If you want a protein-packed sweet treat, Coconut Peanut Butter Oatmeal Balls are the answer!
PinOne of the greatest pleasures in my life is getting to cook with my kids (thank goodness it’s also what I do for a living). Having said that, there are certain recipes that are more appropriate for certain age groups to make than others. Since I’ve got two young children, cooking activities that don’t require the stove are a huge bonus, especially when I’m trying to get both kids involved in the same task at the same time.
There was definitely a mess to clean up when we were finished making these, but it was totally worth every minute. While Chloe was busy licking spoonfuls of peanut butter, pressing her tiny fingers into the coconut on the plate and saying “snow”, Kenya was focused on rolling the peanut butter oatmeal mixture into balls.
PinHalfway through he decided to improvise and said, “look Mommy, now they’re logs!” I looked down at his creation, then up at him and said “Kenya, you’re a genius!” Maybe that was a little too much praise for a kid just having some fun with food, but to a mom always trying to come up with new and exciting recipes for kids to eat, it was an inspired idea.
But the best idea is cooking with your kids. No matter what you make, the experience is always delicious.
Coconut Peanut Butter Oatmeal Balls
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
- 1/2 cup peanut butter (you can also use almond, cashew, or sunflower butter)
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
Instructions
- Place the oats in a food processor or blender and pulse until finely ground.
- In a mixing bowl, stir together the peanut butter and honey.
- Add the ground oats to the peanut butter mixture and continue to stir until thoroughly combined.
- Using 1 tablespoon of the mixture at a time (I like to use a mini ice cream scooper or a spoon), roll into balls or logs.
- Place the coconut in a separate bowl or plate and roll the balls in the coconut to completely cover.
Notes
- To Freeze: place balls on a sheet tray and freeze for 30 min. Remove, place in a ziploc bag, label and keep frozen up to 3 months. They’re delicious to eat right out of the freezer, too.
I got a similar recipe from Trader Joe’s organic flax meal package- only it calls for the one cup of oats (whole not ground), maple syrup 1/3 cup, peanut butter 1/2 cup, flax meal 1/2 cup, vanilla extract 1 tsp… but I like the idea of grinding the oats – I use Bob’s Red Mill organic oats.
I got a similar recipe from Trader Joe’s organic flax meal package- only it calls for the one cup of oats (whole not ground), maple syrup 1/3 cup, peanut butter 1/2 cup, flax meal 1/2 cup, vanilla extract 1 tsp… but I like the idea of grinding the oats – I use Bob’s Red Mill organic oats.
I love these and make them often for a healthy snack for my 4 y/o (and me!). Has anyone ever tried freezing these with good results?
My family loves these! My husband is a huge peanut butter lover and who knew coconut would pair so well with it??
I have made these two days in a row now, and both times my husband and two girls (1 and 4) have eaten them ALL before I was done rolling them! Per some other suggestions, I used a 1/4 cup of honey rather than a 1/2 cup. Even using fresh ground, unsweetened peanut butter and unsweetened coconut the 1/4 honey made these plenty sweet enough. These are a huge hit in my house, and I thank you for these easy, kid (and husband) friendly recipes. I haven’t made one thing from your site that we haven’t liked! Keep up the great, very appreciated, work!
Thank you all for the tip on the honey. I made this tonight and barely used 1/8 c honey because the coconut peanut butter I used was sweet. These are waaaaaay relish for kids’ school snacks. Only made about 9 balls though, fyi
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These are such a wonderfully delicious, protein packed snack! My daughter is sooo picky, and would probably eat crackers all day if I let her. At least with these I know that pb is giving her some protein. Super easy to make, and lasts a long time in a tupperware!
I didn’t have any honey in the house, so I used maple syrup. They are delicious. For some reason, my daughter doesn’t want to eat them though. She is so picky. I guess I will have the tough job of eating them all myself.
I add cashew nuts (or mixed nuts), dried cranberries, a tablespoon of good cocoa powder and sunflower seeds into the mix- delicious and super nutritious! The kids just devour them. The recipe as printed is great as a base.
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