Looking for a healthy snack that even picky people and kids will love? These are so yummy and take zero time to prepare. Best of all, they’re a great source of protein, fiber and good fats, and weigh in at only 85 calories!
BASIC RECIPE (makes 12)
- 1 cup of old fashioned rolled oats
- ½ cup of any natural nut butter (I’m partial to good old peanut butter, but almond butter, cashew butter, sunflower butter works well too)
- 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed meal
- 1 teaspoon of chia seeds
- 1 tablespoon of honey
- 1 tablespoon of unsweetened applesauce
In a bowl, mix dry ingredients first and then stir in the the wet ones until well combined. Place bowl in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes (it will make forming the balls easier). Once the mixture is slightly chilled, use the palms of your hands to form 12 balls.
Feel free to add your favorite ingredients for more scrumptious goodness. No sugar-added raisins and dried strawberries are delicious. For more of a dessert-like treat try chocolate or carob chips.
These snacks taste great chilled or at room temperature and will keep for 1 week in the refrigerator (if they last that long!).
Thanks for sharing! These are going to be a filling, healthy snack to throw at the kids in between practices, games and activities. I plan to slip a few into a zip top bag and keep them in my purse on the days work meetings run past lunchtime.
I make these without the flaxseed, chia and applesauce and instead add coconut, vanilla, chocolate chips, almond slivers and craisins – so good.
I’m so excited to try this. I’ve been looking for a way to get more oatmeal into my diet without having to actually eat bowls of oatmeal.
This is exactly what I’ve been looking for!
We make these quite often at our house. Just be forewarned that chia and flax both help move things along in your system, and that happens even more so with kids. So I leave those ingredients out when I’m sharing with my kids, or replace them with chopped nuts. Won’t make that mistake again!
yay! thanks for this recipe! i live in an apartment without an oven. i miss baking but i most definitely miss the little treats. this looks delicious! i love that it’s so adaptable; i’ll have to experiment. cannot wait.
This is great! I was looking for a way to liven up some oatmeal, and I love this easy recipe!