No-Bake Oatmeal Energy Balls

By Laura Fuentes Updated Jan 14, 2025

4.95 from 39 votes

Recipe

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A healthy and delicious snack is exactly why you'll love these no-bake energy bites that taste like an oatmeal raisin cookie.

These no-bake energy balls with oatmeal and raisin are an easy-to-make snack that kids will ask for in their lunchboxes often!

Energy Bites for Kids

The colorful packages from the store-bought snacks may look appealing, but flavor and nutrition will be the winners once your kids try these energy bites! As a busy mom, I’m all about easy recipes, and if this isn’t the easiest snack ever, I don’t know what it is.

I really mean it. You combine the ingredients in a bowl, and BOOM! You have a healthy snack to enjoy throughout the week. If you want to know what they taste like, imagine oatmeal raisin cookie dough and peanut butter in every bite. No wonder they are a favorite healthy treat!

Speaking of, I love snacks so much that I wrote an entire book, The Best Homemade Kids’ Snacks on the Planet, devoted to helping families master homemade snacking!

Ingredients

I love how easy it is to whip up a dozen of these bite-size treats with simple ingredients like oats, shredded coconut, and peanut butter. Plus, they keep their chewy, delicious texture for up to a week, so you’ll have a healthy snack on hand all week long. Here’s what you need to make these happen:

Old-fashioned rolled oats: have the best texture for these bites. You can use quick oats, but you might need to add more oats since the mixture might be sticky.
Coconut flakes: tasty and good-for-you!
Ground flaxseed: adds tons of nutrition.
Mini chocolate chips: optional but so tasty!
Raisins: add sweetness and fiber.
Peanut butter: you can swap it for soy or sunflower butter or your favorite nut-free option. I have a review on the best nut butter alternatives.
Honey: helps holding the ingredients together.
Vanilla extract: makes everything tastier!

How to Make Oatmeal Energy Bites

How easy these no-bake energy balls are? Well, if you can combine ingredients in a bowl, you can make them! Check it out for yourself:

Mix ingredients
Combine oats, coconut flakes, flax seed, mini chocolate chips, and raisins in a bowl. In another bowl, whisk peanut butter, honey, and vanilla.
Combine
Pour the wet mixture into the oat mix, and mix to incorporate.
Refrigerate
Let the mixture chill in the fridge for half an hour.
Shape
Once the mix is chilled, roll it into balls and store in an airtight container refrigerated for up to 1 week.

Check out the full recipe for these chewy, bite-size treats in the video below:

More School Lunch Snacks

Kick up lunchbox nutrition with healthy snacks you can easily make at home, like peanut butter granola bars, baked banana chips, or cinnamon sugar pretzel bites. You can also make these no-bake chocolate brownie bites for chocolate lovers. Amazing!

No-Bake Oatmeal Raisin Energy Balls

Servings: 20 bites

Prep Time: 10

Total Time: 40

A healthy and delicious snack is exactly why you’ll love these no-bake energy bites that taste like an oatmeal raisin cookie.

4.95 from 39 votes

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Ingredients

1 cup rolled oats
1 cup coconut flakes
½ cup ground flax seed
½ cup mini chocolate chips, or raisins
½ cup peanut butter, or other nut/non-nut butter*
⅓ cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

In a medium bowl, mix the oats, coconut flakes, flax seed, mini chocolate chips, if using, and raisins.
In a small bowl, whisk together the peanut butter, honey, and vanilla.
Pour the peanut butter mixture into the oat mix, until thoroughly incorporated. Let it chill in the refrigerator for half an hour. Once chilled, roll it into balls. Store in an airtight container or lunchbox, and keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.

Notes

* The peanut or non-nut butter you use will make a difference in how well these stick together. If they are not holding together well, add 1 to 2 tablespoons more peanut butter. My creamy peanut butter holds these just fine with ½ cup. *you can use quick oats for this recipe, however, you might need to adjust the quantity since the mixture might be a tad sticky. If so, add more oats.