no bake oatmeal peanut butter bites

I found these little beauties on pinterest.  They come from a website that is new to me howsweeteats.com
I changed them around a bit - grinding my flax and chia to better hide it from the kiddos.  They can sometimes get persnickety about seeds being in their food.  I also didn't bother rolling mine in crushed nuts like she did.  It was just one more step that didn't seem necessary - and of course the first time I made them I was trying to get them done quickly before it was time to pick up my first grader from school.  They worked fine without the nuts on the outside and were such a hit that we made a second batch the next day.  Yea!  A healthy snack everyone likes that is easy to make.  What more can a mom want?

Ingredients

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 2 Tablespoons flaxseed
• 2 Tablespoons chia seed
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds, chopped - or if you are hurrying like me, crushed in you hand to make smaller pieces.
• pinch cinnamon
• pinch salt
• 1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons (6 Tablespoons) creamy peanut butter, melted
• 1/4 cup + 1 Tablespoon (5 Tablespoons) honey
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 Tablespoons mini chocolate chips

Directions

1. Melt peanut butter and allow to cool slightly.  (I store my peanut butter in the fridge because it is natural peanut butter, so I microwaved it for 30 seconds and stirred.  Then I think I did 30 seconds more - I didn't get it totally soupy, just melted enough to be pourable.)
2. Grind the flaxseed and chia seed in a coffee grinder (or spice grinder/food processor/blender.)
3. Combine oats, almonds, flax and chia seed, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl.  Stir.
4. Stir the honey and vanilla into the peanut butter, then pour that mixture into the oats mixture.  Stir to combine, adding the chocolate chips.  
5. Roll into desired size balls and place on a silpat on a baking sheet.  I stored mine in the fridge although they had a good enough consistency to be left on the counter.  I just wanted them cooler after coming in from biking back from school.  To tell the truth, I would have stuck them in the freezer like other cookie dough balls I've made, but my 3 year old didn't want them frozen, so take your pick.