Celebrating back to school with these delicious and healthy lunch box cookie balls loaded with ALL the things. Gluten free with nut free option.
Happy back to school. Time to start packing those lunch boxes again.
It always takes me a minute to switch gears for summer to adulting. I almost forget what meal prepping is during the carefree summer months. Time to stock the freezer with all the quick and easy snacks to make our busy school weeks a bit easier.
Kicking off the school year with some quick and easy Lunch Box Cookie Balls. They’re kind of a cross between a cookie and a granola bar. These little beauties are PERFECT for little human school lunches, afternoon snacks, or anytime you need a bit of extra fuel.
HERE’S WHAT I PUT IN THESE Lunchbox cookie BALLS:
- nut or seed butter
- maple syrup
- vanilla extract
- gluten free rolled oats
- nuts and seeds
- ground flax meal
- chia seeds
- cardamom
- salt
- unsweetened shredded coconut
- mini chocolate chips
- dried raspberries
So much nutrient-dense goodness in each little ball. No processed sugar. Just healthy, real food.
What I LOVE most is how versatile these little cookie balls are. If any of these ingredients don’t work for you, feel free to substitute for whatever makes you happy.
How do I make these nut free?
You can use any seed butter that you prefer (like tahini or sunflower seed butter.) Just be sure it’s creamy and runny. And just use a combination of seeds like pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds instead of adding in any nuts.
Other possible add-ins
- use honey instead of maple syrup
- hemp seeds
- raisins or cranberries
- dried apricots, figs, mangoes, or apples
- cacao nibs
- collagen peptides or your fav protein powder
How to store these cookie balls
Keep in air-tight container in fridge for up to 2 weeks OR store in freezer for several months.
I’m looking forward to sharing more easy recipes this fall. My goal is to help make feeding your family a bit healthier and easier. Have an amazing transition back to school, my sweet friends. ❤️
More easy snack ideas
Peanut Butter Pumpkin Energy Balls
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Lunch Box Cookie Balls (gluten free with nut free option)
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 20 1x
Description
Delicious and healthy lunch box cookie balls loaded with ALL the things. A cross between a cookie and a granola bar. Gluten free with nut free option.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup nut or seed butter (I used tahini)
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 and 1/2 cups gluten free rolled oats
- 1/3 cup nuts and/or seeds (I used a combo of pumpkins seeds and sunflower seeds)
- 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 3 tbsp flax meal (** see note)
- 2 tbsp chia seeds
- 1/4 tsp cardamom (or cinnamon)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips (I use THESE sugar free chips)
- 1/3 cup dried raspberries, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together nut/seeds butter, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Set aside.
- In a food processor, combine oats, nuts/seeds, coconut shreds, flax meal, chia seeds, cardamom, and salt. Pulse several times until oats broken up but not powdery.
- Add oat mixture to wet mixture in the large bowl. Mix until well incorporated. I use my hands here. Then fold in chocolate chips and dried raspberries.
- Roll into balls and place into prepared baking sheet. Using a mini cookie scoop will help keep them uniform. Makes roughly 20 balls (1 and 1/2 inch).
- Place into fridge to set for at least an hour. Store in air-tight container in fridge for up to 2 weeks or freezer for several months.
Notes
While you can purchase flax meal at most health food store or online, I prefer to grind my own. The delicate healthy fats in flax seeds can go rancid easily. I keep my flax seeds in the refrigerator and grind up a bit in my coffee grinder when I need some flax meal. Simply place whole flax seeds into coffee grinder and grind until fine. Store any unused flax meal in an air tight glass jar in the fridge.
If balls feel sticky while rolling, use damp hands. If mixture feels too dry, add a teaspoon of water until dough sticks together well.
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I’ll bet these are fabulous as is. Wondering, though, if you think they could be made into cookies by adding water to make a flax egg, maybe some baking powder or soda and possibly some oat flour and oil. I prefer cookies to balls for the outside crunch. You probably have not made them as cookies but since you’re so much more experienced than I, just wondering if you’d have some pointers. Thanks!
I haven’t tried it with this recipe. You could certainly try it. I do have a Lunch Box Cookie recipe that you may like: https://savorylotus.com/healthy-lunch-box-cookies-gluten-free/ 🙂