4 Ingredient Energy Oatmeal Balls

ENERGY OATMEAL BALLS

These energy oatmeal ball snacks have saved me during this “no-school-quarantined-at-home-with-4-kids” part of my life. You would think my kids are ravenous animals who have not eaten in weeks because they just snack and snack all day long.

But thanks to these energy balls, which I have been making at least 2x per week lately, my kids have a grab & go snack that they can get themselves, and they are somewhat nutritious for them and will keep them full…… for like 10 minutes 🙂 

I also have these steel cut oatmeal energy balls and monster cookie energy balls on my site. But today’s recipe is my favorite because it’s only 4 ingredients, and the ingredients are mostly pantry staples that hopefully you already have. 

HOW TO MAKE ENERGY BALLS

Quick Oats – I love quick oats for these energy balls because they have a finer, smaller texture which is more appealing to kids. Yes you can use whole, old-fashioned oats but I find that the balls tend to not hold together as well when you use the old fashioned oats. So for best results, stick with the quick oats. 

Creamy Peanut Butter – Creamy peanut butter is best. Crunchy peanut butter can be used but it’s a lot thicker and drier, and therefore will end up drying out the energy balls. It’s also best to use the regular old peanut butter with all the oil. Natural peanut butter tends to be drier because it has less oil, which will effect the end result of the energy ball. 

Honey

Mini Chocolate Chips – I like using the mini chocolate chips because of the small size. But go ahead and use regular chocolate chips, semi-sweet chips, or even peanut butter chips if that’s what you have in your pantry. 

MY TIPS FOR THIS RECIPE

• If there are peanut allergies in your house then feel free to substitute the peanut butter with some other alternative. I don’t know much about them, but I do know they sell SunButter in the stores which is a great alternative, and I have heard from readers that they use that in my no flour monster cookie bars with great success. 
• The refrigeration time before rolling into balls is necessary and important! It helps the dough to not be sticky so you can easily roll into balls. It’s only about 20 minutes or so of refrigeration time. 
• This recipe makes 30 energy balls. They store well in the fridge for several days. I put mine in a quart-sized Ziploc bag (or use a Tupperware type container) and put it inside the snack drawer of the fridge. It’s an easy grab & go snack that the kids can get themselves. 

TRY THESE OTHER KID FRIENDLY SNACK RECIPES

• mini chocolate chip muffins
• cinnamon & sugar banana muffins
• one bowl applesauce muffins
• chocolate chip banana snack bars
• s’mores energy bites

Oatmeal Energy Balls

Oatmeal Energy Balls require only 4 ingredients! Quick oats, peanut butter, honey, and mini chocolate chips are all you need for these perfect snack-sized energy oatmeal balls.

3.78 from 40 votes

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Course: Snack

Keyword: easy energy balls, oatmeal energy balls

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Fridge Time: 20 minutes

Servings: 30 energy balls

Calories: 112kcal

Author: Jessica

Ingredients

• 3 cups quick oats
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup honey

Instructions

• Combine all ingredients into a mixing bowl and stir together well until combined. Place the bowl (covered with lid or plastic wrap) in the fridge for 20-30 minutes.
• Roll into balls (slightly smaller than a golf ball). Eat right away OR store covered in the fridge for several days.

Notes

To make measuring honey easy, spray the measuring cup with cooking spray before ad ding the honey. When you pour it into the bowl the honey will slide right out!

 

It's best to use regular peanut butter because it has more oil, fat, and it's softer, which will hold together well without drying out. Some natural peanut butters (like Jif) actually might work because it has more oil than other natural peanut butters. 

Nutrition

Calories: 112kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 42mg | Potassium: 87mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 7IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 1mg