Raspberry Coconut Breakfast Balls – Oats, ground almonds, coconut and raspberries mixed together to make a handheld breakfast or snack.
What’s to Love About These Raspberry Balls?
- Quick and Easy: No cooking required, just add the ingredients to a food processor, pulse until combined and then roll into balls. So easy the kids can do it with little supervision.
- Nutritious: With no refined sugar, oats for energy, ground almonds for protein, raspberries and coconut; these little balls of goodness are a great way to start the day.
- Hand-Held: Perfect for baby-led weaning as an on-the-go breakfast option.
Ingredient Information (with Substitute Ideas)
- OATS – Used rolled oats or quick oats. Steel-cut oats will not work.
- ALMOND MEAL / FLOUR – For a nut-free version you can replace with more oats or desiccated coconut.
- DESICCATED COCONUT – Used to thicken the mixture and to coat. If you do not wish to use coconut you can replace with extra almond meal or nuts.
- FROZEN RASPBERRIES -Frozen raspberries give a beautiful pink colour. If you wish to use fresh raspberries you may need to adjust the amounts and the colour will not be as vibrant. This recipe also works well with frozen blueberries or frozen mixed berries. The 1/2 cup of raspberries, detailed in the recipe, is a half cup of raspberries once they are defrosted and crushed, not when they are still frozen. For best results, I recommend using the grams measurements.
- RAISINS / SULTANAS – Used to provide extra sweetness. Can be skipped or replaced with a different dried fruit, a touch of honey or maple syrup.
How to Make
These raspberry breakfast balls couldn’t be easier. Simply…
- Add the ingredients to the food processor
- Blitz until the mixture combines
- Roll the mixture into balls
- Roll balls in coconut to coat
The great thing about this recipe is that it can easily be adapted to suit taste. If you are looking for something sweeter then you can just add extra raisins or a little honey / maple syrup to taste. If you watch the sugar levels in your kid’s food then you can just omit the raisins.
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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Raspberry Coconut Breakfast Balls
Equipment
- Food Processor
Ingredients
- 110g 1 cup Rolled oats
- 56g 1/2cup Almond flour
- 28g 1/3 cup Unsweetened desiccated coconut
- 134g 1/2 cup Defrosted and crushed frozen raspberries
- 35g 1/4 cup Raisins / sultanas
- 28g 1/3 cup Unsweetened desiccated Coconut (FOR ROLLING)
Instructions
- Put all the ingredients (apart from the coconut for rolling) into a food processor and blend until smooth.
- Roll into balls (I made 14) and coat in coconut.
Elaine says
Can i use coconut flour instead of almond flour?
Amy says
Hi Elaine, yes – you might not need quite as much as it absorbs more water.
Jacqueline says
Made this for my 9 month old and he’s obsessed! Swapped out raisins for a medjool date, raspberries for strawberries and almond flour for more oats since it was my first time introducing coconut to him 🙂 thank you!!
Amy says
Glad they were a hit, Jacqueline. Thanks for letting me know 🙂
Jacinta says
Could you suggest an alternative to the almond flour so they’re but free?
Amy says
Hi Jacinta, you could add a little more oats or coconut 🙂
Amy says
Can you use coconut flour instead of almond?
Amy says
Hi Amy, I don’t think it would be a 1:1 switch, you probably wouldn’t need as much coconut flour. Without trying I can’t say how it would turn out. Would love to know if you try it 🙂
Sara says
These are absolutely amazing! I used the gram measurements and it turned out perfect. I’ll definitely try the Blueberry Breakfast Balls next 😀
Just as an aside because I saw someone asked about freezing the balls: given that the raspberries have already been frozen once, it’s not a good idea to refreeze them as it can result in unsafe bacteria growth.
Amy says
Thanks Sara, so glad you liked them 🙂
Ankita says
Hey, Would love to try this. Can you please help me with the substitute of oats as my 13 months old son is allergic to oats and most of the recipes contain oats. TIA.
Amy says
Hi Ankita, You could try almond meal, quinoa flakes (may be a little bitter so I’d mix with something else), flax, or nuts. You won’t be able to substitute 1:1 so you would have to play around until you got the right consistency.
Kari H. says
Thank you for the recipe 🙂
My children and husband really liked these treats!
I added 1/4 tsp Real salt and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract. Due to sensitive tummies in our home I use organic sprouted oats (gluten free type), it is easier for everyone to digest.
I’ve purchased the One Degree brand but prefer To Your Health, Sprouted Flour co.
Very happy to have found your website and plan on making several recipes, soon!
Amy says
Hi Kari, so happy your family liked these. Thanks for taking the time to comment and rate 🙂
Varunpreet Kaur says
Looks like an absolute lovely recipe. Eager to make it for my 1 year old.
One quick question…do we only store this in the fridge? And how long does this stay?
Can we freeze it? If yes then post freezing how can one consume it?
Apologies to load you with so many questions.
Thanks in Advance
Much love
Amy says
Hi Varunpreet, Yes you should store in the refrigerator for a couple of days. If you wish to store for longer then you can freeze. My kids actually eat them straight from the freezer but you can take them out in advance and thaw before serving 🙂
Cristelle says
Hi. This sounds so good. A quick question. Do I boil the oats first? Or should I be using the raw rolled oats? Thank you.
Amy says
Hi Cristelle, just add them raw 🙂
Jane says
So quick and easy and lovely raspberry flavour. For my taste it definitely needed the maple syrup for a bit more sweetness. I also made a GF batch omitting the rolled oats and adding more coconut and ground almonds. They came out just as well with a slightly smoother texture. Great recipe.
Amy says
Hi Jane, glad you liked them with the little bit of extra sweetness. I’ll have to try them with ground almonds next 🙂
Anca says
This recipe looks delicious and I can’t wait to try it for my 14 month old. Do you put the rolled oats as them (dry) or are they previously cooked/soaked? Thank you for all your wonderful recipes!
Amy says
Hi Anca, Thank you! I didn’t soak them. 🙂
Mama J says
My boys ages 5y, 3y and 9 months loved these. I didnt have any almonds so I used pumpkin seeds. I can’t wait to try your other breakfast balls. I’m in Canada and we usually use cup measures but I’m so glad you had the weights in the recipe because that made it so quick and easy to measure without much clean up. I just put my blender jar on the scale and poured the ingredients in. Too easy! I might just have to convert my other recipes to weights.
Amy says
Hi Mama, I’m glad your kids all loved these! I find working with weights a lot easier but know many others prefer to work with cups. Now I try to include both options in my recipes. Less clean up is always a good thing!
Lola says
Ive got a 1yr old with 4 teeth,how big do these balls have to be to avoid choking?
Amy says
Hi Lola, tbsp sized balls should be perfect but whatever you are comfortable with 🙂
Harini says
I stumbled up on this today and these balls look so healthy and perfect. Kids will be hooked to these 🙂
Amy says
Hi Harini, Hope they enjoy them 🙂
Carrie B says
Great looking recipe but I really wanted to say Thank You for giving your readers the ability to skip to the end of the blog for the recipe! <3
Alex says
Very nice recipe, I will definitely give this a try.
Vanessa says
Thanks for sharing! Do they keep long?
Amy says
I’d keep them refrigerated for around 3 days. I haven’t actually tried freezing these but that could be an option too. Sorry, I haven’t tested all my earlier recipes.
Suzanne says
These look so good What a yummy healthy breakfast to grab when running out the door in the morning!
Amy says
Thank you! Great for busy mornings!
Alice says
Hi Amy,
Do they freezecwell and if so how would you defrost? Thanks!
Amy says
Hi Alice, I’m not sure if I have actually tried freezing these. I’d say they would freeze well. I often pop bliss balls in the freezer and they taste great straight from the freezer. I think these would be harder but you could easily defrost them by popping them in the fridge overnight.
Ela says
Would love to try but need to replace the oats with something gluten free. Could you suggest what i could use instead of oats?
Amy says
Hi Ela, If you can’t find gluten-free oats you could try using linseed/flaxseed meal and more coconut. You would have to play around with the ratios though and as I haven’t tried it I can’t guarantee how it would work out.
Robyn says
Hi can I use frozen mixed berries for this
Amy says
Hi Robyn, yes that should work well 🙂
Rachel says
I follow the recipe exactly and I am not one of those people who recipes don’t usually work for but this was crumbling mess ! It tasted nice but so crumbly. I added some honey but didn’t want too just to make it stick together.
Not sure what went wrong?!
Amy says
Hi Rachel, it sounds like the mixture was too dry – did it look like the mixture in my process photo? Did you use the g measurements or cup measurements to make this? Did you use frozen raspberries or fresh? The half cup of raspberries is based on defrosted crushed raspberries. If you used whole then you may not have had enough raspberries and moisture in the mixture.
Kate says
Yum!
Using quinoa flakes instead of the oats also works nicely!
Amy says
Great idea Kate, will have to try next time 🙂
Nabila says
Hi, I was just wondering if the oats and almond flour shouldn’t be cooked first?
Amy says
Hi Nabila, No I don’t cook them first. 🙂
Sara says
Also how long would these keep in an air tight jar in the fridge??
Amy says
Hi Sarah, I find that they don’t last long in the fridge – I’d say 2 days at max for taste but they would be safe to eat for longer. Store in an airtight container.
Jaguar says
Can I use something else than almond flour?
Amy says
Hi Jaguar, yes of course. Just add a little more oats or coconut to soak up moisture.
Sara says
Hi just wandering if this recipe is supposed to have coconut oil in it?? Can’t see it in the ingredients list but I noticed on the blueberry breakfast balls page that these ones have coconut oil. If so how much and when do I add it??
Amy says
Hi Sara, I tried the recipe without coconut oil and liked it so I didn’t add it. You can add a little if you wish, just add it to the food processor with the rest of the ingredients.
Candice says
Hi, can you use almond meal instead of almond flour?
Thanks!
Amy says
Hi Candice, yes – hope you enjoy !
Nicole Knezevich says
Hi Amy,
Is the old recipe still available somewhere? Just trying the new one now, but my little guy really liked the old one!
Thanks
Nicole
Amy says
Hi Nicole, Sorry! The old recipe was pretty much the same but you didn’t blend the mixture. The only ingredient changes are
I added raisins to the new recipe and
I omitted 1 tbsp of melted coconut oil from the old recipe.
Mix all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and form balls.
Sorry, I had a lot of negative comments on the recipe so wanted to change it based on the feedback. I’m glad some people liked the original (like we did!)
Amy says
Hope you have more success. Try blending it together too ??
Sylvia says
Hi Amy, i tried these breakfast balls and they didnt turn out as pink as shown in the picture. Also, they were not as much sweet because of which my little one didn’t like it at all. Even i didn’t like it as much. I added a little bit of sugar to give that sweetness, but still my little one still doesnt want to eat them. Were the ones you make, sweet or less sweet or not sweet?
Amy says
Hi Sylvia, sorry you didn’t have much luck with the recipe. They really aren’t sweet at all but because I don’t give my kids a lot of sweet things there really like them. I guess it depends on the sweetness of your raspberries, sometimes I add a few raisins into the mix if they berries are tart. Did you use fresh or frozen berries? If you used fresh then I don’t think the colour will be as vibrant. When I make these now I actually blend the whole mixture in the food processor. I am thinking of adapting the recipe to say this and will take into consideration your comments about sweetness too. Thank you for your feedback. Amy
Sylvia says
Thanks for your reply Amy. I used fresh raspberries. Will try adding raisins if i make it next time. Thanks!
Jackie says
More or less how many balls does this recipe make?
Kate says
Hi Amy,
Do you know what the conversion would be if I used coconut flour instead of almond? I know it’s 1 cup normal flour is 1/4 cup coconut
Amy says
I don’t, sorry Kate. This recipe is pretty flexible, I’d start with a small amount and add more as needed.
Myra says
My little one hated these. I made them a little smaller for him, which was lucky, because he literally threw it up an hour later, which is not something he does,
Amy says
Hi Myra, I’m sorry that your little one didn’t enjoy these and that he ended up sick. I am actually going to alter the recipe a bit as a few people have commented that they are a little dry. Blending the oats make a big difference so I’m going to change it to that. Thank you for your feedback.
Jessie says
Actually made these and they turned it so bitter that we couldn’t eat them. I used toasted coconut flakes that I blended to make more fine and gluten free flour blend, so maybe that made a huge difference?
Amy says
Hi Jessie, sorry you didn’t have much success with the recipe. Did you replace the almond flour with gluten free flour? I would think that would alter the taste quite a bit. Also your raspberries may not have been as sweet as they can vary greatly. I don’t tend to add many sweeteners to my recipes (apart from fruit) so my kids are used to a less sweet taste. Perhaps you could add a little honey / dried fruit / maple syrup to sweeten more. Thanks for your feedback ??
Kirsten M says
Hi Amy! Quick question! You leave the oats raw correct? Thank you!
Amy says
Hi Kirsten, yes they are raw. I quite often blend the oats when making these now though to make a smoother ball.
Cat says
I just made these & they look just like the picture. ? I used defrosted frozen mixed berries (mostly blueberry & blackberries). This works a charm & it really did take just 5 minutes to make!! Thank you.
Hayley says
Thanks for such a lovely, simple recipe. I had all the ingredients except the fruit so I used blueberries and they were lovely. I made them again with raspberries and blueberries which work great, and I use jumbo oats. I even make them for all the babies in my apartment block now and they’re a hit!
Amy says
Hi Hayley,
Thank you so much for your lovely feedback, it really means a lot. I’m so glad they have been a hit with the babies in your apartment block! I keep meaning to try these with blueberries, I bet it’s so tasty.
Alexandra says
Just made these. hopefully my fussy eater likes them. I did have to double the amount of oil and raspberries – was way too dry otherwise.
Amy says
Hi ALexandra, thanks for the feedback. I hope they were a success with your little one x
Marthe says
I just made these and they are great! Because I wanted a bit of a smoother ball, I blizzed up the oats into a meal first. I had a mixture of frozen rasberries and blueberries and made (beautiful light-purple) small, bite-sized balls. When I tasted them, I realised there is one thing (a little unhealthy) that would make these even better. So I melted around 20 grams of white chocolate (0.7 ounce) and drizzled it on top. It’s such a small amount, but it makes them out of this world!
Amy says
Hi Marthe, thank you for your feedback. I have had so many mixed reviews on these. (I think because they aren’t sweet and people expect them to taste like bliss balls packed with dates.) I have actually made these with the oats blended and they were great. Thank you for the blueberry idea, you have inspired me to make a new version of these. I can see the white chocolate working really well!
Darlene says
Hello! Thank you for sharing this recipe. Could you also share the nutritional facts? Thank you!
Amy says
Hi Darlene, sorry I don’t share nutritional facts. I’m sure there are many tools on line that you can punch the recipe into.
Karla says
I just made this and was very excited about trying them but was very disappointed with the end result, they have no flavor whatsoever and the texture is not desirable at all. At least for my toddler and baby.
Amy says
I’m sorry you and your kids didn’t enjoy these. I don’t give my kids a lot of sugary things so they thought this was a great treat! Perhaps if you added some raisins or other dried fruit or even some honey this may have been sweeter and had a little more flavour for you. It wouldn’t have helped with the texture though.
Michelle says
Doubled the recipe and because my husband has a sweet tooth, added 1 tsp. of raw honey, 1c. raisins, and then sprinkled the balls with cinnamon. Big hit! Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Amy says
Hi Michelle, thanks for your feedback. I often recommend to add honey/ maple syrup or dried fruit if you are looking for something sweeter. Glad you enjoyed x
Leah says
Just made these with a cheeky taste of the mix before rolling into balls. Delish!! Cannot wait for my little one to try these. Fab idea many thanks!!
Amy says
HI Leah, so glad you like it! Just a cheeky taste? I eat half the mixture before balls are formed. Some people have commented that they aren’t sweet enough but we try to keep our sugar levels down so taste pretty sweet to us. Some raisins in the mixture sweetens it up and tastes so good.
Leah says
Haha yes well that cheeky taste has turned into eating half of the balls now. I have been picking at them all day. I did add a tablespoon of maple syrup to them, I have a very sweet tooth and have been trying to find alternatives to refined sugar. Good suggestion with the raisins I might try them next time. Thanks Amy:)
Kate says
Hi Amy,
Is the almond flour the same as ground almonds??
P.s. my little boy is called Finn too, great name!
Amy says
Hi Kate, yes you can just use ground almonds. Good name choice!!
Diane says
Hi Amy, you think think I could try replace Almond flour with Coconut flour?
Looking forward to trying your recipe!
thanks
Amy says
Hi Diane, I’ve never tried them with coconut flour but if you look at the comments you will see that a reader tried it with a 1/4 cup of coconut flour and a little honey and said they worked well. Hope you enjoy 🙂
Larissa says
I made these and they were not good at all! They tasted so grainy from the oats and flour – I threw them all out. I might try again but if I do I will first throw the oats in the blender to make them more fine. I have no idea why these didn’t turn out, but gross.
Amy says
Hi Larissa, sorry that you didn’t enjoy these. My only thought is that the oats you used may have been different. I used rolled Scottish porridge oats. Where are you from? They may be called something different where you are from? I think blitzing them into a flour would work well, I have thought of doing that myself too. I only share recipes that both myself and my kids enjoy. These balls really aren’t sweet but my kids still like them. My husband prefers them with a bit of honey. If you do decide to make them again perhaps you could add a sweetener of some sort?
Ashley says
How long do these last for in the fridge?
Amy says
Hi Ashley, I have hungry little boys and they never last long around here. I have kept them overnight in the fridge but have never had the chance to try storing them longer. I’d say they would last a couple of days at least. Sorry I can’t be more exact.
Sophie says
I don’t have coconut flour can I use normal flour?
Amy says
Hi Sophie, there is no coconut flour in this recipe. Just almond flour. I’ve never tried this with normal flour, I don’t think it would taste that good.
Melissa says
I’m wondering what can be used instead f almond flour ? Baby cereal maybe?
Amy says
Hi Melissa, I’ve never used baby cereal before. You could maybe process some oats to make oat flour. Is baby porridge just ground oats (I think it is) so you could maybe use a bit of that. I haven’t tried it though so can’t guarantee how it will turn out. You will probably have to adjust the amounts a little. Fingers crossed it works for you!
Amy says
I just made these for the third or fourth time (we love them!) and this time I used 3/4 cup oats and 1/4 cup coconut flour. No need for the almond flour then because the coconut flour absorbs a ton of moisture. I added a tablespoon-ish of honey too, to bind it. They turned out great!
Amy says
Hi Amy, I’m glad they are working for you now and thanks for taking the time to comment. I must give them a try with coconut flour – sounds yummy!
Amy says
Hi Amy! Just made these and they look great but have some questions because they don’t look exactly like yours and I had to add a little mor and less of some things…
1) is the 1/2 cup of berries measured frozen, defrosted or defrosted and smushed?
2) are your rolled oats whole? I don’t see any big pieces in your balls but mine stayed fairly large. Wondering if I should have broken them up in the food processor a bit.
Can’t wait til my son tried them tomorrow!!
Amy says
Hi Amy, sorry for the delay in getting back to you. It has been a crazy month of household illness / casualties and I’m just about surviving it! The 1/2 cup was once the raspberries were defrosted and smushed. There should be enough to give it the nice pink colour and to combine the ingredients. I used Scottish porridge oats. In the fist picture you will be able to see the size of them. I bet they would be nice with the oats broken up or made into a flour though. How did they go? My kids find them sweet enough but my friend says she needs to add a little honey to the mixture for her kids.
Amy says
No worries…I hope your household is on the mend! Thanks for the response 🙂 Ah, ok, i was measuring from a frozen state and had to add more later on. If i defrost and smash and then measure it will make much more sense. I just looked up Scottish Porridge Oats (i live in the US) and it seems they may be more similar to our “quick oats” rather than the “whole rolled oats” I used. I’ll try them next time since they’re smaller pieces and soften quicker when wet. My son didn’t like these balls yesterday but he’s been finicky lately due to teething…however, this morning I added a little cinnamon/sugar and he wolfed them down. I do think he’ll like them even more when I make them with the other oats- these were very oaty and chewy. Not a bad thing, but a more pronounced flavor. Can’t wait to give it another go when we use these up!
Amy says
I hate when recipes get lost in translation! I lived in the states for a year but I still forget the little differences. Thanks for the feedback. I’m lucky that both my boys are happy without the added sweetness but I do know that a lot of people need to add a little sweetener of some type to this recipe. I hope you have more success with the recipe the next time! Let me know!
Monica says
Can these be frozen?
Amy says
Hi Monica, I haven’t ever frozen these. The raspberries were frozen before and I defrosted in a microwave so I’m not sure if you can freeze again. If you use fresh raspberries then you wouldn’t get the same colour. If you defrosted the raspberries in the fridge then I’m sure you could freeze them. Sorry I can’t be more of a help but my boys eat them all and I never get a chance to freeze!
Ann {Created To Cook} says
The color on these are amazing. And Finn’s chubby little fingers… Can it get any more adorable?
Amy says
Thanks Ann – I do love chubby little fingers! 🙂
Richa says
These are beautiful, healthy and so easy. It’s a winning combination!
Amy says
Thanks Richa 🙂
Tanya says
Can you make these in advance & freeze them??
Amy says
Hi Tanya, I haven’t actually tried these frozen but I think they would freeze well.
Wajeeha says
These look gorgeous…and delicious too! What a delicious accident 🙂
Amy says
Thank you! I love when accidents have a good ending!
Shari from GoodFoodWeek says
This is a great little recipe for balls that aren’t heavily focused on nuts or dates – which make them perfect for taking and sharing at the park or to a school that doesn’t allow nuts and seeds.
Amy says
Thanks Shari. We love the nut and date balls but I wanted to make something with less sugar for breakfast. They aren’t as sweet but still pretty tasty and, as you say, perfect for lunch boxes.
Anna says
Hi
Can you use white plain flour instead of almond flour? X
Amy says
Hi Anna, I wouldn’t use plain flour. Instead I’d add more oats or coconut or you could even grind some seeds. It is there mainly to soak up the moisture of the raspberries.
Willow says
Beautiful color! My young nieces would love these!
Amy says
Thanks Willow!
Levan says
Perfect Breakfast Balls! I need them right now! Thanks for sharing this awesome recipe! <3
Amy says
Thanks Levan!
Helen says
So healthy, and such a fabulous colour! I bet my daughter would love these.
Amy says
Thanks Helen, I hope she does!
Julia says
First of all: I really love your kids’ names. The balls look great, such a nice color. Have to try them!
Amy says
Oh thank you Julia! Let me know what you think when you try them 🙂
Cristie | Little Big H says
Love the addition of raspberry. Will have to give that a go next time I make some. Love your blog by the way. I think we have a lot in common.
Amy says
Oh thanks Cristie! Yes, I think we do! Love your blog and instagram – your photos always look so amazing 🙂
Katerina says
Their color is amazing!
Amy says
Thanks Katerina x
Clare (Grubby Little Faces) says
Hi Amy,
These are amaze balls. I’ve got all those ingredients too. Definitely making them and I’m so glad to have found your blog. It’s delicious.
Clare x
Amy says
Oh thanks Clare, let me know what you think if you do try them!
Habiba says
Oh wow, the colour is SO pretty. Sounds really simple to make too (always a plus!). Hopping over from #whatkidseatwednesday
Amy says
Thanks Habibia. They are so simple to make, that is what is so great about them!
Ciara (My Fussy Eater) says
I absolutely love the colour of these. So beautiful! And they sound delicious too. Can’t wait to try them!
Amy says
Thanks Ciara, I hope you enjoy and they pass the fussy eater test 🙂
Angela / Only Crumbs Remain says
These look amazing Amy, so easy, tasty and nutritious! Pinning!
Angela x
Amy says
Thanks Angela!