You’ll fall in love with this no bake Healthy Oatmeal Bites recipe. It’s easy to make up a batch of these healthy treats and stash in the fridge or freeze for later!
These healthy oatmeal bites are one of the easiest snacks to prep ahead for busy weeks.
These oatmeal energy bites are made with wholesome ingredients and there are tons of ways to customize them to suit your family's taste buds and preferences, too!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
I love making energy bites because the kids can grab them as they want them and I’ve been known to grab one - okay, two - on my way out the door.
- They’re the perfect pick me up and a healthy, nutritious boost
- Make a double batch and store in the freezer for later. Time saver!
- I feel good about feeding them to my family as a great snack.
I love pairing these with other cold lunch ideas for easy packed meals.
Oatmeal Bites Ingredients
- quick oats - I like using quick oats because they’re thinner and broken into smaller pieces. But you can use old fashioned oats or rolled oats if that’s what you have on hand. Whole grain for the win!
- chia seeds - here’s where it gets good. Chia seeds actually contain protein, fiber, and omega-3 fatty acids, which are great for our health. Bottom line...the protein will help keep you full longer and we know fiber is good for us, too.
- ground flax seed - another power food is entering the arena, here. I don’t want to turn this into a dissertation, here, but the benefits of flaxseed are many, too. Buy ground flaxseed as they’re easier to digest and absorb nutrients, or you can grind your own. I store mine in the freezer to extend their shelf life.
- honey - local, if you have it. It adds the sweetness to our oatmeal bites. You can substitute agave nectar or even real maple syrup, if you prefer.
- peanut butter - ahhhh, the glue that is holding our healthy oatmeal bites recipe together. Any kind of creamy peanut butter will do. If you prefer, you can substitute almond butter or sunflower butter instead.
- vanilla extract - for flavor
- sea salt - dont’ skip the sprinkle of sea salt. It offsets the sweetness and hits the perfect spot in the back right corner of your tastebuds. Pay attention, you’ll see!
- mini chocolate chips - I like mini chocolate chips because they more evenly disperse in our energy bites. You can use regular if you prefer, though.
How to Make Oatmeal Bites
The way to make these little balls of energy is simple and applies to almost any combination you put together.
- Step 1: In a large bowl, combine the oats, chia seeds, ground flaxseed.
- Step 2: Add honey, peanut butter, vanilla and sea salt. Use a spatula to combine all the ingredients, folding the ingredients up from the bottom of the bowl and scraping down the sides.
It will take a few minutes, just be patient.
- Step 3: Blend until all ingredients mix together. Add the mini chocolate chips, stirring to evenly blend.
Place in the refrigerator to chill for at least an hour. This allows the oats to soak up and blend the ingredients so they’ll stick when we portion them into individual oatmeal bites.
- Step 4: After an hour, use a spoon or cookie scoop to evenly portion the oatmeal bites into 24 individual balls.
Scoop a portion into your hand, then roll between your palms to portion into bites.
Why Are My Oatmeal Bites Falling Apart?
If oatmeal bites don’t hold together, they usually need more binder. Try adding a little extra peanut butter, honey, or oats until the mixture sticks when pressed.
Storage Tips
Store in the fridge or freezer in an airtight container. The oatmeal bites will keep for about a week in the fridge for several months in the freezer.
Freezing Instructions
For freezing, I like to place the individual balls on waxed paper or parchment paper, then freeze until solid before transferring to a freezer bag or freezer safe container.
Slip a few of these no bake treats into your cold lunch, your kids, lunch, your nearest tractor meal...you get the idea!
Variations
- Add a scoop of vanilla protein powder. You may want to reduce the flax meal to account for this.
- Use dark chocolate chips
- Add hemp seeds
- Use sunflower butter, almond butter or cashew butter
These no bake treats may seem decadently sinful, but they’re actually packed full of good for you ingredients! Enjoy!
More healthy snack recipes you’ll love:
Recipe
No Bake Oatmeal Bites
Ingredients
Method
- In a large bowl, combine the oats, chia seeds, ground flaxseed, honey, peanut butter, vanilla and sea salt. Use a spatula to combine all the ingredients, folding the ingredients up from the bottom of the bowl and scraping down the sides. It will take a few minutes, just be patient.
- Continue blending until all ingredients are mixed together. Add the mini chocolate chips, stirring to evenly blend.
- Place in the refrigerator to chill for at least an hour. This allows the oats to soak up and blend the ingredients so they’ll stick when we portion them into individual oatmeal bites.
- After an hour, use a spoon or cookie scoop to evenly portion the oatmeal bites into 24 individual balls. Scoop a portion into your hand, then roll between your palms to portion into bites.
Heather says
I would like to make this soon. Can I use old fashioned rolled oats instead? If so, how do I incorporate?
cat says
Just want to say this recipe is wonderful and I use it monthly to prep for my running snack. I add an assortment of things depending on what I have on hand, but I usually add chia seeds, coconut flakes, unsalted sunflower seeds, dried fruits (cherry, raisins, craisins) and sometimes pumpkin seeds, pumpkin powder, and chocolate. It's a wonderfully easy thing.
I also press the mixture into a 9x9 and stick it in the fridge with parchment paper. Once it's chilled, I cut them into squares for ease. Thanks for sharing your recipe!
Anita says
Excellent recipe. I added Hemp and a little cinnamon
Deanne Frieders says
Sounds perfect!.
Cina Haas says
Do you have a recipe for Healthy Oatmeal Bites made with dried fruit? A copy cat recipe of Alyssa's healthy oatmeal bites?