Looking for a healthy and portable snack? These No-Bake Oatmeal Energy Balls take minimal time to prepare and are perfect for snacking on throughout the week! A great make-ahead option that also happens to be freezer-friendly! {Gluten-free & vegan}
In our house, there’s never a shortage of energy balls kicking around.
They just so happen to be one of my favourite snacks to have on hand because they’re quick, portable, healthy and everyone loves them!
Over the years, I’ve tested a lot of energy ball recipes, but I always come back to these No-Bake Oatmeal Energy Bites because no fancy equipment is required and they always hit the spot!
Why everyone loves these energy bites
Quick & easy: these delicious little bites take only a matter of minutes to prepare. You literally just throw the ingredients in a bowl, mix it all up and roll it into balls. That’s it.
Portable: We all have those moments where we’re in search of a quick and easy snack to take on the go. The solution? Energy balls. They are so convenient to grab and are completely mess-free!
Kids can help make them: Looking for a way to get your kids involved in the kitchen? This recipe is a great place to start! It’s easy enough that even small children can help add the ingredients to the bowl, mix it all together and roll it into balls!
Family-friendly: These bites offer a sweet little treat that the whole family loves! Make up a batch for the family to snack on throughout the week.
Nutritious: This is a snack that you can feel good about eating. These bites are packed with soluble fibre, antioxidants and healthy fats and are free of refined sugar. The can also be made gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan to meet all different kinds of dietary needs!
How to Make No-Bake Energy Balls
To make these balls, all that you really require is a bowl, a spoon and your hands! They are really THAT easy.
In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the oats, coconut, chocolate chips and flax meal.
Add the almond butter, maple syrup and vanilla to the bowl and mix until well combined
Place mixture in the fridge for 20 minutes or so to allow it to firm up a bit before rolling it into balls.
Using your hands, roll the mixture into approximately 1 1/2 inch balls.
What type of oats should I use?
For the purpose of this recipe, you can use either quick or rolled oats. Rolled oats will give these bites more texture and a chewier consistency while quick oats will make them smoother and less chewy. It’s totally up to you which type you go with!
The only type of oats that won’t work in this recipe are steel cut oats since they are too hard and crunchy. Not exactly the texture we’re going for.
Are these energy balls freezer-friendly?
Yes! One of the many reasons why I love energy bites.
Once you’ve rolled the mixture up into balls, place them in a freezer-friendly container or large Ziploc bag and place them in the freezer for up to three months.
Tips for the best energy balls
Place the energy ball mixture in the fridge: Once you’ve mixed all of the ingredients together, it’s recommended that you place the mixture in the fridge for about 20-30 minutes to allow the oats and flax to absorb some of the liquid and thicken up a bit.
If you try to roll the balls right after mixing, you might find that the mixture is still too sticky and messy. So do yourself a favour and stick the mixture in the fridge for a bit. It will make your life a lot easier!
Adjust recipe depending on consistency: Different brands of almond butter (or other nut or seed butters) will lend a different consistency, so you might need to adapt the recipe accordingly. If you find that the mixture is too dry, add a bit more nut butter. If it’s too wet, slightly increase the oats until the desired consistency is reached.
It should be sticky enough that the mixture adheres together but not so sticky that it’s gooey and sticking to your hands.
Recipe substitutions
Need the recipe to be nut-free? Sub in sunflower seed butter, pumpkin seed butter or Wow butter instead of the almond butter.
Want to make it gluten-free? Use gluten-free rolled oats. Although all oats are inherently gluten-free, some brands can’t guarantee that there hasn’t been cross-contamination with gluten, so your best bet is to go with a brand that clearly labels the product as gluten-free.
Want to use a different sweetener? If you don’t have any maple syrup on hand or don’t enjoy the taste of it, you can sub in honey instead of maple syrup.
Don’t have any flax meal? Add some extra oats. You could also try adding in chia seeds or Hemp seeds instead, but I personally haven’t experimented with either of these add-ins, so let me know if you give it a try!
Need the recipe to be dairy-free? Sub in dairy-free mini chocolate chips.
Looking for other no-bake recipes? Check out these recipes!
- Larabar Recipe {4-ingredients}
- Healthy Granola Bar Recipe
- Nut-Free Apple Oat Energy Bites
- No-Bake Carrot Cake Energy Bites
- No-Bake Pina Colada Energy Bites
- No-Bake Apple Pie Cups
- No-Bake Healthy Cookie Dough Cups
- 4-Ingredient No-Bake Peanut Butter Protein Bars
- No-Bake Chocolate Mocha Snowballs
- No-Bake Pumpkin Pie Bites
Did you make this recipe? Scroll down to leave a rating and review!
No-Bake Oatmeal Energy Balls
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup oats
- 1/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips
- 2 tbsp flax meal
- 1 cup almond butter
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a medium-sized bowl, mix together oats, coconut, chocolate chips and flax meal.
- Add almond butter, maple syrup, and vanilla and mix until well combined.*
- Place mixture in the fridge for 20 minutes or so to allow it to firm up a bit before rolling into balls. Using your hands, roll into 1 1/2 inch balls.
Notes
Nutrition
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