These honey nut oat breakfast bites are a tasty way to start the day with a dose of better for you fats and fiber. Make them ahead for a grab and go snack or hearty addition to breakfast!
This post is sponsored by my friends at Sprouts Farmers Market.
As February starts to wind down, I know that warmer weather is near. And though I love my morning bowl of oats, when it’s warm outside, I typically turn to cooler meals. That’s where these oat bites come in.
Power up with these easy Honey Nut Toasted Oat Breakfast Bites! #TeamGoodFat #easyrecipesIt’s still American Heart Month. So naturally, the focus is on all things heart healthy. I’ve been chatting up the benefits of walnuts as part of #TeamGoodFat over the past few months and here’s another easy way to fit them in. With oats, walnuts, cinnamon and a touch of honey, these Honey Nut Toasted Oat Breakfast Bites are like a bowl of oats on the go. I love having a stash in the fridge for busy mornings. But they also work well as a snack to power up or refuel after a workout.
I got the oats from the bulk bins at Sprouts – which I’ve found to be one of the most affordable ways to get everything from steel cut to quick cooking whole oats.
Now. Instead of adding raw oats to the mix (which still works), I added a step that’s totally worth the extra time. Toasting. It removes the raw flavor and adds an extra nuttiness that compliments the walnut butter perfectly in one neat little package.
How to Toast Oats:
Instead of asking how to toast oats, you might be wondering WHY you should toast your oats. There are two main reasons:
- To help the oats hold up better in recipes like muesli or even a yogurt bowl. Once toasted, the oats become golden and crispy.
- Oats taste better toasted. That is my opinion. But once you try them toasted, I think you’ll agree.
To toast oats on the stove top: Simply add raw oats to a dry skillet over medium heat. Let them toast about 5 minutes, shaking the skillet frequently. The oats are done once golden and fragrant.
To toast oats in the oven: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Place the oats on a clean, dry sheet pan. Toast in the preheated oven 6-8 minutes, or until the oats are golden brown with a nutty aroma.
Follow whatever recipe you’re using. But if you will store the toasted oats, take care to let them cool completely in a single layer on a pan before storing.
Now on to the easy recipe! Be sure to tag me on Instagram when you make it.
Honey Nut Toasted Oat Breakfast Bites
Ingredients
- 1 cup regular or quick cooking oats
- 1¼ cup walnut halves and pieces
- 2 teaspoon honey
- ¼ teaspoon teaspoon ground cinnamon
- pinch of coarse salt
Instructions
- Toast the walnuts and oats: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Place the oats on a small sheet pan and walnuts in a single layer on another small sheet pan. Bake at 8-10 minutes, turning once to prevent browning. Remove from the oven and let cool.
- In a small food processor or blender, pulse ¼ cup walnuts into a fine flour. Take care not to let it turn to paste. Pour onto a small plate and set aside to use as garnish.
- Add the remaining 1 cup toasted walnuts to the processor. Process until a walnut paste (walnut butter) forms.
- Add the walnut butter, toasted oats, honey, cinnamon, and salt to a medium bowl. Stir to combine evenly. Scoop a heaping spoonful of the mixture into your hand. Roll into a 1-inch ball or press into a parchment-lined pan for squares. Roll in (or top with) the crushed walnuts.
- Enjoy right away, refrigerate in a sealed container for 3 days, or freeze for longer storage.
Nutrition
And PIN it for later!
Ariadne
Hello –
I tried making these yesterday and would like to suggest several edits on the directions and perhaps ingredients! Number 1 on the directions, should it say “Toast the walnuts and oats separately” since in step 3, you instruct “Add the remaining toasted walnuts to the processor?” I combined the oats and walnuts on one pan for toasting, then had to pull the walnuts from the mix to follow step 3. On step 3, it should also just say, “add the toasted walnuts” and not the “remaining walnuts” since you don’t have any other toasted walnuts.
I doubled my recipe and recommend increasing everything on your recipe as well to make twice as many balls, but when doubling everything, you don’t need to double the walnuts for the topping.
Also, my mix didn’t stick together at all, so I had to add quite a bit of binder by using about 1/3 c. peanut butter and 1/3 c. honey. I also added a few mini chocolate chips.
With my adjustments, they were quite tasty.
Marisa
Thanks for sharing. I will be sure to update the directions to be more clear.
Liz
These tasted a bit bitter to me–so I added a touch of maple syrup and that helped out a lot. Still, not as delicious as I had hoped. Perhaps my walnuts weren’t top quality? I think this would be better with almond or peanut butter.
Marisa Moore
Its likely that your walnuts were not fresh and imparted a bitter flavor. Walnuts are one of the quickest to go rancid and if not eaten quickly should be stored in the fridge or freezer for the best flavor.