Global · snack, breakfast

No-Bake Oatmeal Energy Balls

Name: No-Bake Oatmeal Energy Balls
Total time: 15 min
Cuisine: Global
Ingredients: 3 cups quick-cooking oats (270 g); ½ cup peanut butter (125 g); ½ cup ground flaxseed (75 g); 1 cup (250 g) date paste, bought or homemade from pitted dates soaked in hot water for 1 hour and blended; the soaking water, blended into homemade date paste (about ¼ cup); ⅓ cup coconut oil (70 g)

No-Bake Oatmeal Energy Balls — from How To Cook Smarter's cooking video

Watch how it’s made · 4:34

Video by How To Cook Smarter on YouTube · Open on YouTube

15 minServes 10331 kcal a serve

Vegan

Contains: Gluten, Peanut. Check labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes.

Oats, flaxseed and peanut butter give fibre (about 7 g in two balls), protein and healthy fats, including more than a day's plant omega-3 from the flax, and dates do all the sweetening.

Printable PDFA4

The printable card is ink-friendly, fits on one page and has a QR code back to this recipe.

Ingredients 6

3 cups quick-cooking oats (270 g)
½ cup peanut butter (125 g)
½ cup ground flaxseed (75 g)
1 cup (250 g) date paste, bought or homemade from pitted dates soaked in hot water for 1 hour and blended
the soaking water, blended into homemade date paste (about ¼ cup)
⅓ cup coconut oil (70 g)

Method

Tap a time to watch that step in the video.

For date paste, cover pitted dates with hot water, leave 1 hour, then blend the dates and water until smooth (or use bought date paste). 1:14
Mix the oats, peanut butter, flaxseed, date paste and coconut oil with your hands or in a food processor. 1:02
If it is too dry to shape, add a little water. Stir in mix-ins if you like: the cook makes four flavours with dark chocolate, dried cranberries, chopped walnuts or chia seeds. 3:02
Roll tablespoons of the mixture into about 20 balls. 2:34
Eat straight away or keep in the fridge or freezer for up to 3 months.

Tip. Two balls are a serve. Homemade date paste needs a 1-hour soak first; bought date paste skips it. They are energy-dense, so they suit active days or a breakfast on the run.

The method is a summary in our words — the video shows every step.

One serve gives you 1 of 10

Energy331 kcal1,380 kJ

Protein8.4 g17% of a day

Fibre6.8 g24% of a day

Carbohydrate37 g30 g net · 14 g sugars14% of a day

Fat18 g7.6 g saturated23% of a day

Sodium40 mg2% of a day

Where the energy comes from one serve

Net carbs 38%
Protein 11%
Fat 51%

For comparison, low-carb eating usually gets under 26% of its energy from carbs, and ketogenic eating under 10%. Why this is here

Lower-carb idea. About 51% of the 30 g of net carbs come from the quick-cooking oats. To cut carbs, try chia seeds, flaxseed or a nut-and-seed mix instead.

Vitamins & minerals % of a day, one serve · tap for more

Omega-3 High109%

1.7 g a serve, mostly from ground flaxseed (98%). Omega-3 fats support the heart and brain. Oily fish give EPA and DHA; walnuts, flax, chia and canola give ALA, which the body converts only a little.

Magnesium High23%

96 mg a serve, mostly from quick-cooking oats (39%). Takes part in hundreds of reactions — energy, muscles, nerves, blood sugar and bones. Nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains are good sources.

Selenium Source19%

10 µg a serve, mostly from quick-cooking oats (75%). Part of the body's antioxidant enzymes and needed for thyroid hormones. Seafood, eggs, meat and Brazil nuts are rich sources.

Zinc Source16%

1.7 mg a serve, mostly from quick-cooking oats (56%). Needed for immunity, wound healing, taste and growth. Meat, seafood, legumes, seeds and whole grains supply it.

Iron Source11%

2 mg a serve, mostly from quick-cooking oats (58%). Carries oxygen in your blood. Iron from plants absorbs better with vitamin C in the same meal — lemon, tomato or capsicum.

Vitamin B6 Source10%

0.2 mg a serve, mostly from peanut butter (33%). Helps turn food into energy and make brain messengers. Chickpeas, fish, poultry, potatoes and bananas are good sources.

Show the other 9

Vitamin E9%

1.3 mg a serve, mostly from peanut butter (89%). An antioxidant that protects cell membranes. Nuts, seeds and plant oils such as olive oil are the main sources.

Potassium8%

370 mg a serve, mostly from date paste (36%). Balances sodium to help control blood pressure and keeps muscles and nerves working. Beans, potatoes, leafy greens and fruit are rich sources.

Folate7%

27 µg a serve, mostly from peanut butter (34%). Needed to make DNA and new cells — especially important before and in early pregnancy. Legumes and leafy greens are rich sources.

Calcium4%

51 mg a serve, mostly from ground flaxseed (38%). Builds bones and teeth and helps muscles and nerves work. Dairy, calcium-set tofu, sardines with their bones and some greens supply it.

Vitamin K1%

1.5 µg a serve, mostly from quick-cooking oats (37%). Needed for blood clotting and bones. Leafy greens and herbs are very rich in it. If you take warfarin, keep your intake steady and talk to your doctor.

Vitamin A0%

1.3 µg a serve, mostly from date paste (100%). Keeps eyes, skin and the immune system healthy. Orange vegetables and dark greens give beta-carotene, which the body turns into vitamin A.

Vitamin C0%

0 mg a serve, mostly from ground flaxseed (100%). An antioxidant needed for collagen, immunity and iron absorption. Long cooking destroys some, so raw herbs, citrus and capsicum help.

Vitamin D0%

0 µg a serve. Helps you absorb calcium for bones and supports muscles. Few foods have much — oily fish, eggs, UV-exposed mushrooms, fortified milks. Sunlight is the main source.

Vitamin B120%

0 µg a serve. Keeps nerves and blood cells healthy. Found almost only in animal foods and fortified foods (some plant milks, nutritional yeast), so vegans need a reliable source.

Estimated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central values; % of a day uses the food-label daily values. How this works

Recipe and video by How To Cook Smarter; the method summary, nutrition estimate and diet notes are Notbroken’s. General information about food, not dietary advice.