This is a simple, quick recipe that can be enjoyed as a snack, treat, or even breakfast! It only takes about 10 minutes to get these lil bites made, and then you can save them in the fridge for a quick, healthy snack when you’re busy! You only need a few simple ingredients, and these can be vegan, gluten-free, and nut-free.
You can customize these to your liking by adding in dried fruit, chocolate chips, nuts or seeds, or any other tasty flavorings your heart desires! Shoutout to my friend Christina Chu, a registered dietitian nutritionist, for this recipe (click here for a previous little interview post with her)! The healthy ingredients will keep you fueled with whole grains, healthy fats and fiber, and potential anti-inflammatory properties from cinnamon.
I cut her recipe in half (except the cinnamon because I love cinnamon) because I was running low on nut butter, but you can definitely double, or even triple this to make more bites so you have these ready for a quick, healthy breakfast or snack! I also added some vanilla extract, which I think added great flavor - if you do this, add it on top of the nut butter, or once things are mixed well, because otherwise it will just absorb into the portion of oats it is poured on top of, as opposed to spreading throughout the mixture. I chose to add dried unsweetened cherries and sunflower seeds instead of chocolate chips because that sounded good to me at the moment - just proves how versatile this recipe is!
Here are some ingredients modifications if needed:
Gluten-free: use gluten-free oats
Vegan: use maple syrup instead of honey to sweeten
Nut-free: use a seed butter such as sunflower seed or tahini instead of nut butter
Ingredients
Makes about 6 bites
⅔ cup oats
⅓ cup nut or seed butter (I used almond butter)
1-2 tbsp maple syrup or honey
½ tsp cinnamon
Splash of vanilla extract (optional)
A few handfuls of your choice of add-ins, such as dried fruit, seeds or nuts, chocolate chips (I added dried unsweetened cherries and sunflower seeds)
Steps
1. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl, adding the vanilla extract last or on top of the nut butter (see explanation earlier).
2. Use your (thoroughly washed) hands to roll into balls that are about two inches in diameter. The mixture should be sticky enough to hold together fairly well, but not so sticky that you can’t roll it into balls without it getting all over your hands!
3. Place the balls in the refrigerator for at least 10 minutes so they set, then enjoy or store in the fridge for about a week to enjoy later!
