I have a confession to make…. We like to sleep in. There I said it. I strive to be one of those up and at’em kind of mommas who has her act all together, but nope, that is not how I was wired. Honestly, I have never liked mornings. I’ve always been a late riser and I strongly dislike having a busy morning schedule. By some grace of God my son is the exact same way. He has slept through the night since he was about 6 weeks old. He loves to sleep in. He loves naps. He is just like his momma. He actually never had a fighting chance since his Daddy is a hard sleeper and dislikes any AM activity as well. I know all the sleep deprived exhausted Moms out in the world would like to hit me right now. I also know I’m going to pay for this routine once he hits school age (so technically I’ll get mine in the end) But for all you haters out there, I’m about to make it up to you with this stellar recipe, I promise!
Since we all like late mornings breakfast is often really an early lunch. On those days that we are forced to get ourselves together and leave the house I always find myself in need of a quick grab n’ go breakfast. Something filling, nutritious, quick, and yummy! I’ve tried to get my little to eat oatmeal since pre-teeth, but it is a big no-go. Even the super in-nutritious sweet flavored instant packets have never enticed him. So this easy oatmeal breakfast is a WIN for our household!
I introduce you to…drum roll please…. The B-Baw (or in non-two year old talk, The Breakfast Ball)
I stumbled upon this recipe on pinterest by cookingclassy.com and adapted it to my family. The original recipe calls for coconut which might be tasty for some, but it isn’t our fav, so out with coconut and in with ummmmm….. Sunflowers seeds. (Because they were already in my cabinet!) They work just fine, but this is a very versatile recipe and I challenge you to adapt it to fit your family! 
Oats, Peanut Butter, Mini Chocolate Chips, Flax seed, dried cherries, Local Honey, and Sunflower Seeds. Let’s be honest, most of my pictures really looked like this- 
No-Bake Breakfast Balls
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup old-fashioned oats (raw)
• 1/3 cup sunflower seeds
• 1/2 cup ground golden flaxseed meal
• 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
– HAVE FUN! Add 1/3 cup additional “fun” ingredient! (i.e.- dehydrated fruit, raisins, Peanuts, chia seed, cheerios)
Prep time: 10 min Total time: 20min Bake time: 0 Yield: About 20
Place the oats, sunflower seeds, ground flax, and any dry fun extras (my photo shows dried cherries) in one mixing bowl .Then mix all the wet ingredients, honey, peanut butter, and vanilla in a separate bowl. Keep mini chocolate chips to the side.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet bowl and carefully fold in chocolate chips. When everything is mixed thoroughly place your mixture in the fridge to chill 10 minutes or so. This makes the Ball rolling easier and less messy! (I skipped this step the first time, and it turned into a sticky mess! Let me tell you from experience chillin’ is your friend!) After chilling, I use a 1in cookie scoop for a uniform size and then roll in my palm to form the ball. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator or line the balls on a cookie sheet with wax paper and place them in the freezer. After they are thoroughly frozen place them in a plastic storage container and remove as needed.
That is IT! They are SO EASY!! My Kiddo LOVES them! How can I say no to his little voice asking for a “b-Baw”! They may not be super nutritious, but they are darn sure better than the breakfast sandwich or QT donut that we would have settled on if I didn’t have them made up!
I love that they are no bake snacks and you get the full nutrition of the raw oats, steel cut oats might be a good choice too. They would also be a great gluten free snack if you switched up a few items here is a link to some great Gluten Free options that are probably much healthier for you.
When I don’t have a batch made up he asks for them, when I do have a batch made up he begs for them, and when we are out and about he will cry to go home and get one. I’ve almost created a mini monster with these B-baws! A word of advice, don’t make them a car treat or you might have a chocolate apocalypse. 
This recipe is play worthy, We had a blast letting the kiddos create their own. They each got a bowl, a spoon, and their favorite ingredients. Remember that thing about perfect pictures from my previous post? Well, here is life, babies in diapers, cluttered counters, and silly kid faces!
Mix it up and try different things! Some fun ideas:
- Substitute Nutella for the Peanut Butter (YUMMO!)
- Used crushed Cherrios or a different favorite breakfast cereal as filler. (Who needs Coconut!??)
- Add dehydrated fruit, we love Craisins or dried cherries in them!
- You can add or sub Wheat germ, chia seeds, or finely ground oats for texture
- How fabulous would these be with Mini M&M’s? ha- I’m obviously NOT going for the heathy version!
So there you have it. My secret morning weapon! I hope your family enjoys them as much as mine!