ENERGY BITES WITH STEEL CUT OATS
I consider this a lucky day because these energy bites finally lasted long enough for me to snap some photos to share with you all today. No joke, I have made these things 3 times in just 1 week and every single time they disappeared.
The third time must be the charm because I was finally able to get a picture of these glorious little energy bites to share with you all today.
NO BAKE ENERGY BITES
During the summer, and after school, my kids pretty much eat us out of the house. I am always on the look out for easy, simple, cheaper snacks to feed them that are still somewhat healthy.
These steel cut oatmeal energy bites are just that. Easy to make, only 5 ingredients needed, and they are a healthy snack to feed your kiddos.
I love the heartier texture that steel cut oats bring to traditional no bake energy bites.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO MAKE NO BAKE ENERGY BITES
- Quick 3-minute Steel Cut Oats
- Creamy peanut butter
- Honey
- Mini Chocolate Chips
- Shredded Coconut
Combine it all together in a bowl and mix away. Then roll them into balls. I use a small cookie scoop to do it, but your hands will also work well too. You can roll them into whatever size you want. I usually end up doing about a 1" ball.
Put those cute little things in the fridge for about 30 minutes and then devour! You actually don't have to refrigerate them right away. We ate one batch immediately after mixing them and the bites hold together so well that they don't need the fridge time to come together and hold their shape. But, I did prefer these after they had been sitting in the fridge for a bit.
You will want to store any leftovers in the fridge.
You can use any type of coconut you want. The only kind I can ever find are the coconut flakes in the baking aisle. But, you could use raw coconut, unsweetened coconut, etc.
If your kids (or you) don't like the coconut shreds, simple put the coconut in a food processor to chop it finely and then add it to the mix. I did this one time and I actually liked it this way. The coconut resembles the same size as the steel cut oats, so that way you don't have any long strands of coconut in the bites. Either way is yummy 🙂
TIPS FOR MAKING NO BAKE ENERGY BITES
- Use any type of coconut you want. You could use raw coconut, sweetened flaked coconut, unsweetened coconut. I always use the sweetened flaked coconut that I find in the baking aisle.
- A tip that I do : I do half coconut and half almonds. I put the flaked coconut + some sliced almonds in the food processor and chop them up into smaller pieces. My kids seem to like it better than the long strands of coconut.
- Please, please make sure you are using the quick, 1-minute steel cut oats. Just like quick oats they are a finer texture that does much better in these energy balls.
- Store these in the fridge. We prefer these balls cold straight from the fridge.
- If rolling the mixture into balls is sticky or difficult, place it in the fridge for a few minutes to get colder.
Steel Cut Oatmeal Energy Bites
Ingredients
- 1 cup quick steel cut oats
- 1 cup shredded coconut sweetened or unsweetened
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- ⅓ cup mini chocolate chips
- ⅓ cup honey
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir together until combined.
- Using a small cookie scoop, or your hands, roll into 1" balls. Or smaller depending on what size you want.
- These can be eaten right away or place in the fridge for about an hour.
- Store leftovers in the fridge.
Notes
Nutrition
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recipe adapted from here
I JUST made these today - two batches even, and we don't have children to help us eat them! 🙂
(Grandpa and Grandma here!) They freeze very well so I like to have some in the freezer "at all times" for when I need something sweet, I feel it's a healthy go-to. I've been watching my sugar for health reasons so I use flax seed meal instead of the coconut - actually that is how I received the recipe from a friend at Christmas. Thank you for the idea of the steel cut oats. I never thought to try that!
I love your idea of flax seed meal instead of the coconut. I actually have some of that so I am trying it out. I have made these now a total of 4 times in just week, ha 🙂 So glad you liked the addition of the steel cut oats. I think it adds more flavor and a heartier texture.
Do you use the steel cut oats for "regular" eating also...like for breakfast? Since you mentioned you like the idea of flax seed, I wanted to tell you the recipe I received calls for 1/2 c. flax seed. Everything else is the exact amount as your recipe but they include 1 tsp. vanilla when stirring the peanut butter and honey together. (I like the vanilla - always heap that teaspoon.) 🙂 I have wondered what the difference is between flax seed and the golden flax seed. If you don't have time to address this, I understand. Thanks again, Jessica, for another thought for me using the steel cut oats.
Thank you! I'm definitely going to try subbing in the flax seed. It would make these even healthier. I honestly didn't even know they had golden flax seed. It's probably the same thing as the oats vs. steel cut oats. Same thing but different preparation to make?? That would be my guess ? I always have time to address comments. I LOVE hearing from readers. Have a great weekend.
Hi! If I have regular steel cut oats, how can I use them? Perhaps cook them first, let them cool and then use?
What's the different between regular ones and quick ones? What have they done to make them quick?
I have a mixture of steel cut oats, nuts, seeds and dried dates that I don't want to eat like oatmeal anymore. I would like to make some tasty energy balls of it. I found you recipe and was quite happy with the ingredients until I read quick oats. Any tip for me? I want to use the mixture that I already have.
I'm Swedish so sorry if my english isn't that good.
I just googled steel cut oats vs quick ones and read that they are pre-cooked and dried. Maybe I should try to do that myself. Cook and let it dry and then use. I have to try it.
You could do that but you could also just use quick oats in place of the steel cut oats too. I have actually bought the regular steel cut oats (by accident) and tried it out in this recipe, and they were not good at all! The oats are too hard and almost bitter tasting. I would definitely recommend getting some instant 3-minute steel cut oats, or using quick oats in place of them. I hope that helps. Thanks for being here! 🙂
Thank your for your reply.
I understand quick oats are better but I want to use up what I already have. I have some sort of mixture with regular steel cut oats. I'm bored at oatmeal so I was thinking some tasty energy bites/balls/bars would taste better.
I will try this: Soak them over night and see how they are in the morning, maybe let them dry and then try out your recipe. I will let you know how it goes. 🙂
So sorry Becka. I misunderstood your question. I thought you already had quick oats (regular not steel cut). Yes, your idea sounds great and I am really hoping it works. Let me know. Thanks for being here 🙂
Becka did you try this and did it work? have regular ones I had no idea they even had 3 minute oats. I am going to try these bites soon they sound amazing.
I have actually tried this recipe with the regular steel cut oats, to see if it would work, and it does not. The regular steel cut oats are thicker and crunchier so it just tastes bad. I would really recommend getting the 3 minute quick steel cut oats ?
So do you cook the 3 minute steel cut oats,then make the oatmeal balls?
Nope. Just add them dry from the container 🙂
Delicious! Everyone loved them!
Better than regular oats.
You can also roast the regular steel cut oats in an iron skillet with real butter and let them dry out or toast them in the oven before mixing them up! Very tasty and still super healthy! I use dark caco chocolate and almond butter super healthy
Interesting. I did not know that! I've used almond butter too and it was good. Love your variations!
I'm making these later today. Instead of chocolate chips I'm going to try raisins.
Raisins are a great substitution! I hope you enjoy these 🙂 Thanks for visiting.
How long do they stay good for in the fridge?
I would say at least 5-7 days. When I make them they have only ever lasted at most, about 2 days in the fridge 🙂 Because we eat them all too fast!
Hello,
Theses sound yummy but I am trying to stay away from chocolate, one tiny morale for me sets me off into a frenzy! LOL. Do you think these would be good if I subbed out the chocolate chips for say pecans or walnuts and if so how much would you recommend I use?
Thank you so much for your time and reciepe!
haha, good luck with that! I could never stay away from chocolate 🙂 Yes, using chopped walnuts or chopped sliced almonds would be a great sub for the chocolate. I actually make these all the time with half coconut and half chopped almonds. I just combine them into some type of mini food processor or chopper and grind them small. Works like a charm. Let me know how it goes. I think walnuts or pecans sound so tasty in these.
Another question, I only eat Smuckers all natural peanut butter. Can I make these with that or is it too liquid?
Thanks again and Happy New Year! ?
Use Cacao nibs instead of chocolate...adds a crunch as well as the chocolatey flavor, but healthier and raw. You could also sub in raisens, craisens, chopped dates or chopped figs instead. I also made these using real maple syrup and was yummy!
How many balls would this recipe make? Thank you.
It just depends on the size you roll them. You can for sure count on getting at least 15-18 balls. More if you roll then small.
I cook the oats and let them cool. I guess they weren’t completely cool down because the chocolate melted and now they are just a ball of mush. So disappointing. Please provide clear instructions on what you should do with the oats after they’re cooked. Thanks
The recipe never says to cook the steel cut oats. You just add them straight into the bowl from the container and mix with the other ingredients. Sorry you misunderstood the recipe ?
You aren’t supposed to cook the oats. Why would you say 3 minute cook. That’s confusing!!
Sorry! I say three minute cook because that's what it says on the container. It's from the Quaker brand and the container says 'steel cut oats three minute cook'. I figured that would help people find the right kind. Because there are regular steel cut oats and then there are the quick steel cut oats.
In the post I also included a picture of the container of steel cut oats so look there and hopefully it'll make more sense. But do not cook the oats before adding. Just add them straight from the steel cut oats container. I hope this makes sense ? Let me know if you have more questions. Glad to help.
These are fabulous! My family eats them like crazy. Do you happen to have the nutritional values for them?
I don't. Next time I make these, which happens often because my kids love them too, I will add up all the calories and divide by the amount of balls I roll. I can post it back here to let you know.
How many calories are in each 1" ball?
I added nutrition facts to this recipe. For 20 balls, each one is 115 calories I believe. Give or take ?
There is nutritional listed at the bottom of the recipe which has 123 calories, 6g fat etc. per serving, but it doesn't say how much a serving is. Does anyone know how many balls would be in a serving?
That's based on the recipe getting 20 energy balls. Lots have reported getting closer to 24 balls (if you make them small) with the recipe. 1 serving is 1 energy ball.
I made this over the weekend for my brother who just moved in with me. We work at the same company and I figured this would be great to satisfy the sweet tooth and still eat healthy. My batch gave 24 balls. The time that I went and do an errand, four were already gone 😀 Needless to say, my brother loved it and so do I! I used almond butter since that was what I had on hand and it was still delicious. Thanks for sharing!
I used natural peanut butter I cannot stomach the sugar in Jiff and other brands. I was thinking about toasting the oats before marking it just to pull that nutty flavor forward a bit. But these things are awesome for sure reminds me of ones my mom made when I was little.
Is there any way to fix them if I accidentally used the regular steel cut oats?
No, unless you just start over with the quick oats. You could use the regular steel cut oats but they have a firmer, tougher texture than the quick steel cut oats. So they may just not taste the best.
Can I use maple syrup in place of honey?
It's snowing and yucky outside so I don't want to make a trip out to the grocery store to get the honey. I have pure maple syrup on hand.
I am sure using maple syrup would be fine because it's the same thick texture as honey, and is also sweet. I've never done it so I can't say for sure how it would turn out.
We LOVE these! Made them with Almond Butter since it's all we had and chopped up a dark chocolate bar (again all we had on hand!) My fiance and I are obsessed! Best afternoon snack.
Yum, almond butter. I've been meaning to try these with almond butter!
How would they taste without the coconut and would it affect how well they hold together? I am also thinking about subbing Liquid Stevia in place of the honey. Any thoughts on this? Thank you.
If you don't want to use coconut then I would sub it with some almonds. I have done this before and it's delicious. I like to run the almonds through a food processor (or give them a rough chop with a knife) before adding them into the mixture. I am not even sure what liquid stevia is so I could not help you with that one. If it's like honey and the same thick consistency then I am sure it would work fine.
I just mixed these in the bowl and when
I try to roll the balls they fall apart. Do you have any idea what could have gone wrong? The only thing I altered was usuing half honey and half maple syrup because I ran out of honey. Is there any way to salvage them at this point?
I have only ever made these with all honey and they roll just fine, although they do stick slightly to my hands while rolling. I just spray my hands with cooking spray and it helps a lot. If the maple syrup you used was thinner than the thickness of honey, the balls just might be too moist from the maple syrup. Try refrigerating the mixture for an hour and then roll them into balls. That usually helps with stickiness.
I have made these several times as a mountain climbing snack and they are always very well received by my climbing partners. I actuall do use regular steel cut oats. I put them and the coconut in the food processor first so the oats are ground up a bit. Thanks for the great recipe!
That's so good to hear that you can put the regular steel cut oats in a food processor! Not sure why I never thought of that, haha. I too love to put the coconut flakes in the food processor to make smaller pieces. Sometime I also do half coconut and half almond. Give it a whirl in the processor and then add it. So glad you have enjoyed these several times 🙂
I have a similar recipe and it calls for ground flax seed or wheat germ as well as all of this. I also use regular chocolate chips and have added dried cherries, raisins and craisens to the recipe. My boss gave them to me and they are great. You can easily play with the dry ingredients.
These were as good as promised! so quick. so easy. so good. The only thing I did was add a dash of cinnamon. Next time I'll try them using my nut and seed butter from (Canadian) Costco. I'm also going to try the flax meal seed in place of coconut and take to work for friends who don't like coconut (I know, right? who doesn't like coconut?) It's a good thing they're leaving the house to go to a horse show with my daughter, or I would likely eat them all. They also will be coming camping this weekend too. (and any other time we camp I'm sure!) what a pleasant way to spend a Sunday. tea and browsing amazing recipes.
Coconut is the best! Cinnamon sounds amazing in these. I make these all the time so I think I am going to try that. So happy to hear you loved these! Great minds think alike, because these snack balls always go camping with us!
So good and easy to make! I added a tablespoon of chia seeds and some protein powder for some extra nutrition to mine. Been eating them as dessert because they have a ton of sugar and don't think they are actually healthy, haha. Also, the taste reminds me of the chocolate chip Chewy bars, yum!
Yum, the chia seeds sound amazing. I am so glad you loved these.
I have Trader Joe's 8-minute quick steel cut oats. Would these work with the recipe? Thank you!
Not sure. I have never seen or used the Trader Joe's quick steel cut oats. As long as they are the quick cook then you should be fine.
I used the Trader Joe's oats and the bites turned out great, delicious!! Thanks!!
I made these and actually baked a few min at about 350 after refrigerating. It added a tiny bit of crunch and made them less sticky.
This looks so good! What a great snack for the whole family!
Thanks for sharing! Do they keep long?
Yes. I've had batches that last several days in the fridge. I would safely say they would last 4-5 days in the fridge, possible longer!
unfortunately, the balls don't stay together if you use REAL 100% PEANUT BUTTER.
My guess is you need to use the peanut butter that is 1/3 crisco and 1/3 sugar. I say "yecch" to that fake peanut butter.
Yea, the natural peanut butters don't do well in lots of baked items. At least I don't think so 🙂 I'll go re-check the post but I am fairly certain I include a note about NOT using the natural 100% peanut butter in this recipe. Sorry they did not work out for you.
Awesome snack for on-the-go. I ran out of honey so used maple syrup (maine life). Turned out better than expectations
I used natural PB and they weren't perfect balls but after throwing in the fridge for a few hours they were ok. Still taste amazing! I added a bit of flax and hemp hearts too.
Do you have the nutritional content?
I really love these and they are super addictive. They even freeze well...so, I'm allowing myself one a day?
Five stars not one... grrrrrrrr!
How many carbs per ball? I didn’t see nutrition info?
I found them too sweet. Next time I'll reduce the honey to 1/4 cup and use unsweetened coconut. I may sub almond meal for some of the coconut. I like the idea of baking at 350 degrees for a few minutes. May try them with quick oats, too.
Yes for sure, just reduce the honey a bit. Thanks for coming back to comment.
I am a breastfeeding mom trying to increase my supply while also having a tasty energy snack so I used this recipe! I added a few tablespoons of brewer's yeast along with a couple tablespoons of flaxseeds. Turned out great! Thank you!
That's so great! Thanks for coming back to comment.
LOVE THESE! I added the Flax seed and still kept the coconut in too! So nice for satisfying that sweet tooth. I keep mine in the freezer too!
This recipe sounds great! I tried it using 3-min steel oats however they are still too hard/crunchy. Any tips or suggestions? Maybe it’s the brand.
Just use quick 1-minute oats instead 🙂
These are awesome. Someone made them for my daughter. Sorry if someone already asked, can you use raw honey?
I believe you can. I always just use the big container of honey from Costco. Don't think it's raw.... but I would imagine raw honey is exactly the same thing so I say yes!
These tasty, hearty bombs are delicious! Lots of chewing going on. Will definitely make again.
WOW! These are delicious! I followed the basic recipe except I used already toasted unsweetened coconut flakes and used my mini chopper to make tiny pieces. I love the chewiness of the 3 min oats, so chewy and good. The blend of flavors is amazing. Next time I'll try chopped dried cherries instead of mini chips. I like the flax seed meal substitute, will try half coconut and half flax meal. So many good way to vary these! My little cookie scoop made 32 bites that are in the freezer, ready to have anytime!
Thanks so much, Jessica!
You're welcome. I love your idea of dried cherries and the flax meal. I usually do half coconut and half sliced almonds and then chop it up in the food chopper to get small pieces.
I just made two batches of these. The first I followed your recipe exactly and the second because I am not a coconut fan I substituted the coconut for tri colored quinoa. I saw someone suggest chia seeds but I didn't have any so I tried the quinoa. They are a bit crunchier than the coconut ones but I didn't mind. I will try 5he chip next t time to see the difference. My family loved both batches. Thank you. They are so yummy!
I used all natural peanut butter. They were a little liquidy , yes, but I think if you reduce the amount of honey it should be ok. They will firm up in the refrigerator.
Can these be frozen?
Yes they can 🙂
I am having a really hard time keepI am having a hard time making these stick together period do you have a suggestion.ing these together and rolling them in a ball period I put them in the fridge and then tried working with the dough and it still doesn't work
I honestly don't know why some people have trouble getting the dough to stick together. The only thing I can think of is that maybe you used an all natural peanut butter. Those are much drier which will therefore make the dough or energy ball dough really crumbly. Which would make it hard to form into balls. The other thing that comes to mind is maybe you were too generous in your honey measurement? I really don't know and I am so sorry. I literally makes these once a week (I actually just made them the other day) and I have never had the problem of them not rolling into balls like a few others have.
I love your recipe but would just like to say, I only had traditional oats, they are not steel cut or the quick type. I decided to whizz them in my food processor to make them a little finer. This worked very well, I also added dried cranberries and candied mixed citrus peel, probably not suitable for children though! But I love the extra bite of orange and lemon peel. Altogether very successful? Thank you
Very yummy and filling! I added chopped pecans and toasted them with the coconut. Honey could probably be swapped to maple syrup as well if your wanted a vegan version. Great way to use up steel cut oats!
Thank you for the recipe! Really enjoyed these the next day after being in the fridge overnight. They curb my craving for the Samoas Girl Scout Cookies I have in my pantry. Looking forward to using flaxseed meal like another person suggested.
Just made these and couldn’t stop licking my fingers! They’re so good. I wanted to try a healthier “go to” snack and they’re perfect. Thank you for the tip on selecting the right oats. I made sure I got the right ones. After this recipe imma huge fan of steel cut oats…..the “quick” 3 minute cooking version - which you don’t cook at all for this recipe. Thank you!! 😊
Just made these and couldn’t stop licking my fingers! They’re so good. I wanted to try a healthier “go to” snack and they’re perfect. Thank you for the tip on selecting the right oats. I made sure I got the right ones. After this recipe imma huge fan of steel cut oats…..the “quick” 3 minute cooking version - which you don’t cook at all for this recipe. Thank you!! 😊
So happy to hear you like them! I totally agree that they’re the perfect ‘healthier’ snack!
Thank you!
So it's 123 Calories per ball?
That is the calorie amount I got when I entered the information. BUT, with that said, calorie information is not exact and can vary greatly depending on the size of balls you roll. The 123 calories were for large balls (about 1-2 tablespoons of dough) but I usually roll them smaller when I make them.