Cranberry Oatmeal Balls

Name: Cranberry Oatmeal Balls
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 1 cup quick-cooking Rolled Oats; 1/3 cup, chopped Almonds (Raw, Unsalted); 1/3 cup reduced-fat Peanut Butter; 1/4 cup Honey; 1/3 cup Cranberries (Dried, Sweetened)

No-bake oat, almond and cranberry balls — about 248 calories and 6.7 g protein for three balls.

248kcal per serving

6.7gprotein

31.3gcarbs

12gfat

68 mgsodium

Sodium is calculated without salt added to taste.

Per 1 serving of 6 — 3 balls (about 58 g). Estimated; may vary.

Prep15 min

Cook—

Total45 min

Makes6 servings

DifficultyEasy

Oats, chopped almonds, peanut butter, honey and dried cranberries pressed into eighteen one-inch balls with no oven involved. Three balls come to about 248 calories with 6.7 g protein and 3.3 g fibre, which makes them closer to a snack than a sweet.

Everything depends on temperature. Mix while the peanut butter is at room temperature so it coats the oats, then chill the shaped balls for a full thirty minutes before touching them again — cold is what sets them and stops them crumbling in your hand.

They are the easiest thing to hand out at Christmas: the batch keeps a week in the fridge, doubles without any change in method, and packs into a jar or a tin as a gift. Swap the almonds for pecans or walnuts if that is what you have open.

Ingredients

Amounts below make 6 servings, one serving is 3 balls (about 58 g).

Rolled Oats1 cup quick-cooking (80 g)
Almonds (Raw, Unsalted)1/3 cup, chopped (48 g)
Peanut Butter1/3 cup reduced-fat (85 g)
Honey1/4 cup (85 g)
Cranberries (Dried, Sweetened)1/3 cup (40 g)

Cook’s tips

If the mixture will not hold, add a teaspoon more honey rather than more peanut butter — it binds harder.
Chill the balls the full 30 minutes; warm ones fall apart when you pick them up.
Store covered in the refrigerator for up to a week, and keep them cool if you are taking them somewhere.
Contains: peanuts (peanut butter), tree nuts (almonds). Honey is not recommended for children under one year old.
For a nut-free batch use sunflower seed butter and swap the almonds for pumpkin seeds. Use certified gluten-free oats to make them gluten-free.

Method

Wash your hands and all surfaces before you start.
Chop the almonds roughly and measure the oats and dried cranberries.
Combine the oats, almonds, peanut butter, honey and cranberries in a medium bowl.
Mix until everything is evenly coated and the mixture holds together when pressed.
Roll into 18 balls about 1 inch wide and set them on a cookie sheet.
Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving.
Keep them covered in the fridge and eat within one week.

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