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If you’re looking for a healthy snack for your kids that satisfies their sweet tooth, but is also packed with valuable nutrients for their growing brain and body, these No-Bake Walnut Energy Balls are a great option. They’re the perfect combination of nutritious, delicious, and fun, making them a win for both parties!
Table of Contents
Why You and Your Kids Will Love These Energy Balls
- No-bake: these energy balls are ready in less than 15 minutes with no oven necessary.
- Nutrient-packed: full of valuable nutrients for you and your kids including fiber, protein, omega-3s and long lasting carbohydrates.
- Picky-eater friendly: the colorful sprinkles make these nutrient-packed walnut energy balls irresistible.
- Easy for kids to make: this recipe is the perfect opportunity to get your kids in the kitchen measuring, mixing, and rolling out the energy balls.
- Customizable: you can easily swap the ingredients to adjust to your family’s preferences and dietary needs.
Nutrition
These No-Bake Walnut Energy Balls are not only kid-friendly and fun, they’re packed with valuable nutrients.
- Dates: natural sweetness with potassium and fiber to keep them regular and fuller longer
- Walnuts: protein, fiber, and ALA omega-3s to support brain health
- Oats: fiber, some protein, and carbohydrates for sustained energy
Ingredients for No-Bake Walnut Energy Balls
Walnuts: help provide structure to the energy balls. You can use other nuts or even a nut butter. If using a nut butter, use 1 cup instead of 2 cups of whole nuts. If you’re looking for a nut-free option, try sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds (pepitas).
Oats: acts as a binder to help hold the energy balls together. You can use any oat you have in your pantry.
Dates: offer a natural source of sweetness and help the ingredients stick together. You can find dates in the dried fruit or produce section. More information and recipes using dates here.
Maple Syrup: while maple syrup does provide some added sugar, you don’t have to use as much since you’re also using dates. Feel free to omit if you’d like or substitute honey.
Vanilla extract: vanilla is also optional, but it helps add to a cookie-like flavor. Another option would be almond extract. A little goes a long way.
Salt: helps bring out the flavor of the other ingredients. You’re also welcome to omit this ingredient, but I think it helps add to the salty-sweetness that makes this recipe so delicious!
White chocolate chips: I like to blend these into the recipe, but you can fold them in so they stay whole, or omit them entirely.
Sprinkles: the sprinkles are really what make these No-Bake Walnut Energy Balls kid-friendly and fun! They’re sticky enough where you can easily roll them in the sprinkles, coating the outside and making them irresistible for kids. I like these naturally colored sprinkles – we buy them in bulk because we go through so many!
How to Make No-Bake Walnut Energy Balls
The best part about this recipe is that there’s no baking required – everything, minus the sprinkles, goes into the food processor.
I like this food processor blender; however, because the dough for these No-Bake Walnut Energy Balls gets pretty thick, you may be better off with a heavier-duty food processor like this one.
To start these No-Bake Walnut Energy Balls, add the walnuts, oats, dates, maple syrup, vanilla, salt, and white chocolate chips into the food processor, blending until the mixture forms a thick, sticky dough. You may need to scrape down the sides throughout to ensure everything gets mixed well.
If the mixture seems too wet, you can add more oats or if it isn’t sticking together, add more maple syrup or a teaspoon of water.
Once your walnut energy ball mixture is fully combined, roll one tablespoon of the dough into a ball.
Pour roughly a half cup of sprinkles onto a plate and gently roll the balls, covering them in sprinkles. You may have to push the sprinkles into the ball to ensure they stick.
Storage
You can enjoy these No-Bake Walnut Energy Balls as is, chill them in the fridge for 20-30 minutes, or what I do is freeze them so they last longer. Once the energy balls are frozen, add them to an airtight container or freezer bag.
These No-Bake Walnut Energy Balls will last for 1 week in the fridge or up to 3 months in the freezer.
If you choose to freeze the energy balls, you can enjoy them straight from the freezer or let them thaw for a few minutes in the fridge or simply on the counter.
Variations
These No-Bake Walnut Energy Balls are not only easy to make, but they’re also easily customizable. You can change the ingredients to meet you and your child’s flavor preferences or dietary needs.
Skip the sprinkles and add mini chocolate chips for a chocolate chip cookie dough feel.
Make them nut free by opting for sunflower seeds instead of walnuts.
Want even less added sugar? Take out the maple syrup and white chocolate chips completely.
If your kids enjoy energy balls, give these other versions a try:
- PB & J Energy Bites
- Smores Protein Balls
- Birthday Cake Protein Balls
- Monster Cookie Protein Balls
- Chocolate Strawberry Bliss Balls
No-Bake Walnut Energy Balls
Equipment
- Food processor
- Rubber spatula
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Shallow plate
- Mixing bowl
Ingredients
- 2 cups walnuts
- 1 1/2 cup oats
- 1/2 cup dates pitted
- 2 Tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup white chocolate chips optional
- 1/2 cup sprinkles
Instructions
- In a food processor, blend the walnuts, oats, dates, maple syrup, salt, and vanilla. You can also blend in the white chocolate chips, or stir them in once your mixture is combined.
- Add sprinkles to a plate or shallow bowl and roll a 1 tbsp-sized ball to coat in sprinkles.
- Store in the fridge for one week in an airtight container or bag.
Freeze for later
- Place the no-bake walnut energy balls on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and freeze until hard. Add the energy balls to an airtight container or bag and store in the freezer for 3 months. Eat straight from the freezer!
