Cranberry Oatmeal Energy Balls (nut-free)
Posted: 10/09/2020
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Cranberry oatmeal energy balls, with dates and hemp seed, are chewy bites of deliciousness. They will satisfy your snack cravings plus you’ll enjoy a nutritious energy boost.
Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: Energy bites are easy to make and perfect for lunchboxes.
How long it takes: 20 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: food processor
Servings: makes 36 balls
Table of Contents
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Cranberry oatmeal energy bites are perfection rolled into bite-sized balls. Packed with all kinds of good-for-you ingredients, these energy balls are sweet without added sugar. They contain fiber, minerals, and vitamins, and taste like dessert. Nut-free, gluten-free, and dairy-free, most everyone can safely enjoy these.
Having a snack attack? You won’t experience a sugar crash after indulging in a couple of these healthy energy balls. The complex carbohydrates will leave you feeling energized and satisfied. At less than 60 calories each, you won’t have to worry about your waistline either.
True story: I couldn’t write about these without wanting to have one. I just set aside my keyboard, went upstairs and ate a couple energy bites for a mid-morning snack with a cup of tea. Honestly I like these way better than a cookie.
They’re perfect for kids and school lunch boxes, too. Because they’re made without peanut butter, they’re safe to bring to schools with peanut restrictions. They keep well in the fridge (or freezer!) and are a fun finger food. So much better than high sugar granola bars!
P.S. Be sure to try monster cookie energy balls. Kids love them! Another popular gluten-free option is black bean brownies. You’d never guess that they are made with healthy black beans and no flour.
About this recipe
You would think something this good would be difficult to make. Nope, not true! Oatmeal energy balls are super easy, and your kids will enjoy helping you roll the balls.
You’ll need a food processor with the S-blade. Other than measuring utensils, that’s the only dish that will have to be washed. You won’t have to turn the oven on or even the stove. It doesn’t get much easier than that!
I’ll get you started on the recipe here and give you some helpful tips. Look for the printable recipe card near the end of the post for complete instructions, measurements, and nutrition information.
What You’ll Need
- Oatmeal: Choose rolled oats or quick oats. Since they are going in the food processor, either one is fine. Steel cut oats or instant oats will NOT work.
- Dates: Look for dried dates in the produce section of your grocery store. Some dates are pitted; some are not. Make sure you remove any pits before adding the dates to this recipe. Medjool dates are sweeter and usually come with a pit.
- Honey: The dates provide most of the sweetener needed but a couple tablespoons of honey do a good job of sticking everything together. Other sweeteners can be substituted, such as agave or corn syrup.
- Sunflower Seed Butter: Sometimes called “sun butter”, sunflower seed butter is an alternative to peanut butter. If you prefer, you can substitute peanut butter.
- Dried Cranberries: Look for unsweetened dried cranberries, if you can find them. A popular brand (Craisins) have a lot of added sugar.
- Vanilla Extract: A bit of vanilla makes these balls seem even more like a sweet treat.
- Flax Or Hemp Seeds: Most seeds are packed with nutrition and these are no exception. For even more benefit (and for visual appeal), roll the energy balls in seeds.
How To Make Energy Balls
Let’s get started! Set up your food processor with the standard blade. Add oats, dates (make sure they’re pitted!), sunflower seed butter, honey, a dash of salt and pure vanilla extract. Process until well-combined. Add dried cranberries and hemp seeds (flax seeds are fine, too), and pulse briefly. The mixture should be in clumps.
Easy so far, right? That only takes about 5 minutes. Next up, making the balls. Here’s where your kids could help.
Scoop out a tablespoon of the mixture and, using your fingers, form a ball. Press it firmly together. It doesn’t have to be perfectly round. Roll each ball in additional seeds if you like. Keep going until the mixture is gone. You should get around three dozen balls.
There, that’s it! No cooking, no baking. Easy as pie! Where did that phrase come from anyways? Making pie is anything but easy! Energy balls are way, way easier to make than pie and taste so good.
FAQs
Are energy balls good for you?
The answer to that is a resounding yes! Just take a look at the ingredient list. Oatmeal is so beneficial with lots of soluble fiber and protein. Dates are high in vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Sunflower seed butter is high in protein, contains lots of Vitamin E, and no trans fat. Dried cranberries are packed with antioxidants. Flax and/or hemp seeds both contain protein, fiber, and a variety of minerals.
You get a bundle of complex carbs, gut-friendly fiber, and protein, plus a bunch of vitamins and minerals, all rolled together in a cute little tasty ball.
Why are they called energy balls?
You’ll feel like you have more energy because of those complex carbs. Complex carbohydrates are digested more slowly because they are high in fiber. This helps control blood sugar spikes. You won’t experience the quick burst that simple carbs give you but then feel depleted. It’s a slow steady source of energy.
How long can you keep energy balls?
If they are stored in an airtight container and refrigerated, energy balls will stay fresh for at least a couple of weeks. They can also be frozen in a freezer-safe container for a month or longer.
Make It Your Own
There are lots of substitutions you could possibly make. Here’s a few suggestions:
- Instead of dried cranberries, try a different dried fruit like raisins, currants, dried cherries, chopped dried apricots, or dried apple. Or replace the dried fruit with mini chocolate chips or coconut.
- To make these energy bites vegan, replace the honey with a different sweetener, such as agave or corn syrup.
- Replace the sunflower seed butter with peanut butter or another nut butter of your choice.
- Add ¼ cup of protein powder to the mixture. Reduce oats by ¼ cup.
- Check out more energy ball recipes below!
Storage Tips
Store cranberry oatmeal energy bites in a resealable container in the fridge for up to two weeks. Make a double batch and freeze some to enjoy later.
More healthy energy bites
Here’s a few more ideas for you:
- Apple Cinnamon No Bake Energy Bites
- Chocolate Coconut Nut-Free Energy Balls
- Chocolate Protein Balls (with mocha option!)
- Monster Cookie Energy Balls
- Add energy balls to an After School Snack Board, a kid-friendly charcuterie board.
- Fig Almond No-Bake Energy Bites from my friend Erin at Well Plated
- Date Balls from More than Meat and Potatoes
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @rachelcooksblog on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
servings
Cranberry oatmeal energy balls, with dates and hemp seed, are chewy bites of deliciousness. They will satisfy your snack cravings plus you'll enjoy a nutritious energy boost.
Ingredients
- 1 cup rolled oats
- ¾ cup dried dates, pits removed
- ½ cup sunflower seed butter
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- ¾ cup dried cranberries
- 3 tablespoons flax seeds, or hemp seeds, plus more for rolling
Instructions
- Add oats, dates, sunflower seed butter, honey, vanilla, and salt to the bowl of a food processor. Process until mixture is well combined.
- Add cranberries and flax or hemp seeds and pulse briefly until combined.
- Scoop out approximately one tablespoon of the mixture and, using your fingers, form into a ball. Repeat until all the balls are made (makes 36). If desired, roll balls in additional flax or hemp seeds.
- Refrigerate in a tightly covered container for up to 2 weeks. Energy balls can also be frozen.
Notes
- Instead of dried cranberries, try a different dried fruit like raisins, currants, dried cherries, chopped dried apricots, or dried apple. Or replace the dried fruit with mini chocolate chips.
- To make these energy bites vegan, replace the honey with a different sweetener, such as agave or corn syrup.
- Replace the sunflower seed butter with peanut butter or another nut butter of your choice.
- Add ¼ cup of protein powder to the mixture. Reduce oats by ¼ cup.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 2energy balls, Calories: 109kcal, Carbohydrates: 16g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 1mg, Potassium: 80mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 10g, Vitamin A: 4IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 18mg, Iron: 1mg
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
denise says
great idea!
Rachel Gurk says
Thanks Denise!