I remember when I was a kid, my mom made a similar version of these no bake "cookies" and I loved them. We called them "chew-chews" and us kidlets didn't realize they were packed full of so many things that were good for us. They just tasted yummy. So we ate them up. My sis finally tracked down a similar recipe and passed it on.
These are easy to make and there is a lot of room for different variations. The honey is very dominant in this recipe, so next time I'll use a little less. You can add carob powder to make them more chocolate-y, use sunbutter instead of peanut butter for nut allergies, omit the chocolate chips and add nuts, replace honey with agave... so many options!
1 cup oats
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup coconut flakes
1/2 cup flax seed
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/3 cup honey
1 tbs vanilla
With a large spoon, mix peanut butter, vanilla and honey until smooth. Stir in the flax seeds and coconut next. Mix in the oats last and slowly, you may want to use a little less than a cup depending on the consistency - you want them to be malleable. Add chocolate chips last. Shape into tablespoon size balls and let them sit on a baking sheet for a few minutes to set.
