No-Bake Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Balls

These No-Bake Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Balls are a super quick and delicious prep-ahead friendly snack made with quick oats, almond butter, cinnamon and maple syrup. Enjoy on-the-go or as a simple treat when a cookie craving hits!

Admit it: Oatmeal raisin cookies are delicious when they’re fresh baked, soft, chewy and full of cinnamon!! This little treat *almost* fits all those qualifications. The only exception? No baking required here!

This one-bowl, seven-ingredient recipe delivers all the flavors and textures of an oatmeal raisin cookie, but quicker and easier than ever. I absolutely love keeping these handy in the fridge to grab one whenever I want, and I’m sure you’ll feel the same way.

Where do oatmeal raisin cookies come from originally?

It’s believed that the basic concept of an oatmeal cookie comes from Scottish oatcakes. The very first recipe for an oatmeal cookie was published in 1896 by Fannie Merritt Farmer in her cookbook, Boston Cooking-School Cook Book.

Later, in the early 1900’s, Quaker Oats began adding a recipe for the oatmeal raisin cookie to every package of oats they sold. And yes, I used Quaker Oats for this recipe, and there is indeed an oatmeal raisin cookie recipe inside!

In this case, we’ve taken that classic oatmeal raisin cookie and turned it into a quick no-bake treat. Call it a cookie ball or an energy bite – either way, I can’t stop eating these perfect little treats!

What are the ingredients in these No-Bake Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Balls?

Most of the ingredients we’re using for these cookie balls are things you’d find in regular oatmeal cookies. If you’re a baker, you might already have everything on hand or in your pantry.

Here are the ingredients used to make these cookie balls, and some specific notes for each:

• almond butter – Be sure to use the smoothest, drippiest almond butter you can find, preferably with almonds as the only ingredient. I tried out two different brands and preferred the Trader Joe’s kind best – it was super smooth and oily, which helps it soak into the oats even better.
• pure maple syrup – This is the sweetener used for the cookie balls. It provides a bit of moisture to loosen up the almond butter and adds a lovely depth of flavor to the oatmeal cookie balls.
• pure vanilla extract – Every ingredient is important, but vanilla is one of those flavors that really makes it taste like a perfect cookie.
• ground cinnamon – I find that the cinnamon is the best at covering any taste of almond butter and it brings everything together. Cinnamon + raisins was a match made in heaven!
• flaky sea salt – A little bit of salt balances out all the sweetness and brings all the flavors together.
• quick cooking oats – It’s important to use quick cooking oats for this recipe, as they’re more processed than regular rolled oats or old-fashioned oats, resulting in smaller pieces and softer texture. This helps the balls stick together better!
• raisins – To complete the oatmeal raisin cookie situation we’re going for, add some soft raisins to the mix. I love how they add flavor but also add to the delicious chewy texture I want in my oatmeal cookies.

How do you make these No-Bake Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Balls?

My favorite kind of homemade snack is quick, filling, doesn’t require special equipment, and tastes amazing. These cookie balls fit the bill perfectly. This snack recipe is as easy as mixing up the ingredients, rolling into balls, and enjoying.

Start with the wet ingredients. Whisk the almond butter, maple syrup, vanilla extract, cinnamon and salt together in a medium sized mixing bowl. Once the mixture is totally smooth, you can add the dry ingredients: oats and raisins.

Here’s where the difference in almond butters showed up the most for me:

• With the thicker, less oily almond butter, it was difficult to stir everything together with a spoon and I ended up mixing with gloved hands.
• With the smoother, drippy, liquidy almond butter, it was much easier to stir with a spoon and no gloves or mixing with hands was required.

This is why I recommend finding a thinner, more smooth kind of almond butter for this recipe (not to mention the taste was better too!).

After the wet and dry ingredients have been well mixed into a uniform consistency, it’s time to start rolling out the balls. You can either use a measuring spoon, cookie scoop, or your hands to grab a tablespoon amount of the cookie ball mixture and roll.

Use the pressure from your hands to squeeze and help bring the balls together. You should end up with about 10-12 cookie balls. I roll them out and place them directly into a container with lid for storage in the fridge.

Best tips for making these cookie balls:

Here are my best tips for you to remember while making these No-Bake Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Balls:

• Use super smooth almond butter. I tried two brands of almond butter. The super smooth and drippy almond butter worked much better. It was easier to stir, tasted better, and did not have any additional sugar or oil.
• Don’t swap oats! This is one of those times when the type of oats you use does matter. The smaller size and softer texture of the quick cooking oats is what keeps these balls stuck together. Any other kind of oats will not work as well for this recipe.
• Squeeze it! While rolling, you may need to squeeze the mixture together a couple times in your hand as you form each ball. This helps them stay together better!

What kind of almond butter works best for this recipe?

I made this recipe with two different brands of almond butter: Trader Joe’s creamy almond butter (only ingredient was almonds) and a store brand creamy no-stir almond butter (with additional oil and sugar).

The TJ’s almond butter worked WAY better and had a much better taste. It was super smooth, basically a liquid, and much easier to work with.

Ultimately, I would look for brands of almond butter with almonds as the only ingredient. Even better if you can see how runny it is inside the container – the more liquidy and oily looking, the better!

Can I use a different nut butter instead of almond butter?

We found that the best way to achieve the classic oatmeal cookie taste was by using almond butter. That being said, I do think peanut butter would work as well to give you more of a PB oatmeal raisin cookie vibe!

How do you meal prep these No-Bake Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Balls?

This recipe was made for snack and dessert meal prep! They’re super simple to make ahead of time and perfectly portioned to grab as many as you want and enjoy.

Follow the recipe instructions for the best way to meal prep these No-Bake Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Balls. Store them in an airtight container with lid in the fridge for best quality.

How to store No-Bake Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Balls:

Store these oatmeal cookie balls in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. I like to place them directly into the storage container as I roll them out.

How to freeze No-Bake Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Balls:

I have not tested freezing these cookie balls. However, I do think it would work in the same way it works to freeze cookie dough. Let thaw for a few minutes on the counter or in the fridge overnight.

Recipe developed by Rachel Phipps.