to a large mixing bowl so I have more room to work with.
- Large Baking Sheet Pan– To place oatmeal energy balls and freeze them.
- Parchment Paper– for lining baking sheet pan.
How to make No-Bake Oatmeal Energy Balls:
- Step 1– Line a large baking sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- Step 2– Place dates and cranberries in food processor bowl and pulse for about 30 seconds. Until dates and cranberries are broken down to small pieces. Toss in raw walnuts and chocolate chips and pulse again until these are also broken down to small pieces. Toss in oats and cinnamon and continue to pulse for a few seconds to blend oats into the rest of the ingredients. Just pulse for about 10-20 seconds. You don’t want oats to start to get pulverized.
- Step 3– Pour into food processor the wet ingredients; vanilla extract, maple syrup and peanut butter. Pulse for a good 30-40 seconds until you see the ingredients start to clump together almost forming a ball.
- Step 4– For this next step, you can either remove the blade of the food processor and use the bowl, or place the ingredients in a large mixing bowl. I prefer the latter because it gives me more room to work with.
- Step 5– Use your hands to scoop out a handful of the mixture. Close your hand firmly forming a tight fist and clumping the mixture together. Use both hands to shape into a 1-2 inch ball. Place shaped ball on prepped baking sheet pan. Continue with this process until the whole mixture has been converted into balls. You will end up with about 25 balls depending on how big or small you make them.
- Step 6– Once all energy balls are on the baking sheet pan, place them in the freezer for 20-30 minutes so that they can get firm. Move the balls to a freezer bag, silicone bag or freezer friendly container. You can either keep the energy balls in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Tips and Substitution:
- Line baking sheet pan with parchment paper- It will prevent energy balls from sticking to the pan while they are in the freezer.
- Pulse ingredients in the order indicated in recipe directions rather than adding them all at once- Pulsing the ingredients separately and getting them into smaller pieces first will end up in smoother rounder balls. If they are all blended at the same time they will just clump up together in big chunks.
- Place pulsed ingredients in a large mixing bowl– This will give you more room to work with as you scoop out the mixture.
- Substitute for maple syrup- You can use honey.
- Mix up your nuts- Use any other nuts you wish like pecans, almonds or cashews.
- Switch up your dried fruit- Substitute dates and cranberries for dried cherries or apricots.
Variations:
- Turn into no-bake energy bars– Line an 8×8 baking pan and add oat mixture to it. Evenly spread mixture throughout the pan. Press it down so that it’s an an even level. Freeze for 20-30 minutes, then remove from the pan and slice into bars.
- Use other nut-butters– You can substitute the peanut butter for almond butter or cashew butter.
- Make it nut-free– Substitute peanut butter for sunflower butter to tahini. Omit walnuts and use seeds like hemp hearts or flax meal.
- Add some coconut– Not everyone is a coconut fan, but from time to time I do add a but of shredded coconut to the mixture.
- Turn them into protein energy balls– Add some protein powder or collagen peptides for more added protein.
No-Bake Oatmeal Energy Balls FAQ’s:
What are energy energy balls or energy bites?
Energy balls or energy bites are small balls made with a number of different ingredients. These usually involve protein rich foods like nut-butters, nuts, seeds, or protein powder. Other ingredients you can use are dried fruit, chocolate chips, shredded coconut, or natural sweeteners like maple syrup or honey. They make for a great snack since they’re nutrient dense and filling.
Are energy balls healthy?
When you make energy balls at home you’re controlling what ingredients you put it them. Like is the case with anything else homemade. The ingredients that are typically used to make energy balls are very healthy and carry many nutrients. These kind of energy balls are rich in protein and assist in boosting your metabolism. Energy balls or bites are also full of healthy fats and fiber which are an essential part of a healthy and balanced diet.
Are these No-Bake Oatmeal Energy Balls gluten-free?
Yes they are. As long as you are using gluten-free certified rolled oats, these oatmeal energy balls as completely gluten-free.
Meal Prepping it:
These No-Bake Oatmeal Energy Balls are perfect for meal prep. They are super easy to make. The preparation takes no more than 5-10 minutes tops. Then you just have to freeze and you then have plenty of on-the-go snacks for the week ahead. They’re great to take to work as a healthy afternoon pick-me-up. They also make for great after school snacks for the little ones or a pre or post workout snack.
Storing No-Bake Oatmeal Energy Balls:
The best way to store these No-Bake Oatmeal Energy Balls is in an air-tight container or freezer bag. They should be kept in the freezer so that they hold better. You can also keep them refrigerated if you prefer and don’t want them frozen. Keep them refrigerated for up to 4-5 days or frozen for up to 4-6 months.
Like these No-Bake Oatmeal Energy Balls? You may also like these other snack recipes:
No-Bake Oatmeal Energy Balls
If you’re looking for a quick, easy and healthy snack to make for the week look no further than these No-Bake Oatmeal Energy Balls. Made with rolled oats, dates, dried cranberries, walnuts, chocolate chips, and peanut butter. They are packed with protein, healthy fats and fiber making them the perfect on-the-go snack. These energy balls are gluten-free, refined-sugar free and dairy-free.
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup pitted dates
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/3 cup crushed walnuts
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
- 2 cups gluten-free rolled oats
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 cup peanut butter (creamy, unsalted)
Instructions
Line a large baking sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside.
Place dates and cranberries in food processor bowl and pulse for about 30 seconds. Until dates and cranberries are broken down to small pieces. Toss in raw walnuts and chocolate chips and pulse again until these are also broken down to small pieces. Toss in oats and cinnamon and continue to pulse for a few seconds to blend oats into the rest of the ingredients. Just pulse for about 10-20 seconds. You don't want oats to start to get pulverized.
Pour into food processor the wet ingredients; vanilla extract, maple syrup and peanut butter. Pulse for a good 30-40 seconds until you see the ingredients start to clump together almost forming a ball.
For this next step, you can either remove the blade of the food processor and use the bowl, or place the ingredients in a large mixing bowl. I prefer the latter because it gives me more room to work with.
Use your hands to scoop out a handful of the mixture. Close your hand firmly forming a tight fist and clumping the mixture together. Use both hands to shape into a 1-2 inch ball. Place shaped ball on prepped baking sheet pan. Continue with this process until the whole mixture has been converted into balls. You will end up with about 25 balls depending on how big or small you make them.
Once all energy balls are on the baking sheet pan, place them in the freezer for 20-30 minutes so that they can get firm. Move the balls to a freezer bag, silicone bag or freezer friendly container. You can either keep the energy balls in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Recipe Notes
Tips and Substitution:
- Line baking sheet pan with parchment paper- It will prevent energy balls from sticking to the pan while they are in the freezer.
- Pulse ingredients in the order indicated in recipe directions rather than adding them all at once- Pulsing the ingredients separately and getting them into smaller pieces first will end up in smoother rounder balls. If they are all blended at the same time they will just clump up together in big chunks.
- Place pulsed ingredients in a large mixing bowl– This will give you more room to work with as you scoop out the mixture.
- Substitute for maple syrup- You can use honey.
- Mix up your nuts- Use any other nuts you wish like pecans, almonds or cashews.
- Switch up your dried fruit- Substitute dates and cranberries for dried cherries or apricots.
*Number of total servings in estimated. Actual number of servings may vary depending on your own personal preference in portion sizes.
**Nutritional values shown are general guidelines for 1 serving using the ingredients listed above. These numbers do not reflect and may vary depending on substitutions, additions and/or different brands and/or other ingredients that may be used.
**Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links and sponsored content. All the opinions are my own and I only recommend products I use in my own home with my own family.
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