No Bake SunButter Energy Bites
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Published Aug 14, 2021, Updated Jun 12, 2023
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Made with rolled oats, sunflower butter and a little maple syrup these healthy no bake sunbutter energy bites are packed with flavor and kid-approved. They’re also nut-free so they’re school-safe!
I’ve been out of school for a few years (more than I’d like to admit) and Olivia is not quite in school yet, but I still enjoy back-to-school season. I was one of those kids who liked school so I think part of it is nostalgia.
Back-to-school clothes shopping was always so fun and I loved buying new school supplies. Backpacks, lunch boxes, crayons, pens and treats for school lunches! Gah, now I want to go shopping.
For most families, the school-year structure requires more meal planning and meal prepping – especially if you’re trying to make sure the snacks and meals are healthy.
To help you out in this department, I wanted to share this super simple, kid-approved, school-friendly snack: sunbutter energy bites!
They’re made with homemade sunflower seed butter so are allergen friendly (nut-free, dairy-free, soy-free and gluten-free) and perfect for a lunchbox treat or after-school snack.
Here’s What You Need
- rolled oats – make sure you grab certified gluten-free if needed!
- flaxseed – flax seeds are great sources of healthy fats, fiber and even plant-based protein!
- chia seeds – chia seeds are also high in healthy fats, fiber and plant-based protein!
- raisins – look for unsweetened raisins for a slightly sweet, chewy addition. Feel free to skip these or use a different dried fruit if your kiddo isn’t a fan of raisins. I bet dried cherries, cranberries or dates would be delicious!
- chocolate chips – I like using Lily’s chocolate chips because they are sugar-free.
- sea salt – just a pinch!
- sunflower seed butter – I made my own (here’s my sunflower seed butter recipe) but if you want to take a shortcut you can absolutely use store-bought! Just look for one without any added sugar or oils. If you don’t need these to be nut-free, any nut butter would work as well.
- maple syrup – one of my preferred natural sweeteners. You can totally skip this or use another liquid sweetener like honey or agave.
Involve Your Kids!
These energy bites are super easy to make – your kids could even help you out in the kitchen! You can put them in charge of measuring, dumping, stirring or rolling into balls depending on how old and independent they are.
These bites are sure to be a family favorite. Parents love them because they’re healthy, portable, school-safe and easy to make. Kids love them because they have raisins and chocolate chips so they taste like a real treat.
How to Store SunButter Energy Bites
You can store your energy balls in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer. I like using glass storage containers or Stasher bags for storing. They’ll last up to 1-2 weeks in the fridge and up to 3 months in the freezer.
Popular Kid-Friendly Snacks
- Baked Oatmeal Cups
- Almond Flour Muffins
- Baked Oatmeal Bars
- Almond Flour Crackers
- Healthy Zucchini Muffins
More Energy Bite Recipes
- Blueberry Muffin Energy Bites
- Superfood Energy Balls
- Cranberry Energy Bites
- Peanut Butter Energy Balls
- Lemon Energy Balls
SunButter Energy Bites
Ingredients
- ½ cup old fashioned rolled oats
- 1 Tablespoon flaxseed
- 1 Tablespoon chia seeds or hemp seeds
- 2 Tablespoons raisins
- 2 Tablespoons chocolate chips
- pinch of sea salt
- ½ cup sunflower seed butter
- 1 Tablespoon maple syrup
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix together oats, chia seeds, flaxseed, raisins, chocolate chips and sea salt. Add sunbutter and maple syrup and mix everything together.
- Using a spoon (or your hands) combine the mixture thoroughly and roll into small balls. You should be able to make around 11-12.
- Store in the fridge for up to 1-2 weeks or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Notes
- Raisins: Feel free to skip these or use a different dried fruit if your kiddo isn’t a fan of raisins. I bet dried cherries, cranberries or dates would be delicious!
- Chocolate chips: If you want to skip the chocolate, you can use more dried fruit.
- Sunflower seed butter: You could use tahini in place of the sunflower seed butter. If you don’t need these to be nut-free, any nut butter would work as well.
- Maple syrup: Feel free to skip this if you prefer or swap in your favorite liquid sweetener like honey or agave.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
A favorite healthy back to school meal is mini portobello mushroom pizzas.
I have always been a hummus and veggies kind of girl!
I love any kind of “ball” and veggies and hummus are awesome!
My go-to grad school meal is an Ezekiel cinnamon raisin english muffin with sunbutter and strawberry preserves.
My favorite back to school meal was always having a fun type of PB&J in my lunch. The type of nut butter and jelly changed with what was available at the farmer’s market, and the bread varies too. Definitely made a classic sandwich more exciting for school.
I can’t wait until the weather gets cooler so I can make three bean chili.
My favorite back to school meal is stir fry!
A sandwich with fresh veggies and hummus, with a side of yogurt and fruit!
My kids favorite after school treats are no bake cookies. I can’t believe it’s almost that time of year again- here in MI, they still have over 3 weeks left of summer break :).
I lovelovelove that you made these peanut free! I could snack on these kisses all day long! Pinned!
PB and banana
I love apples or carrots with almond butter! All of these recipes look great!
Hummus with veggies
Carrot sticks with hummus or celery with peanut butter was my back to school treat!
My favorite healthy lunch to pack is chick pea salad sandwiches.
We are huge fans of mexican shredded chicken: put it on omelets, sandwiches, or eat by itself! So yummy!
I realllllllly appreciate the nut-free, allergy friendly snack and lunch options! I’ve got an almost 3-year-old in preschool and he’s tree nut, peanut, soy, and egg free, so I’m excited to make these backpack kisses!!
Our new favorite lunch option is homemade lunchables in Bento boxes.
A good homemade trail mix and homemade hummus and veggies
I love, love, love pickle rollups! I use turkey, laughing cow cheese in pepperjack, and big dill pickles and then slice into bite sized discs mmm! Alongside I have sliced bell peppers, raspberries, and a little dark chocolate. Yum. Makes me want to make it right now ???? thanks for all the great meal ideas!
My favorite healthy back to school meal is some hard boiled eggs, homemade hummus, and lots of veggies for dipping.
Definitely smoothies – quick, delicious, and you can squeeze in lots of fruits and veggies without the kiddos being any wiser!!
My favorite healthy back to school meal is cold pasta with chicken, veggies, and Italian dressing 🙂
I love crockpot chicken and salsa! So easy, versatile, and it makes a ton, which is perfect for those busy weeknights.
I love nuts, Lara bars, and cut up veggies with a health dip!
I like to make quiche at least once a week. It is healthy, I can make it ahead of time and it tastes great!
Great ideas! I love wraps filled with veggies and beans or chicken because they’re a great way pack a flavorful and high energy meal.
xx Sydney
My kids love apple slices with peanut butter!
My favorite healthy back to school meal is tuna salad sandwich made with avocado instead of mayo and any fresh fruit!
I love making healthy breakfast sandwiches that freeze for easy heat up in the morning!
I’m old school – “ants” on a log!
My daughter likes veggies with hummus dip and a cheese sandwich.
I love to do Turkey, Corn & Sun-Dried Tomato Wraps with celery and peanut butter!
I love spaghetti squash and turkey meatballs! Easy to prep and pack for the week.
No kiddos yet but my husband and I both love the smashed chickpea salad I often make for lunches.
Chef salad with chopped eggs, shredded cheese, shredded turkey, and lots of produce from my garden.
Apple slices with caramel dip for my boys.
Homemade bites and bars are essential for running to classes!
My favorite healthy back to school meal is slow cooker chicken with coconut quinoa stew.
Love veggies and hummus and apples with peanut or almond butter!
Apples and almond butter are my go to snack!
Love veggies and hummus or dates with nut butter if I need something sweet
Peanut butter and Jelly!!!
I love grain bowls with leftover veggies/protein from dinner for lunch the next day and energy balls are a must between classes!
my favorite back to school meal is for a filling breakfast – dish up leftover’s from dinner with an egg & some spinach!
Our family is enjoying grilling out chicken and salmon. I’m trying to keep the feeling of summer even though we’re back in school!
We love rice and bean burritos!
I was nerdy school-lover too haha! In fact, I still am – starting my grad program next week! These look absolutely delicious and I can’t wait to fill my Lisa Frank backpack with them 🙂
II love making collard green wraps!
I love hummus wraps!
I love apples with peanut butter, or veggies and dip.
I love to keep it simple: peanut butter and banana.
Hummus + anything
So hungry after reading this post… My favorite back to school treat was always salad in a jar a la https://www.eatingbirdfood.com/quick-and-easy-lunch-idea-salad-in-a-jar/. Mmm!
Veggies with olive hummus and dried mango are my favorite snacks!
I love bananas and Sun butter!!
When I’m super busy at college, I love snacking on rice cakes either slathered in sunflower butter, berries and cinnamon or avocado, sliced radishes and carrots! Delicious and easy!
These look fantastic! I am making these kisses tonight! Thanks so much!
Jen
kind bars!
I love that you all teamed up to share so many great recipes. These look amazing and they have great ingredients. I want to eat these. Thanks for posting.
Our favorite healthy back to school meal is tacos with lean turkey and lots of veggie toppings!
Looking forward to trying these Sunbutter bites! ????
I made these with my 5 year old last night and I was so thrilled when she gobbled them up as I rolled them out. She has already asked if I can make these for school. I see plenty of kisses in my future as we gear up for kindergarten!
PS: My fav snack from my childhood is what we call Poha – flattened rice sauteed with onions, potatoes and peanuts
Yay! I’m so glad that your daughter liked them and requested more for school! Sending her best wishes for an amazing school year.
I’ve never had Poha but it sounds awesome! Anything with potatoes and I’m in. 🙂
I An apple and almond butter, rice cakes with hummus, veggies and hummus, greek yogurt, and the wasabi peas at Trader Joe’s are some of my favorite snacks 🙂
How many grams is half a cup?
Hey Marine – 1/2 cup rolled oats is about 45 grams and 1/2 cup sun butter is about 120 grams!
Love these!
So pumped this energy bites were a hit, Kate! Thanks so much for the review and star rating. I really appreciate it!
Where do I even begin? First, school safe! Also, I love that unlike with other energy balls, I don’t have to drag out my food processor to whip these up. I literally cannot keep up with the demand for these in our kitchen.
So glad this recipe has been a hit!! Thanks so much for making it and for the review, Carla. I so appreciate it!
Absolutely delicious! Have a hard time not eating more than one at a time! I used a combination of almond butter and coconut butter.
YES! I understand that feeling, these definitely take some self-control to not eat the entire batch! Using a combination of coconut & almond butter sound delicious, thank you for sharing. I appreciate you coming back and leaving your review + star rating, thanks so much for being here!
Hi, I got the sunflower seed spread from Trader Joe’s instead of the butter. Do you think it will work in this recipe? I want to make these for my KG kids lunchbox.
Hi Kamala – Yes, the sunflower seed spread should work just fine! Enjoy!
Does this recipe use ground flax or whole?
Hi Julie – I would recommend ground flax in this recipe! Enjoy!
These are perfect! I am always looking for quick, healthy and easy snacks for our toddler. We will see if she likes them I but I think they are delicious!
Ahh yay! I hope these are a hit. Thanks for giving these a try and for your review & star rating, I really appreciate it!
We make these once a week. My 7 year old loves them…and so do her friends! I always make them when we have playdates over and they are a hit.
WOO! This is amazing! I am so glad you are both loving this recipe and friends too! Thanks for your review + star rating, I really appreciate it!