Oatmeal Cinnamon Raisin Energy Balls
A quick and easy recipe that is great when you just need a little burst of energy to get you through the day. Loaded with good fat, protein, and other good-for-you ingredients, these little oatmeal cinnamon raisin energy balls are a great way to satisfy your sweet tooth and curb your appetite.
We’re in the midst of busy season over here at our house. Between soccer, baseball, cub scouts, and Mitch’s church softball league, almost every night is spent running around. I also work another part time job three mornings a week, so it’s been a challenge to get a good solid meal on the table for dinner. I’m no planner, so by the time I think about making dinner, someone has to leave for practice. Ugh! (You’d think I’d learn.) So what I’m trying to do is have a good snack for the boys when they get home–some fresh fruit, or just something somewhat healthy/substantial. These little energy balls fit the bill and I have a feeling I’ll be making lots in the near future to have on hand. A few of these guys after school can hold the boys over till I start making something for dinner, even if that something is a bowl of cereal. 😉
This is a fun little recipe that you can add your favorites ingredients to. It’s also a great recipe for kids to make. I wanted these to have some healthful, filling ingredients in them, so I added raisins, cinnamon, and molasses to the mix. These little balls are not only delicious, but they’re satisfying. Cinnamon stabilizes blood sugar, Golden Barrel blackstrap molasses is high in all kind of minerals (read more here), and raisins are a natural sweetener. With just a half cup of brown sugar in them, these guys are sweet but not loaded with sugar. They’re a great alternative to cookies. If you’re craving something sweet, pop one of these in your mouth and your cravings are satisfied.
They come together quickly. I like to use a medium-sized cookie scoop, then roll them in my hands. This just insures uniform size throughout. You can certainly do it without a scoop.
There’s also good fats in them–Golden Barrel coconut oil and peanut butter, which fill you up and keep your energy levels elevated. These really are a great after-school or mid-morning snack. They’d be great as an after-workout boost too. The oatmeal in them makes them a substantial treat as well.
Just remember to keep them refrigerated, since there’s coconut oil in them. Coconut oil has a low melting point, so you don’t want these sitting out on the counter. Right after I rolled these into balls, I stuck the whole tray in the freezer for about 15 minutes to let them really firm up. Then just store in an airtight container in the fridge after that.
Add these oatmeal cinnamon raisin energy balls into your snack food rotation. You’re sure to love them!
- 1 cup peanut butter
- 4 Tbsp Golden Barrel Coconut Oil in a soft-solid state
- 1/2 cup Golden Barrel Light Brown Sugar
- 1 Tbsp Golden Barrel Blackstrap Molasses
- 2 cups quick oats
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- In a large bowl, mix together peanut butter, coconut oil, brown sugar, and molasses until somewhat smooth.
- Add in oatmeal, raisins, and cinnamon, stirring well to combine.
- Using a medium-sized cookie scoop, scoop out dough, then rolling into balls with hands. Line on parchment-lined cookie sheet. Place in freezer for 15 minutes or until hardened and set. Put balls into an airtight container and store in refrigerator.
Raisins, cinnamon and chocolate are not good for dogs. In fact chocolate can kill a dog (depending on the dogs weight and how much they eat.) Dogs can have Carob instead of chocolate. Since dogs are not to have grapes it stands to reason that raisins are not to be eaten also. I have gotten my information from our family vet.
Your recipe’s are good but some need a tweek or two. Please check with your own vet.
That all said, I have heard that garlic is not good either but it’s put in everything for dogs. so who knows.
Thank you for your patience.
Hi Vickie,
Thanks for comment. This recipe was actually intended for humans and not dogs. It doesn’t actually mention dogs any where in the article. If you are looking for dog treat recipes, try https://www.goldenbarrel.com/recipe/peanut-butter-coconut-oil-dog-treats/ or https://www.goldenbarrel.com/recipe/dog-treats-made-with-coconut-oil-and-molasses/.