Happy Friday eve! Doesn’t that just sound delightful? Better than just Thursday, though that means thirsty Thursday, which is always welcome. But we’re close to the weekend. So close. And it has seemed like a long week, since I’m coming off my fun girls beach trip, so I’m looking for all the silver linings! Speaking of making the best of things, today’s recipe has been a long time coming. I first photographed these no bake blueberry oatmeal cookie balls late last summer. And then never did anything with those photos. I can’t even remember why now. The folder of pictures just sat on my desktop for months, feeling sad.
Back in May, I decided I would have to post these scrumptious little blueberry oat balls. I mean, summer is all about no-bake snacks, right?! But then I didn’t really like the pictures anymore. Of course. So I made these cookie balls again to take new photographs. And then a new folder of photos sat on my desktop for a few months… I’m really not forgetful and I’m normally super organized, to the point of almost overdoing it. But these kept getting overlooked. Anyway, I finally wrote these blueberry oatmeal cookie balls onto my editorial calendar for this here blog and VOILA, you are finally getting to see them!
(By the way, I kinda hate these photos, too. But I just couldn’t bring myself to do it over a third time. Probably would have been the charm… Ah well!) Despite all the delays, I think they are still perfectly timed. #orsoIamtellingmyself #silverlinings We’re in back-to-school season, so a quick + easy snack like this is perfect - great for after-school or for a little lunchbox treat. And we’re still in August, so it’s hot as all get out (especially here in North Carolina) so no bake is very welcome. And as blueberry season winds down and I haven’t quite gotten my fill — because I am blueberry obsessed in the summertime; see my healthy blueberry cake and blender balsamic blueberry vinaigrette for a few favorites — I love switching over to using dried blueberries, which I always have in my pantry. (We make our favorite trail mix and blueberry oat cookies with dried blueberries, in addition to these blueberry cookie balls.) And I love that these little bites are just 5 wholesome ingredients and only take 10 minutes to make!
Plus, they’re gluten free and vegan so they work great for play dates and parties if you have an assortment of diet restrictions See, so it’s OK I’ve waited so long to share these, right?! Right? Just go make some and I think all will be forgiven. You’ll get that pop of sweet, soft blueberry flavor in your mouth and we’ll be friends again
It’s not necessary, but it helps to give a rough chop to the dried blueberries before putting them in the food processor, so they are broken down a bit and incorporate more easily into the cookies. The lemon juice really helps brighten up the flavors so don’t skip it! 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 until 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. Store extra cookie balls in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can easily double the recipe if you are making these for a bigger group.
I buy dried blueberries at the grocery store, and Trader Joe’s has them too. You can also find them online. If you need a new healthy sweet snack, for yourself or your kids, I highly recommend these little no bake blueberry oatmeal cookie balls! Happy snacking! XO, Kathryn P.S. Love snacks like this? Us too! Check out my no-bake chocolate chip cookie balls, no-bake oatmeal raisin cookie balls and 10-minute chocolate cookie balls.
It’s not necessary, but it helps to give a rough chop to the dried blueberries before putting them in the food processor, so they are broken down a bit and incorporate more easily into the cookies. 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 until 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. Store extra cookie balls in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5-7 days.
