Delicious apple cinnamon bites made with oats and dates - this is the perfect lunchbox snack, just like these wholesome chocolate chip apple muffins!
My grandparents had an apple orchard when I was a child, we used to walk the rows of blooming apple trees and then go into the cooler to try all the different varieties of apples. Now I love to pass down these fond memories by making simple apple treats for my kids, like these creamy apple popsicles and these chewy oatmeal apple cookies.
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Ingredients
- Apple: Any variety of apple works for this recipe. You will need one large apple or 2 small apples to make 1 grated cup of apple for these apple balls!
- Rolled oats: The base of these apple bites is rolled oats. We use a food processor to make them smaller so they mix well with all the flavors.
- Dates: I use medjool dates as I find they are soft and have a beautiful flavor, they add sweetness and stick these balls together.
- Cinnamon: Shown in the photo are cinnamon sticks, however, all you need is a sprinkle of ground cinnamon.
- Ginger: If you are a ginger lover, I encourage you to add 1 teaspoon of grated ginger. If you are making these for kids, stick to ¼ teaspoon and see what they think, it really does make the flavors all come together!
- Salt: I like to use sea salt, Redmond salt or Celtic sea salt as they have a high mineral content that is good to include in the everyday diet.
See the recipe card below for complete quantities.
How to make apple balls
- Remove the pit from the dates, and place them in a glass measuring cup. Pour very hot water over the dates so they become soft. Let them sit for 5-10 minutes.
2. In a food processor, pulse the oats. After about 1 minute or so it will look like coarse sand. There may be some whole oats still, but that’s okay.
3. Use a box grater to shred the apple until you get 1 cup. It's usually about 2 small apples or 1 large apple.
4. Add the drained dates, apple, cinnamon, ginger (fresh or powdered is fine), and salt to the food processor and blend until a dough starts to form, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- You will get a thick, soft dough that looks like this. You may need to use a spoon to scrape the sides of the food processor container and pulse a few more times to get all the dates blended together.
- Use a tablespoon measuring spoon to roll the dough into about 15 apple cinnamon bites. Keep them in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 14 days or in the freezer for 6 months.
Other easy no-bake snacks
If you are looking for easy lunchbox healthy snacks, try these oatmeal bliss balls, and these chewy granola bars with dates! I think these are the perfect nut-free treats for kids to share at school!
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Apple Cinnamon Bites
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup dates about 10 Medjool dates
- 1 ½ cups rolled oats
- 1 cup grated apple 2 small apples, or 1 big apple
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon fresh ginger or dried ginger or more if you like ginger!
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Start by removing the stem and pit from dates if needed. Place them in a small bowl and pour hot water over them to sit and soften. After 5 minutes, drain the water from the dates and set aside.
- Place the rolled oats in the food processor and blend until the oats look like coarse sand about 30 seconds to 60 seconds. Grate the apple on a box grater until you have 1 cup. Add the apple, cinnamon, ginger, and salt to the food processor.
- Blend until everything is completely smooth and a ball of dough has formed, about 1 minute. You may need to scrape down the sides and pulse again to make sure the dates are mixed in well.
- Using a tablespoon, roll into energy balls. Makes about 15.
Notes
Nutrition
Danika Vanderpyl, C.H.N
I create snack recipes with healthy ingredients that are mostly already in your kitchen. I'm certified in Holistic Nutrition and I care about giving my kids real food. Let me share my nutrient-dense easy snacks with you.
Lotta says
Delicious!! Soft, chewy and both my baby and five year old loved it!!! 😍 settle flavours of cinnamon, apple and ginger just perfect!They
Danika Vanderpyl says
Thanks for sharing Lotta so glad your kiddos loved them.