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Home » Recipes » Appetizers & Snacks

No-Bake Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Balls

By: Kathryn Doherty | Last Updated: Mar 6, 2025 | Published: Jan 14, 2016
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No-bake oatmeal raisin cookie balls are chewy and taste just like the cookie but are full of only wholesome ingredients! They’re also nut-free, gluten-free, vegan and have no added sugar.

A stack of raw oatmeal raisin cookie balls on a small white plate with raisins sprinkled in the background.


 

Confession: I am so over cookies for a little while. (So, you know, check back in a few days.) I think I must have overdone it during the holidays and just need a break. (However small.)

In the meantime, my sweet tooth isn’t going anywhere, so I’m sticking to clean eating, wholesome treats. These cookie balls fit the bill - and they are NO BAKE!

(If you love snacks like this, definitely check out my raw brownie bites too.)

These are super fast to whip together - just 5 minutes, which is perfect for when a craving strikes and you MUST. HAVE. COOKIES. But not cookies. Not yet...

A stack of raw oatmeal raisin cookie balls on a small white plate with raisins sprinkled to the side.
Three raw oatmeal raisin cookie bites stacked on each other on a red napkin with raisins and oats sprinkled nearby.

You just need to throw all of the ingredients into the food processor and voila!

You’ve got a completely clean, naturally sweetened, nut-free, gluten-free, vegan treat that’s perfectly acceptable to enjoy for breakfast, snacks or dessert.

(Or all of the above. In the same day. See where I got into trouble with the cookies?)

These delectable little balls taste just like oatmeal raisin cookies. Chewy, with great raisin bits throughout and perfectly sweet. Very pop-able.

And these are also very kid-friendly, even for very little ones, since they are all real foods.

My kiddos gobbled these up for snack and even had fun making them with me. They like to turn the food processor on and off and help me roll the cookies into little round balls.

A trio of raw oatmeal raisin cookie balls on a red napkin.

Whether or not you're on a cookie hiatus, I hope you enjoy these lovely oatmeal raisin cookie balls!

And if you're a no-bake cookie fan like me, check out these 10-minute chocolate cookie balls! Just 6 simple ingredients and they are SO tasty!

Enjoy!

XO,

Kathryn

Close up of a small white plate of stacked healthy oatmeal raisin cookie balls.
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4.42 from 24 votes

No-Bake Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Balls

No-bake oatmeal raisin cookie balls are chewy and taste just like the cookie but are full of only wholesome ingredients! They’re also nut-free, gluten-free, vegan and have no added sugar.
Prep Time5 minutes mins
Total Time5 minutes mins
Yield: 9 -10 cookie balls

Ingredients

  • 1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
  • ½ cup packed Medjool dates, pitted and chopped (about 5-6 large dates)
  • ½ cup raisins
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • pinch of salt
  • 1-3 tablespoons water, as needed (see notes)

Instructions

  • Add all of the ingredients into your food processor. Pulse, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed, until everything is well combined. Add extra water as needed to get the mixture to come together (see notes, below).
  • Wet hands and roll mixture into golf ball-sized cookie balls. Enjoy!

Notes

I usually need 2-3 tablespoons of water to get the mixture to come together. It will depend on how dry your dates are. Add a bit at a time and wait till the mixture sticks to itself so you can roll it into balls.
It also helps to wet your palms with a little bit of water before rolling these up so they don't stick to your palms.
Storage: Store extra cookie balls in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 87kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Sodium: 15mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 12g
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment below or follow me on Instagram @familyfoodonthetable and tag me in your photo!
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kate @ Framed Cooks

    January 14, 2016 at 7:21 am

    I am TRYING to be on cookie hiatus, since I ate a million of them over the holidays, but it is HARD. These look like the perfect solution. 🙂

    Reply
    • Kathryn

      January 14, 2016 at 12:08 pm

      Haha, the struggle is real 🙂 Hope these help!

      Reply
  2. Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary

    January 14, 2016 at 7:42 am

    My belly is clearly not done with cookies yet, because I have been eating one cookie a day for the past week & 1/2. And my cookie of choice has been oatmeal raisin! So when I saw this post (first thing this morning), I kind of freaked out with joy... and wondered if you knew my little naughty secret! 😉 I definitely need to kick my habit, so thank you for posting these no bake balls! I am making these today for sure!! Pinned! Cheers, my dear! Xo

    Reply
    • Kathryn

      January 14, 2016 at 12:10 pm

      I have not been spying on you and your cookie habits, but happy to hear this will satisfy the oatmeal raisin craving 🙂 Hope you enjoy these! XO

      Reply
  3. Julie @ Running in a Skirt

    January 14, 2016 at 6:53 pm

    Yummy! I love having food like this around. Your recipe looks fantastic!

    Reply
    • Kathryn

      January 14, 2016 at 9:49 pm

      Thanks Julie! These definitely help keep me on track 🙂

      Reply
  4. Calista

    January 14, 2016 at 9:35 pm

    Ooooh, these look SO GOOD! Kinda like little deconstructed oatmeal raisin cookies! I'm a little over cookies at the moment too...or at least for the next couple days LOL so these are perfect!

    Reply
    • Kathryn

      January 14, 2016 at 9:52 pm

      Thanks Calista! And YES, they are exactly like a deconstructed oatmeal raisin cookie. Just a little healthier 🙂 I'm sure I'll be back to cookies soon enough too, but in the meantime, these are absolutely taking care of that craving!

      Reply
  5. Lisa @ Chocolate Meets Strawberry

    January 16, 2016 at 1:42 am

    These were AMAZING, Kathryn! We are both totally enamoured in this household. I've been making my raw lemon slice recently to have on hand for snacking, but we love to change things up every couple of weeks so these are going to be taking over! We both ate about five in a row after I made them, and I have had to put them in the fridge now to keep my hands off them! So addictive. I tweaked the recipe just slightly: instead of adding water to add moisture, I used about 1 tsp of rice malt syrup, which brought everything together nicely and made it sticky enough to roll into balls. Thanks so much for the recipe 😀

    Reply
    • Kathryn

      January 16, 2016 at 8:28 pm

      I'm so happy to hear you loved them! They are definite favorites around here 🙂 And yes, addictive!

      Reply
  6. Adina

    January 16, 2016 at 11:51 am

    I love this kind of things but I haven't made any in quite a long time. I think is time to make some again, if only to keep my husband off chocolate for a while. 🙂

    Reply
    • Kathryn

      January 16, 2016 at 8:28 pm

      Haha, I'm a chocolate lover for sure, but this is a good, clean change of pace!

      Reply
  7. Willow | Will Cook For Friends

    January 16, 2016 at 9:07 pm

    Hahaha! My husband ALWAYS says "I am SO done with chocolate," and then like, two seconds later I see him eating a handful of chocolate chips. Every. Single. Time. So when you opened with that line I couldn't stop laughing!

    These cookie balls sound dangerously delicious. I love healthy(er) bites for when I get a craving for something sweet, so I will definitely be pinning these for the next time my sweet tooth hits!

    Reply
    • Kathryn

      January 16, 2016 at 9:32 pm

      That cracks me up! I hope these become a good, easy fix for both of you 🙂

      Reply
  8. Mollie

    January 17, 2016 at 8:26 pm

    I love this idea for a healthy snack - and I always have all of these things in my cupboard. Somehow I never had the insight to combine them! Thanks for linking up to us on Throwback Thursday and we'll be pinning to our board! Be sure to visit us there and I can't wait to see what you'll be bringing next week.

    Reply
    • Kathryn

      January 18, 2016 at 4:26 pm

      Thanks Mollie! They make such a great little snack 🙂 And thanks for hosting such a delicious party!

      Reply
  9. Mahy

    January 18, 2016 at 2:41 pm

    I love these Kathryn! Brilliant and comfort a the same time!!

    Reply
    • Kathryn

      January 18, 2016 at 4:26 pm

      Thanks Mahy!! They are super tasty!

      Reply
  10. Lauren @ Create Bake Make

    January 18, 2016 at 10:20 pm

    I know the feeling, I'm a little over sweet food at the moment - crazy I know! These look great and I can't wait to try them

    Reply
    • Kathryn

      January 19, 2016 at 1:28 pm

      Haha, just a short break from sweets, maybe 😉 Thanks for stopping by, Lauren!

      Reply
  11. Nikki

    January 20, 2016 at 8:40 am

    I've been meaning to make no-bake cookie balls for awhile. They just look so easy and fast. Thanks for sharing your recipe!

    Reply
    • Kathryn

      January 20, 2016 at 3:05 pm

      They ARE so easy and fast (part of the reason I'm addicted. The other part being how super yummy they are) - hope you give them a try 🙂

      Reply
  12. Katie Crenshaw

    January 20, 2016 at 9:31 am

    These look great! I am going to make these for my daughter to try! xoxo

    Reply
    • Kathryn

      January 20, 2016 at 3:05 pm

      Thanks!! Let me know how she likes them Katie! XO

      Reply
  13. Quirky Homemaker

    January 20, 2016 at 2:45 pm

    They look awesome! I've pinned it. Stopping by from What's Cookin' Wednesday.

    Reply
    • Kathryn

      January 21, 2016 at 2:23 pm

      Thanks so much!

      Reply
  14. Paloma

    April 12, 2016 at 10:50 pm

    The oats are not supposed to be cooked right? These look delicious!

    Reply
    • Kathryn

      April 13, 2016 at 6:03 am

      Hi Paloma! Correct, the oats are raw. They are ground up and mixed in with everything, so you don't have that raw taste when you roll up these cookie balls. Hope you give them a try!

      Reply
  15. Martha DeCastro

    July 31, 2017 at 4:44 pm

    These sound great and I'd like to try them. But there is some essential information missing from this post. First, how many does one recipe make - and - is a serving one ball? If so, they are too rich for my daily calorie allowance at 128 kcal per serving. Please revise the post with the needed info. Thanks so much!

    Reply
    • Kathryn

      July 31, 2017 at 5:33 pm

      Hi Martha! As stated in the recipe card, this makes 9-10 cookie balls. It depends on how you roll them. And yes, a serving is 1 ball. The nutritional information listed is for 9 balls, but you could roll smaller balls and make 12, for instance, to reduce the calorie count. Hope that helps!

      Reply
  16. Linda K

    August 24, 2017 at 11:01 am

    Hello Kathryn. I just found your recipe post and would like to make them today. However, I just came from the store, which is CRAZY, due a pending storm coming and really do not want to get back into that zoo. I do not have dates on hand. Is it possible to make these eliminating the dates or substituting something else without compromising the taste? Thanks, in advance.

    Reply
    • Kathryn

      August 24, 2017 at 1:31 pm

      Hi Linda! I'm not sure there's a good substitution here, as the dates add both the chewy texture (which helps bind the other ingredients) and the sweetness for this recipe. I'm sorry - I know how frustrating that is! I do have some oatmeal raisin breakfast cookies though that would make a good snack if you like these flavors: https://www.familyfoodonthetable.com/oatmeal-raisin-breakfast-cookies/ Stay safe in the storm!

      Reply
4.42 from 24 votes (24 ratings without comment)

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Hi there! I’m Kathryn Doherty, a cookbook author, mom of two, and devoted food and home cooking nut. I’ve got lots of easy recipes to help you get delicious food on the table for your family!

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