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    Home » Dessert » Peanut Butter Oatmeal Protein Balls for Kids

    Published: May 27, 2023 by Desarae

    Peanut Butter Oatmeal Protein Balls for Kids

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Is there anything better than cookie dough? I say not really! However, it's super sugary and not incredibly healthy. So I was on a mission to create THE BEST protein balls for kids that tasted just like cookie dough. And these no-bake oatmeal peanut butter balls are it!

    Three protein energy balls stacked on the table with chocolate chips scattered around them.

    Why You Will Love These Kid-Friendly Energy Balls

    • NUTRITIOUS. There is no sugar!!
    • Amazing texture. Not too chunky, not too smooth, with a little crunch of chocolate.
    • No-bake!!
    • Great for snacks, carb sugar cravings, after workout or sports.
    • The main ingredients are always in your pantry so you can whip them up anytime: peanut butter, honey, oats, coconut, chocolate chips.
    • Tastes like a delicious dessert (not too healthy tasting).

    How To Make Kid-Friendly Protein Snacks

    It's not always easy to make healthy snacks that kids will enjoy as much as they love junk food. Kids have a few different things that influence a food's appeal. 

    These peanut butter snacks make a healthy option that specifically takes these differences into consideration.

    1. Appeal to their palate. Children's taste buds change while they are growing. As adults, it's our job to teach kids how to eat and to help train their tastebuds to love healthy flavors instead junk food. No matter how hard we do this kids will still LOVE a good sweet treat and these fit the bill.
    2. Textures. Too many textures or too much of one texture alone (not having anything to do with flavor) can turn kids away from certain foods. These protein snacks for kids are specifically designed for them. I've adjusted the textures of these balls so they're PERFECT -- not too grainy, oatmeal, or gritty with a delightful chocolate crunch.
    Kidzshake protein powder on the table.

    Is protein powder safe for kids?

    No, adult protein powder is not safe for kids. They have too much protein which is harsh on your child's organs and interfere with absorption.

    In this kid-friendly protein balls recipe I'm using a safe protein powder for kids.  I highly recommend this awesome kids' protein powder, Kidzshake. My kids love it! it has NO sugar, is made completely from fruits, and contains kid-friendly protein.

    If you don't have a kid-friendly protein powder omit it from the recipe.

    Three peanut butter protein balls in the palm of a hand and then stacked on top of each other and held by a hand.

    Ingredients

    All you need are eight simple ingredients to make the best protein balls for kids! Here's an overview of each but check the recipe card for the quantities of each.

    • Oats: You can use quick oats or rolled oats. It doesn't really matter because we are going to pulse them a bit first.
    • Coconut: Use unsweetened shredded coconut for less sugar.
    • Peanut butter: Any brand of peanut butter works and you can even use crunchy if you want a bit more texture.
    • Honey: A natural sweetener that's less processed than sugar.
    • Chia seeds: A natural ingredient that boosts the protein and healthy fats in your peanut butter oat balls.
    • Salt: Just a touch to bring all the flavors together.
    • Chocolate chips: The mini-sized work best. Use dark chips for less sugar but any variety will work.
    • Vanilla protein powder for kids: You can also use other flavors too! Again it's crucial to use a protein powder designed for kids.

    Variations

    It's so easy to change up oatmeal peanut butter balls! Here are some of our favorites.

    • Dried fruit: You can add raisins, dried cranberries, apricots, or apples. I like to dice them up a bit before adding them to the mixture.
    • Nuts: For more crunch add peanuts, almonds, pecans, or other nuts your kids like. These will also naturally boost the protein as well.
    • Flax seeds: Flax has similar properties to chia seeds so you can add them in addition to the chia or swap them in instead. Use ground flax meal rather than whole flax seeds if you decide to use them.
    • Chocolate chips: Swap them for white chocolate chips or butterscotch chips.
    • Nut-free: Use a seed butter such as sunflower seed butter instead if you need nut-free protein balls.
    • Nut butter: You can swap the peanut butter for almond or cashew butter instead.

    PRO TIP: If you're adding in extra ingredients that's great but you may need to add a little more peanut butter and honey so the protein balls are not too dry. This influences the texture but also makes sure the mixture will stick together and form a nice firm energy ball. You can totally eyeball the amount.

    Cookie sheet of protein balls lined up.

    How to Make No-Bake Oatmeal Peanut Butter Balls for Kids

    1. Chop the oats in a blender or food processor just a bit leaving some texture. I used my Blendtec and pulsed them a few times. DO NOT over-pulse them - you don't want an oat flour.

    PRO TIP: This step of blending the oats and coconut is what makes these protein balls so kid friendly! These things are ultimately what kids are most sensitive to. My kids can pick out a piece of coconut like a needle in a haystack...but did they know coconut was in these bad boys? NOPE!

    1. Repeat the same process with the coconut. Do not over-pulse. Just pulse until they have a slightly coarse texture.
    Collage showing oats in blender and then the coconut in the blender.

    PRO TIP: You can continue to mix your ingredients in your food processor or use your stand mixer with the paddle attachment.

    1. Add the remaining ingredients to the chopped oats and coconut.
    2. Mix everything together until they are just combined. Don't over-mix them. You want them to have a slightly sticky texture.
    Ingredients added to the bowl and then in another photo all mixed up.
    1. Roll the mixture into balls using your hands.
    2. Place them on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and freeze for two hours. Then remove and place them in an airtight container. 
    A hand holding a scoop of peanut butter oatmeal balls to shape and then laid out on a baking sheet.

    How to Store

    Store these kid-friendly protein balls in an airtight container or a plastic bag. These protein balls contain very shelf-stable ingredients and zero milk or dairy products so they may easily last for up to 2 weeks.  

    You can also store them in the freezer for 3 months. They thaw out at room temperature in about 15 minutes. 

    Expert Tips and FAQs

    • Feel free to add whatever extras you like but remember you may need to add more peanut butter or honey so they aren't so dry.
    • Blending the oats and coconut first is the key to creating a kid-friendly texture in these peanut butter oat balls.
    What's the best size for protein balls for kids?

    This is totally up to you and your personal preference. I love to make them about an inch which equals about 2 bites. You can make them smaller or larger.  Since you are making them your own size I cannot tell you how many the recipe exactly makes, but for me and my 1-inch balls, it made about 25 balls.

    Can I freeze protein balls?

    Yes! I highly recommend immediately freezing your protein balls after rolling them. Place them on a cookie sheet with parchment paper and freeze until they are firm and will hold their shape, about 2 hours. Move them to an airtight container. Store them in the fridge or place them back in the freezer.
    To thaw, remove 2-3 from the airtight container and let sit at room temp for 5-15 minutes.

    Cookie sheet of oatmeal and peanut butter balls all laid out.

    More Kid-Friendly Snack Recipes

    • Homemade fruit roll ups in a glass jar. There are flowers to the side.
      Homemade Fruit Roll Ups
    • A marble platter filled with green and red apples, grapes, and two bowls of toffee apple dip.
      Toffee Apple Dip
    • one cups of yogurt, fruit and granola
      The BEST Healthy Granola
    • Homemade Oatmeal Raisin Granola Bars
      No Bake Oatmeal Raisin Granola Bars

    Tell me about it!

    Try this recipe or any other recipe on the blog then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave us a comment below. You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest to see what else we’re getting up to!  And don’t forget to pin this recipe to save for later.

    A stack of three protein balls for kids on the table with chocolate chips.

    Peanut Butter Oat Protein Balls (Kid Friendly!)

    The ULTIMATE cookie dough protein ball, made for everyone to love- even kids! Combination of the perfect sweetness, texture, and chocolatey goodness!
    5 from 5 votes
    Print Rate
    Course: Snack
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Servings: 25 servings
    Calories: 114kcal
    Author: Kadee & Desarae

    Ingredients

    • 1 ½ cups oats
    • 1 ½ cups coconut
    • ½ cup peanut butter
    • ½ cup honey
    • ¼ cup chia seeds
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • ½ cup mini chocolate chips
    • 1 tablespoon vanilla protein powder for kids, can use other flavors too!
    • other mix-ins!

    Instructions

    • In blender or food processor blend oats, then coconut to a more fine texture. You dont want them to be too fine- like flour. 
    • In food processor or stand mixer using paddle attachment- add all ingredients into bowl. Mix until all ingredients are all incorporated and evenly distributed. You want the texture to be a little sticky and not too dry. If adding in extra mix-ins like nuts, dried fruit or other powders add a little more honey and peanut butter. 
    • Roll into a ball the size of your preference. I like a 1 inch ball equals about 2 bites. Place on parchment lined cookie sheet. Place in freezer for two hours. Remove and place into an air tight container. Store in fridge for 1-2 weeks. Freezer for 3 months. To thaw- separate balls and let sit at room temp for about 15 minutes. 

    Notes

    Feel free to add whatever extras you like but remember you may need to add more peanut butter or honey so they aren't so dry.
    Blending the oats and coconut first is the key to creating a kid-friendly texture in these peanut butter oat balls.
    Store these kid-friendly protein balls in an airtight container or a plastic bag. These protein balls contain very shelf-stable ingredients and zero milk or dairy products so they may easily last for up to 2 weeks.  
    You can also store them in the freezer for 3 months. They thaw out at room temperature in about 15 minutes.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 114kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 122mg | Potassium: 80mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 10IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 0.6mg
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Bec says

      May 10, 2023 at 1:02 am

      What can I use instead of protein powder?

      Reply
      • Kadee says

        May 10, 2023 at 10:26 am

        You can omit it. You may have to increase the amount of oats to make up for the consistency change.

        Reply
    2. Amy Brown says

      March 31, 2023 at 8:02 am

      5 stars
      Just made them and they are delicious! My whole family loves them (including my picky eater). Now, if you have any tips on how to only eat ONE and not all of them, let me know! Haha! Thanks so much for sharing.

      Reply
    3. Bob says

      August 22, 2022 at 9:57 am

      5 stars
      I make these all the time

      Reply
    4. Rayna M says

      August 04, 2022 at 3:00 pm

      I'm not finding any links that work for the Kidzshake protein... anyone know where I can get it?

      Reply
      • Desarae says

        August 05, 2022 at 1:23 pm

        You can also use a vanilla protein powder, I'll look into the kid shake protein powder.

        Reply
    5. Georgina Gesseljay says

      November 09, 2021 at 7:56 am

      My kids hate coconut, what could I use instead?

      Reply
      • Kadee says

        November 09, 2021 at 4:28 pm

        You can just omit the coconut

        Reply
    6. Vanessa says

      September 17, 2021 at 11:33 am

      Thanks for sharing! Does it keep long?

      Reply
    7. Suzanne says

      September 17, 2021 at 11:33 am

      This looks so good! What a great way to make this treat into something healthy!

      Reply
    8. Melissa says

      March 28, 2021 at 8:56 am

      5 stars
      I make these for my picky eater to take in his lunch and we are going on the fourth week in a row that he wants them! I’m so glad I found something that will fill him up more and that I feel good about giving him. Thanks for the recipe!

      Reply
    9. Lauren McMillan says

      January 12, 2021 at 1:42 pm

      Any replacement suggestions for the peanut butter so they're a safe snack to take to school?

      Reply
      • Desarae says

        January 18, 2021 at 3:29 pm

        if an almond butter is approved you could try that, may be some kind of cookie butter

        Reply

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