Oatmeal Raisin Energy Balls
July 6, 2020
A recipe for healthy oatmeal raisin energy balls packed with pumpkin seeds for extra plant-based protein. They are vegan, gluten-free, and nut-free!
Is anyone else extremely peckish 24/7? Like, don’t even bother to ask me if I want a snack – I WILL ALWAYS SAY YES.
And these oatmeal raisin energy balls just happen to be the optimal snack for three reasons:
- They’re vegan, gluten-free, nut-free, and made with just 6 healthy ingredients
- They taste like all the best parts of an oatmeal raisin cookie without the bake time or post-cookie consumption guilt (because yes, that is a thing)
- They can be popping their way into your mouth in less than 15 minutes!
Are you sold yet? Because there’s a recipe at the bottom of this blog post with your name on it!
What ingredients will I need?
You’ll need just 6 healthy ingredients to make these oatmeal raisin energy balls:
Dates. These are the base of a lot of energy ball recipes due to their soft and sticky texture. They also help to make our energy balls chewy just like an oatmeal raisin cookie! You’ll want to use soft and sticky dates like medjool dates in this recipe. If your dates are quite firm it’s a good idea to soak them in hot water for 5-10 minutes to soften them up.
Oats. I love using rolled oats in this recipe so you can see those large oat flakes. They also add more texture to the energy balls – we’ll blend half the oats with the dates and add the remaining half in later for maximum texture!
Cinnamon. Cinnamon is a classic ingredient in oatmeal raisin cookies so of course I had to use it in this recipe!
Maca powder. This ingredient is optional, but I love adding a little maca powder for extra caramel flavour. These healthy energy balls may be no-bake, but they don’t taste like it!
Raisins. Naturally we’ll need some raisins in our oatmeal raisin energy balls! You can use any raisins/sultanas of your choosing – I like to use sultanas as they’re small and sweet.
Pumpkin seeds. Perhaps a not-so traditional ingredient in oatmeal raisin cookies, but the flavour of pumpkin seeds complements the cinnamon and raisins well, and also adds some extra plant-based protein!
These energy balls are naturally nut-free, but you could add some chopped nuts in place of the pumpkins seeds if you’d like!
How to make oatmeal raisin energy balls:
These energy balls come together super quickly which is so perfect for when that snack craving HITS. You could also prep a big batch at the weekend to enjoy throughout the week!
The first step to making these energy balls is to process the dates with some cinnamon, maca powder, and oats. We are aiming for a sticky paste here – if the dates are not blending you can add a little water to help it along.
Then we’ll mix in the raisins, pumpkin seeds and remaining rolled oats before rolling the mixture into bite-sized balls.
There’s also a handy video at the top of this post to show you how to make these healthy energy balls!
Can we take a second to appreciate how gorgeous this little tray is? Once I saw it, I just knew I had to have it for my food photography!
If you’re interested in learning more about photography, check out my list of five food photography essentials all beginners need – it’s not to be missed!
These energy balls are so much fun to make and I really hope you enjoy them! I can vouch that they genuinely give me that extra boost of energy when I’m revising for exams.
If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram @shivanilf – I love seeing your creations! You can also keep updated with me on Pinterest and Facebook – I hope to see you there!
More No-bake vegan recipes:
Oatmeal Raisin Energy Balls
Ingredients
- 1 cup/ 120 grams Pitted Dates I like medjool dates
- 1 cup/ 100 grams Rolled Oats
- 1 tablespoon Maca Powder optional
- 1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
- 1/2 cup/ 70 grams Raisins I like sultanas
- 2 tablespoons Pumpkin Seeds
Instructions
- Add the pitted dates and half of the oats to a blender or food processor along with the maca powder and cinnamon. Process the mixture until a sticky dough forms – if the mixture is not blending, add a little water to help it along.
- Transfer this mixture to a medium-size bowl and add the raisins, pumpkin seeds and remaining oats. Fold the additions in with a spatula.
- Use your hands to shape into balls – I made 15 balls each using about 1 tbsp of mixture, but how many you get will depend on how big you make them. Enjoy!
Video
Shivani’s Tips
- If your dates are quite firm it’s a good idea to soak them in hot water for 5-10 minutes to soften them.
- I used my Vitamix to blend this. Low-speed blenders may take extra coaxing and it is really worth investing in a high-speed blender or food processor for recipes like this.
- Store the energy balls in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
NUTRITION
Serving: 3 energy balls Calories: 209 kcal | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 4mg | Carbohydrates: 44g | Fiber: 4.9g | Sugar: 23.9g | Protein: 4.7gÂ
Did you make this recipe?
Tag me on Instagram @shivanilf and use the hashtag #shivanilovesfood!
You have made it very carefully. Thanks for the nice recipe.
Thank you for the kind words!
so good for snacking!