No-Bake Oatmeal Bites are a delicious and nutritious snack that takes just minutes to make and they're packed with wholesome ingredients. These delicious little energy balls may be healthy but they feel like a treat!

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Oatmeal is a super nutritious and also very versatile ingredient. Everyone loves oatmeal cookies, right? And of course, oats are a natural for breakfasts, like maple walnut overnight oats, chocolate baked oatmeal, cranberry oatmeal muffins, or slow cooker oatmeal. Oat flour, which is made from ground oats, is a great gluten-free baking ingredient in recipes like pumpkin muffins.
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Why we love it
- Quick and easy: It takes just ten minutes to make these no bake oatmeal energy balls.
- Simple: All you need is a few simple ingredients and only one bowl for this easy energy ball recipe.
- Healthy: These oatmeal energy bites are high in healthy fats, protein and fiber, so they are a perfect snack to fuel your day without guilt.
- Customizable: You can add or change ingredients to your liking with this basic recipe.
- Convenient: These peanut butter oatmeal balls are perfect as an easy snack to grab and go, pre or post workout, or just any time you need a pick me up. They are also portable to take along in packed lunches, on hikes, or road trips. And these easy energy bites are a perfect healthy snack for kids.
Ingredients for oatmeal bites
Ingredient quantities and full instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Oats: Use quick cooking oats, rolled oats or old fashioned oats for these energy balls. Don't use instant oats or steel cut oats. Oats are naturally gluten free, but they are often processed in a facility with grains containing gluten. This can cause cross contamination, so look for certified gluten-free oats on the label.
- Shredded coconut: Look for unsweetened shredded coconut.
- Hemp seed: Hemp seeds have a nice nutty flavor and they are super nutritious, too. These tiny seeds are high in protein and loaded with healthy fats. Find out more about this nutrient powerhouse here at Healthline.
- Peanut butter: I prefer to use all natural peanut butter, containing only peanuts, for these healthy oatmeal bites. However, feel free to use whatever you have on hand, and you can use either crunchy peanut butter or creamy peanut butter.
- Maple syrup: A small amount of pure maple syrup adds a touch of sweetness and also acts as a binder.
- Mini chocolate chips: You really need the mini chips for these little bites. Regular chocolate chips are too large. I use dark chocolate chips to keep this recipe as nutritious as possible.
How to make it
In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients.
Roll the mixture into one inch balls. Enjoy!
Variations and Tips
- Coconut: If you aren't a fan of coconut, you can replace it with extra oats, or dried cranberries or raisins.
- Seeds: Ground flax seeds are good substitutes for hemp seeds. Chia seeds are great too.
- Nut butter: If nut allergy is an issue, you can easily replace the peanut butter with sunflower butter. If not, almond butter or cashew butter work well too.
- Sweetener: you can replace the maple syrup with agave syrup and a teaspoon of vanilla extract. Or use honey if you aren't vegan.
- Chocolate chips: As long as you use mini chips, you can make these no-bake oatmeal bites with milk chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, or even butterscotch chips.
- Add-ins: Add two tablespoons of cocoa powder for chocolate oatmeal bites. Try a teaspoon of ground cinnamon or a quarter teaspoon of sea salt, even a pinch of red pepper flakes. You can also add a scoop of protein powder for super protein balls.
- Scoop: Use a cookie scoop or melon scoop to ensure the oatmeal balls are uniform size.
- Storage: Store these no-bake oatmeal bites in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. To freeze, freeze the energy balls first on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Then store them in the freezer in a freezer-safe container, (like a zip-lock bag) for up to three months.
More healthy snacks
- Spiced Lemon Roasted Chickpeas
- Gluten-Free Buffalo Cauliflower Bites
- Hemp Protein Bars - Chocolate Cranberry
- Buckwheat Banana Bread
- Baked Zucchini Fritters - Gluten Free
- Oven Fried Green Tomatoes (Or Air Fried)
Did you make this recipe? Please leave a rating in the comments below and let us know how it turned out. Did you make any changes? We would love for you to share and your feedback is important! Thank you for visiting The Food Blog!
Recipe
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No-Bake Oatmeal Bites
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup quick oats
- 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- ยฝ cup hemp seed
- ยพ cup peanut butter
- โ cup maple syrup
- ยฝ cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine all ingredients.
- Roll the mixture into one inch balls. Enjoy!
Notes
-
- Coconut: If you aren't a fan of coconut, you can replace it with extra oats, or dried cranberries or raisins.
-
- Seeds: Ground flax seeds are good substitutes for hemp seeds. Chia seeds are great too.
-
- Nut butter: If nut allergy is an issue, you can easily replace the peanut butter with sunflower butter. If not, almond butter or cashew butter work well too.
-
- Sweetener: you can replace the maple syrup with agave syrup and a teaspoon of vanilla extract. Or use honey if you aren't vegan.
-
- Chocolate chips: As long as you use mini chips, you can make these no-bake oatmeal bites with milk chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, or even butterscotch chips.
-
- Add-ins: Add two tablespoons of cocoa powder for chocolate oatmeal bites. Try a teaspoon of ground cinnamon or a quarter teaspoon of sea salt, even a pinch of red pepper flakes. You can also add a scoop of protein powder for super protein balls.
- Scoop: Use a cookie scoop or melon scoop to ensure the oatmeal balls are uniform size.
-
- Storage: Store these no-bake oatmeal bites in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. To freeze, freeze the energy balls first on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Then store them in the freezer in a freezer-safe container, (like a zip-lock bag) for up to three months.
Jessica
What impressed me most about this recipe was its clever use of pantry staples. It's a budget-friendly snack option, and a great solution for those days when you need to whip up something healthy and tasty with what you have on hand.
Colleen
Very true, Jessica!
Veronika
Love how quickly these come together! They kinda taste like oatmeal cookie dough. They were a huge hit for snacks this week!
Colleen
Hi Veronika, I'm so glad the oatmeal bites were a hit! Thanks for commenting.
Erin
Loved the hemp seed in these bites! My whole family loved them and they were so easy. Thanks!
Colleen
Hi Erin. It's great to hear that your family loved these oatmeal bites. Thanks for your feedback!
Leslie
I make a version of these bites that is similar, but I don't use hemp seed. I really like that idea!! What a great way to get some extra nutrition!
Loreto and Nicoletta
This is a super easy recipe, the bonus is having these no bake oatmeal cookies on hand to snack on! I remember my mom making something similar with peanut butter. Love those and I remember them being a great thing in my lunch.
Thanks for sharing!
Jacqueline Debono
I love how easy these oatmeal energy bites are to make. Plus they're tasty too. I made them with coconut but next time I want to try with cranberries as you suggest.