Oatmeal Peanut Butter Balls

Name: Oatmeal Peanut Butter Balls
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 2 cups certified gluten-free quick-cook oats; 1/2 cup honey; 1/2 cup peanut butter; 1/2 cup chocolate chips (✅); 1 teaspoon vanilla (✅)

Oatmeal peanut butter balls are a simple and delicious gluten-free snack. With just 5 ingredients – oats, peanut butter, honey, and a couple of pantry staples – kids can whip up a batch on their own. The resulting snack is so tasty that they won’t last long!

Cooking with kids has a multitude of benefits, such as introducing them to new foods, teaching them how food is prepared, bonding over quality time, and instilling a solid foundation for healthy eating habits in the future.

For more kid cooking recipes that are as simple as these peanut butter oatmeal balls, check out Oreo Dip, How To Make Tuna Sushi Rolls and Fruit Dip with Cool Whip.

Homemade Snacks for Kids

When kids help in the kitchen, they are more likely to try (and eat) the food you make together.

Keep this tip in mind for kids of all ages and especially picky eaters. Kids have a blast mixing together the ingredients, rolling out the energy bites and eventually enjoying as a snack.

In our opinion, cooking with a child is always a memorable experience. For younger children aged 2 to 5, it’s advisable to provide some assistance with measuring ingredients, stirring, and shaping. Children aged 6 and older can generally handle most of the recipe themselves.

Keep the fun going by adding any of the following recipes to the snack time routine Yogurt Parfait Cups, Pink Drink with Strawberry Puree, Chicken Pinwheels, Blueberry Spinach Muffins and Homemade Microwave Popcorn.

To get started, gather the equipment and ingredients then follow the written instructions or printable recipe card. Enjoy!

peanut butter, oats, vanilla extract, honey and chocolate chips on counter

Equipment

medium-sized bowl
wooden stir spoon
measuring cups and measuring spoons
cookie scoop

Ingredients

2 cups certified gluten-free quick-cook oats
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup chocolate chips ✅
1 teaspoon vanilla ✅

Gluten-Free Guide: If you’re new to eating gluten-free we understand it’s overwhelming trying to figure out which foods may contain gluten and which ones don’t. All of our gluten-free recipes marked with this symbol ✅ represent foods that need to be checked for gluten.

honey, oats, mini chocolate chips, vanilla and peanut butter in mixing bowl

ingredients for energy bites mixed into glass bowl

How To Make

Add the oats, honey, peanut butter, chocolate chips, and vanilla to a medium-sized bowl. Stir until blended.

Roll into balls

Use a cookie scoop or tablespoon to roll the mixture into bite-sized balls. Place into a ziplock bag or container with a lid.

hand holding a scoop of energy bite batter

hand holding scoop of energy bite batter

Flavor Variations

You of course can stick to the recipe as written or try any of these variations to make a multitude of energy bites!

Lemon – add the zest of 1 lemon to the dough.
Almond Joy – swap the vanilla extract with almond extract, peanut butter with almond butter and mix in 1/4 cup of unsweetened shredded coconut.
Carrot Cake – add 1/4 cup of grated carrots and 1/4 cup of unsweetened shredded coconut to the mix.
Oatmeal Raisin – mix in 1/4 cup of raisins, dried cranberries or dried cherries.
Cookie Monster – replace the mini chocolate chips with mini M&Ms.
Apple Pie – mix in finely chopped peeled apple bits with a dash of cinnamon.
Cranberry Almond – replace the vanilla extract with almond extract and the chocolate chips with dried cranberries.
PB & J – swap the chocolate chips with dried fruit (apricots, cherries, or cranberries)
Trail Mix – add in 1/4 cup of mixed chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans, or almonds) and seeds (hemp, chia, flax or pumpkin)

Storing Oatmeal Peanut Butter Balls

In the fridge: Store the peanut butter balls in a Ziplock bag or a large container with a lid. They keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

In the freezer: Store in a container or Ziploc bag for up to 3 months. Enjoy straight from the freezer or thaw in the fridge overnight.

Tips

Use any nut butter (peanut, almond, cashew or a mixed nut butter).
Turn nut-free by using sunbutter or tahini.
Turn vegan by swapping the honey with agave or maple syrup.
If you omit oats from your diet, substitute cooked quinoa to easily keep these peanut butter snacks gluten-free.
Chill the dough or flash freeze for 20 minutes before rolling if struggling to keep the bites together.
Microwave the peanut butter and honey for 15-20 seconds if stirring these ingredients is challenging for your young chef.
Wet your hands before rolling to prevent the dough from sticking to your fingers.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to serve?

These oatmeal peanut butter bites can be served as a standalone snack or accompanied with Fruit Salad With Watermelon, Fruit Salad for Kids, Summer Fruit Salsa or your kiddo’s favorite piece of fruit.

How to roll?

Use a cookie scoop or tablespoons to measure out about 2 tablespoons worth of dough. Roll in between your hands to form balls. If the dough is crumbly or not sticking together, it could be a result of the nut butter that was used. Finding a creamy nut butter is key. To troubleshoot, add in 1 tablespoon at a time until the mixture sticks together or try freezing for 20 minutes then rolling.

Can you turn into oatmeal bars?

Absolutely! Instead of rolling into bites, you can press into a parchment lined 8×8 baking dish. It can be helpful to freeze the dough around an hour before slicing into bars. Store in the fridge or freezer.

What oats to use for peanut butter balls?

Quick oats are going to be the best option for texture. You could also use Old-Fashioned Oats if that is what you have on hand but be mindful it will alter the texture and flavor of this recipe.

Kids In The Kitchen

Cooking tips and suggestions for kids making this recipe.

Level the oats in a measuring cup before pouring into the mixing bowl.
Spray your measuring cup with non-stick cooking spray before measuring the honey and peanut butter. These ingredients will come out much easier!
Use mini chocolate chips to make it easier to roll these oat peanut butter balls.

More Easy Recipes for Kids

More Gluten and Dairy Free Recipes

CKC Features both Gluten-Free Guidance and Kids Cooking Instructions: If you’re new to eating gluten-free we understand it’s overwhelming trying to figure out which foods may contain gluten and which ones don’t. All of our gluten-free recipes marked with this symbol ✅ represent foods that need to be checked for gluten or cross-contamination.

The ⭐️ symbol in the recipe below denotes the steps in which kid cooks may need a helper (depending on age). If there is no ⭐️ symbol, that step (or recipe) doesn’t require a helper.

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