These vibrant and delicious Blueberry Breakfast Balls are a fantastic grab-and-go breakfast option for busy mornings.
What’s To Love About These Breakfast Balls
- Hand-Held: Turning oats into a finger food is perfect for “on-the-go” breakfasts or for baby-led weaning. Easy to grab, easy to eat and easy to store.
- Nutritious: Made with oats, blueberries and nut butter they make a nice balanced breakfast or snack. Many “ball” recipes contain dates, dried fruit or syrups. This is a much lower sugar option.
- Pretty: Because many kids (and adults) eat with their eyes.
- Easy: This no-cook breakfast/snack can be whipped up in very little time.
What You Need (With Alternative Suggestions)
- FROZEN BLUEBERRIES – Frozen blueberries give that gorgeous purple colour. If you wish to use fresh blueberries you may need to adjust the amounts a little and the colour will not be as vibrant. This recipe also works well with frozen raspberries or frozen mixed berries.
- OATS – Use rolled oats or quick oats. Steel-cut oats will not work.
- PEANUT BUTTER – You can replace the peanut butter with any nut butter or coconut butter.
- DESICCATED COCONUT – Used to thicken the mixture and to coat. If you do not wish to use coconut you can replace with nuts or some more oats.
NOTE: These are not very sweet. If your kids are used to more sweetness try adding some raisins, honey, maple syrup or vanilla to sweeten to taste. (If making for a baby do not add extra sweetness)
How to Make (With Video)
These blueberry breakfast balls come together in two simple steps. Get your kids to help make them!
- Add oats, blueberries and peanut butter to a food processor, mix until combined and until you have a thick paste. Stir through the coconut.
- Form into balls and roll in some more coconut.
Storage Instructions
Place the balls in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to two days or freeze for up to a month.
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Have you tried this recipe? I love receiving your feedback, please rate and leave a comment below or tag me on Instagram @healthylittlefoodies
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Blueberry Breakfast Balls
Ingredients
- 1 cup / 110g Rolled Oats
- 1 cup / 150g Frozen Blueberries
- 1 tbsp Peanut butter (or nut butter of choice)
- ⅓ cup / 25g Desiccated coconut (+ extra for coating)
Instructions
- Add oats, blueberries and peanut butter to a food processor, mix until combined and until you have a thick paste. Stir through the coconut.
- Form into balls (I made 14) and roll in some more coconut.
Amanda says
This tastes great but mine are not forming into balls. Seems more like a thick smoothie consistency. Any suggestions?
Amy says
Hi Amanda, keep adding more oats and / or coconut until you have a mixture you can roll. Hope it works for you 🙂
Cecilia says
Great recipe! ;I am not a fan of coconut, so I substituted it for extra oats and almonds. I also used almond butter instead of its peanut counterpart (I am allergic to peanuts). I also added some cocoa powder instead of blueberries in half of my batch for colour (and taste) contrast. I know- that’s a lot of switches but it was still delicious.
Amy says
Thanks for the feedback, Cecilia. I’m so happy the recipe worked with the subs, that is the great thing about this recipe – it is pretty adaptable 🙂
Shannon m says
Do I thaw the blueberries first ? Or blend frozen
Amy says
Either will work. 🙂
Holly says
I am excited to try this recipe. Looking for healthy homemade snacks for my 9 year old. I am wondering what I can substitute for the coconut. I know it is important in making it dry enough to roll into balls. Do you think I could just add more Oats that have not been processed?
Amy says
Hi Holly, sorry for the delay. Yes, the coconut will help to dry it out. Try adding more oats, nuts or almond meal.
Christina says
Hi! These are great and delicious but I struggled to roll them as they would just crumble away and stick to my hand… any suggestion ?
Amy says
Hi Christina, did you use frozen blueberries? I’d just add some more to make the mixture a little wetter so it sticks together better.
Laura says
Can you recommend a substitute for the nut butter due to allergies?
Amy says
Hi Laura, you can just skip the nut butter or use a replacement, like sunflower butter or coconut butter. 🙂
Nan says
Hi can I use fresh blueberries for this recipe?
Amy says
Hi Nan, yes you can but you may have to add a little extra if you feel the mixture is too dry. They also won’t have the same depth of colour.
Malinda Peckford says
Are the freezeable?
Amy says
Hi Malinda, yes, I freeze these all the time 🙂
Asma says
Can I substitute the oats with almond flour?
Amy says
Hi Asma, I would say that would work well 🙂
Cheryl says
Great recipe!
Amy says
Thanks Cheryl 🙂
Andrea says
I used fresh blueberries instead of frozen and the color was still vibrant blue! Because my baby is having a little trouble bringing food into his mouth, I decided to bake them on parchment paper to make them a little more cookie like (less sticky) and easy to break into bits. They turned out perfect! Love the taste! Your recipes are amazing
Amy says
Thank you so much, Andrea. I love that you baked these, what a great idea – I’ll be trying that next time 🙂
Jayne Harrold says
These are delicious! My batch made 18!
Thank you for the recipe.
Amy says
Hi Jayne, I’m delighted you enjoyed them, thanks for taking the time to rate and leave a comment 🙂
Jayne Harrold says
These are delicious! My batch made 18Thank you for the recipe.
Lauren says
I was wondering if I could use oatmeal baby cereal I have in my pantry? I’ve been dying for a way to use them all up.
Amy says
Hi Lauren, yes this would be a great way to use up the baby cereal 🙂
Nicole says
Great idea! How much of the cereal do you think would be needed to substitute 1 cup rolled oats?
Amy says
Hi Nicole, you would want to use the same weight (grams) but I am unsure what this would be in cups without checking. I’d try a cup, if you find the mixture too dry you can throw in some more blueberries. You want a consistency that will hold together well when rolled into balls.
Jallen says
Could these be made ahead and kept in the freezer till needed?
Amy says
Hi Jallen, Yes you can freeze these. 🙂
Sarah Jensen says
Hello, these look fantastic! Can these be made manually, if the oats are blended first into more of a powder.?
Amy says
Hi Sarah, yes that should work fine. Enjoy 🙂
Sasa says
These look great!
Would it be ok to use fresh blueberries? Also how long can these be frozen?
Amy says
HI Sasa, yes you can use fresh blueberries. The colour may not be as vibrant. If you find the mixture a little dry to roll just add some more blueberries. Stored in a freezable container they will be good for 2-3 months 🙂
Lisa says
Can these be stored in the fridge for a few days or do they need to be eaten when made?
Amy says
Hi Lisa, they are best eaten straight away but you can def store them in the fridge for 2-3 days. 🙂
Melody says
Made these for breakfast for the kids today, all three loved them and the baby would have eaten them all if I let him! To clean the extra left in the food processor I used the last of my oats and blueberries threw in a frozen banana and some Greek yogurt and whipped up a smoothie they all are full and happy now! Thanks for sharing such an easy recipe!
Amy says
Thanks, Melody. I’m glad they were a success for you and I’m loving the sound of the smoothie 🙂
Amber says
I dont have a food processor, Will a blender work? Also do you cook the oats?
Amy says
Hi Amber, it will depend on your blender. A good quality, high powered blender will work. No, I don’t pre-cook the oats.
Jane says
Hi there is it 85cals per ball?
Thanks
Amy says
Hi Jane, yes it is. Please note that I am not sure how accurate the nutritional information is. No testing has been done on the product and the results are calculated using an online nutrition calculator. They should be used as a rough guide only.
Louise says
I just made these with what I had on hand, didn’t dust with coconut I used Rice Krispies instead bc I had run out of the coconut after making the filling. Came out awesome! I also used almond butter instead of peanut butter and added a drop of vanilla as well. Perfect baby/toddler recipe =)
Amy says
Great! So happy you liked them and thanks for taking the time to rate and leave a comment 🙂
Leah @ LunchwithLeah.com says
I love that these are PURPLE!!! I am so going to try this recipe out…so excited!!!
Amy says
Thanks Leah! Yes, the colour is fab! Enjoy 🙂
Brittany says
What do you mean by “stir through the coconut”?
Amy says
Hi Brittany, I just mean to add the coconut and stir it into the mixture rather than blend it all together. This should make it solid enough to form into balls.
Therese says
How long do these keep for ?
Amy says
Hi Therese, not long in our house ;)! I find that they are best kept refrigerated and eaten in a couple of days.
Tracy Edwards says
These are totally amazing! So easy to make and exceptionally tasty! Thank you so much for the recioe. Love it!
Amy says
Thanks, Tracy, so lovely to hear. Glad you enjoyed them!
Kate Jones says
Hi Amy. I’m looking for gluten/egg dairy free recipe s for my baby who is not interested in being spoon fed cereal! She’s 7 months old so I’m going to give these a try as they look amazing! But in case they are rejected! Can they be frozen? Or how ,omg will they keep in the fridge?
Amy says
Hi Kate, As these contain frozen blueberries you have to be careful if thawing and re freezing. I recommend thawing the blueberries in the refrigerator. That being said, I have frozen these balls and the quality was fine. I find that the quality is lost quite quickly in the fridge, I find they are good for a couple of days in an air tight container.
Kate says
Wonderful, thanks Amy
kris says
DO you think I would be able to use fresh blueberries instead of frozen? Thanks
Amy says
Hi Kris, I have never actually made them with fresh blueberries so can’t say for sure. They should work but you might not get the same colour.
Khyati says
These are great! Super quick and easy to make and helped me add variety to his fruit intake 🙂 can I just substitute strawberries for blueberries?
Amy says
Hi Khyati, Thank you! Yes you can make them with strawberries and I make them with raspberries too 🙂
Elisa Bellagamba says
Thanks so much for publishing this, it looks very yummy! How hard/soft are these balls? Do you think they are suitable for a 10 months old baby or could them be a chocking hazard?
Amy says
Thanks Elisa, these are really soft and smooth. I gave something similar to my son before 10 months with no issues, I personally wouldn’t consider them a chocking hazard. You can vary the texture by adding more / less coconut, the recipe is pretty flexible.
Sam says
Thank you very much for this recipe, been trying to mix up breakfast offerings to my 9 month old who loves eating but gets fussy when the same thing is served more than two days in a row! He loved these though it was rather messy (still at the ‘shovel it all in one go’ stage) and it was a great way to use up blueberries that were too tart to eat fresh. No sweetening required for either him or myself! I particularly liked that there was no egg or banana, as we seemed to get through a lot of both and I try to make sure he gets plenty of fibre.
Sam says
sorry, tried to leave a rating but couldn’t. Five stars from us both.
Amy says
Thanks for your comment Sam, I can just imagine your 9m old shovelling them into his mouth! My boys were exactly the same, fun times! I hope you try out some of my other breakfast ideas, one of our favourites is this mango and coconut breakfast bites https://www.healthylittlefoodies.com/coconut-mango-oat-breakfast-bites/
Carri says
Hi Amy, want to make these for my LB. canthey ve frozen?
Amy says
Hi carri, I don’t think I have actually frozen these but I think they would freeze well.
Denise says
Did you use old fashion oats or quick oats?
Amy says
Hi Denise, I used old fashioned. You could use either for this recipe though.
Carrie says
Do you cook the oats?
Amy says
No I don’t ??
Lisa McAlpine says
What is the nutritional information?? Thanks!
Amy says
Sorry, I don’t calculate nutritional info.
Lisa says
Hi, can these be frozen please or stored in the fridge for a few days? Thanks
Amy says
Hi Lisa, I can’t remember if I have tried freezing these before, sorry. I find they are best eaten in a day or two.
Nicole says
Hi I like to soak oats overnight do you think that would work fir this recipe?
Also could I use tahini instead of peanut buttr?
Thanks
Amy says
Hi Nicole, the oats may be a little wet for rolling if soaked over night so you may need to add a bit more coconut. Tahini should work well ??
Erica says
Yes, that’s easy to come by, but I think usually sweetened. Will check the store because I don’t usually like coconut, so I never look at it! But I want to introduce to my daughter so she grows to like it. I found some as you have shown here, on Amazon, so will purchase from there if I can’t find in the store. THANKS!
Jess says
Hi just curious if you can substitute the peanut butter with something else?
Amy says
Hi Jess, The recipe is pretty flexible. You could try using another nut butter or sunflower seed butter. You could probably leave it out but may need to alter amounts a little.
Erica says
I’m reading it may be hard to find desiccated coconut in the US. If that’s true, is there an alternative?
Amy says
Hi Erica, I’m trying to remember from my time living in the US but I’m not sure if I ever used it. You could try using shredded coconut, is that easy to come by?
ivory says
you can usually find it in the baking aisle of most big grocery stores, and if not then there’s always amazon
Lisa Tobman says
Can you coat them with anything else besides coconut?
Amy says
Yes of course, what ever you like. Drizzled with chocolate or a dusting of cocoa powder?
Amy says
Can you use fresh blueberries for this?
Amy says
Hi Amy, yes – you may not get the same colour though. I’ve never actually made them with fresh blueberries as they are so expensive here!
Nikki says
How many servings did you get out of this recipe please?
Amy says
Hi Nikki, sorry that I haven’t detailed this and I can’t remember off hand. All I know is they don’t last long and that my sons eats half the mixture while we are forming the balls!
Cat says
Just made these for myself. ? I made the raspberry ones and liked them, but I think this version is even better! I like that it’s not as dry but just as quick &.easy to make. I did add a squeeze of honey as my blueberries were a bit tart. Delicious recipe, thank you.
Amy says
Thanks Cat! I’m actually looking to alter my raspberry recipe to be a little more similar to this one. A lot of people have commented that the raspberry ones are dry. So pleased you like these!
Kate says
Thanks Amy; just saw this! Having tried & tested them myself, your blueberry breakfast balls get two thumbs up! Delicious! X
Amy says
Thanks Kate, glad you liked them! ?
Mary says
Is there something else I can use besides coconut
Amy says
Hi Mary, The coconut soaks up a lot of the moisture from the blueberries so I’d try replacing it with more oats or almond meal might work well. Without testing it myself though, I can’t say for sure how it will turn out.
Holly says
Hi! I’m reading the instructions via Pinterest & online but it doesn’t say if you bake them for fridge them after rolling into balls? Because it says prep time 10’mins but total time 35’mins so I dont understand where the extra 25’mins are?
Many thanks x
Amy says
Hi Holly, Sorry for the confusion. I am not sure what happened for it to say 35 mins. It should just be the prep time and they are ready to eat straight away. You may wish to chill them to firm them up. I have now fixed the time on the recipe, thanks for pointing it out.