No Bake & Nut Free Energy Bites
Using a few simple ingredients including sunflower seed butter, and one bowl, these oatmeal energy bites are so easy to prepare!
They require no baking, and can easily be adapted to be vegan and gluten-free. They’re perfect for school lunch boxes or as a bite-sized snack.

So many of you have asked me to share more easy healthy snack ideas & I’m excited to share these naturally sweet energy bites!
Over the past few months I’ve been working hard on developing and testing some new options for you, including plenty of one bowl baking recipes.
But the best part about these oat bites is that they don’t require ANY baking.
They’re the perfect, no cook, bite-sized treat to throw together when you want something sweet without all the fuss.
I love that they come together in just one bowl and that all you really need is 10 minutes & a handful of real ingredients to make these happen.
The hardest part is just having the patience to wait for them to firm up in the fridge.
reasons you’ll love these no bake energy bites
- Like my vanilla bean sea salt energy bites, these are just the thing for a little afternoon pick-me-up or sweet after-dinner treat
- Since they’re nut free, they’re easy & safe to send with your kids in their lunch box to school or camp
- No Bake & Nut Free Energy Bites pack well & are easy to take on-the-go
- They’ve passed the kid test with flying colors, Elle and my niece & nephew all gobbled them up during the testing process
- You can customize them with lots of variations, I’ve laid out some easy swaps for you below but these chocolate covered golden glow bites & one-bowl vanilla cake bites are also must-try’s

meal prep tips & how to store oatmeal energy bites
- When making these, be sure to line a sheet pan with parchment paper or a silicone mat so they don’t stick
- I think they’re best served chilled or kept cool, they can get sticky if they get too warm
- For the best texture, let them set up & chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes
- Store oat balls tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days
- If stacking them on top of each other in a container you may want to add layers of parchment paper in between each layer
Tip: Make a double batch & keep them on hand in the fridge for adding easily to lunch boxes or as a grab-n-go snack anytime you’re craving these healthy bites.

recipe notes, modifications & adaptations
- Skip the chocolate chips if you want to keep these No Bake & Nut Free Energy Bites completely refined sugar-free
- Use dairy-free chocolate chips if you’d like this recipe to be dairy-free
- Be sure to use gluten-free oats if you’d like this recipe to be gluten-free
- Swap the honey for maple syrup, coconut nectar, or agave to make this recipe vegan-friendly
- Use any other seed butter (or nut butter) that you like in place of sunflower seed butter
The Chocolate Chips I Use
I love baking with these chocolate chips, especially since they’re dairy free, gluten free, soy free, egg free and nut free – so everyone can enjoy them.
this recipe is…
Dairy FreeGluten FreeNut FreeVeganVegetarian
I hope you’ll make this No Bake & Nut Free Energy Bites recipe soon. If you do, be sure to share it on Instagram and tag me at @realfoodwholelife so I can see!

No Bake & Nut Free Energy Bites
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup whole, rolled oats (not instant)*
- ½ cup unsweetened, flaked coconut
- ½ cup ground flax seed
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt , or kosher salt
- ½ cup sunflower butter, warmed to soften
- ¼ cup melted coconut oil
- ¼ cup honey**
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup mini chocolate chips, optional***
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix together the oats, coconut, flax seed, and salt.
- Add the sunflower butter, coconut oil, honey, and vanilla extract, stirring until well combined.
- Add the chocolate chips, if using, stirring until well incorporated.
- Scoop 2 teaspoons of the dough, then roll into a ball. Place the ball on onto a sheet pan lined with parchment or a silicone mat. Repeat with the remaining dough.
- Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Store, tightly covered, in the refrigerator up to 5 days.
Notes
Nutrition Information:
Nutrition disclaimerThis post contains affiliate links
I saw your picture of these on Instagram 15 minutes ago, and whipped them up! I can’t wait until they’re chilled, but I licked the spoon and the dough is delicious! Thanks!
Yay, love that Rebecca. I hope they are a hit! 🙂
These are delicious! I do have a question. All the sunflower butter I have seen is sugar sweetened. Can you recommend one that isn’t?
Courtney, I like Wild Friends, which is honey sweetened (https://wildfriendsfoods.com/). 🙂
These are SO GOOD! Any tips on what to do if they are too sticky to roll in a ball? Admittedly, I didn’t include coconut flakes (I dislike them), but I added more oats and ground flax to make up the difference. I ended up just spreading them out in a pan, letting them chill, and cutting them into squares – still delicious.
Kerith, I think you’re on the right track with adding more oats and ground flax. Maybe a tad more ground oats will help, too, and wet your hands prior to rolling will help keep them from sticking. They should harden up when chilled. 🙂
We’ve been making a few variations of these for years both with and without nuts depending on where they go. They also freeze well if you end up making a massive batch. I typically take them right from the freezer into a lunch box and they are fine by snack time. I love them for a mid-am snack at work especially if I did a long run in the morning – the kids gobble them up anytime. -Michelle
Such great tips, thanks for sharing, Michelle! Love the freezer to the lunchbox ideas, too. 🙂