65 One-Handed, Utensil Free, Make Ahead, Freezer Friendly Snacks for the Busy Mom

On May 6, 2024 by Once a Month Meals

Whether you’re breastfeeding, bottle feeding, chasing after a toddler, managing school-aged kids, or guiding your grown-up ones –– every mom needs a fast snack they can count on.

Suffice it to say –– all moms are busy and juggling multiple roles at one time. Amen? 

From cook to cleaning lady, principal to teacher, referee to added team player, and counselor to friend, you never stop moving and never stop “doing” on any given day. Whether you’re working part-time or full-time, at home or in an office, have a budding side hustle, staying at home with littles, or volunteering while your big kids are at school, every mom is trying their best to take care of their family and themselves. 

You may even be reading this as:

  • You hold a baby on your hip and monitor a “hangry” toddler at your feet.
  • You scroll your phone with one hand and breastfeed with the other. (Bravo by the way!)
  • You feed a little one beginner solids and your two older kids make a mess of their lunch while you’re not looking.
  • Your older kids complain of schoolwork and get in your personal space while you try to finish up your very long to-do list, or
  • You struggle emotionally to help your grown-up kids with their adult decisions.

If this is you, bravo mama! You’re doing great. 

Whatever stage of “mom life” you’re in, we all need a quick, wholesome snack that’s easy to make ahead of time, and helps us “keep up” with the busy lives we lead. We chose these recipes because they can go with you while you love and lead the little and big people in your life.

This list of snacks are all to be:

  • Eaten using only one hand
  • Served with no added utensils
  • Quickly made during naptime or free time, and
  • Stored away in the freezer or fridge for when you need them most

From energy balls to homemade granola bars and “real” food-filled cookies to flavor-bursting muffins, you will be sure to find fast, eat-with-one-hand, on-the-go snacks that move with you in your fast-paced life.

Are these easy to make?

Yes! Almost all of these recipes can be made within 30 minutes or less and simply require you to mix the ingredients and bake!

How do I freeze them?

If you want to make them for the fridge, follow the first recipe link given by some of our amazing recipe partners. If you want to make them for the freezer, click the links to “Our Freezer Friendly Version” so you can get step-by-step instructions on how to freeze them. 

But the key for freezing these snacks lies here: Flash freezing –– this means freezing your snacks into individual portions rather than all together.

How do you flash freeze?

  1. Bake: Follow the cooking or baking instructions as given per the recipe.
  2. Cool: Let them cool completely to room temperature (This prevents freezer burn!)
  3. Flash Freeze: Once cool, place all your single baked items on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper and then place them in the freezer for 30 minutes to an hour until frozen solid. Once frozen, place them all in a glass freezer container or plastic freezer bag.

Why do this? 

This allows your snacks not to stick together so you can just grab one at a time! 

Alright, mamas –– it’s time to get started!

65 One-Handed, Utensil Free, Make Ahead, Freezer Friendly Snacks for the Busy Mom

Paleo Power Balls by Once A Month Meals

Balls

Date and Fig Bars by Little Figgy

Bars

Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Cookies by Half Scratched

Cookies

Raspberry Beet Muffins by Once A Month Meals

Muffins

So whether you’re the mom that is:

  • Breastfeeding every 2-4 hours
  • Bottle feeding constantly
  • Feeding and keeping 4 kids alive
  • Holding a wiggly toddler
  • Helping school-aged kids with the balance of online and in-person changes
  • Advising older kids as they simply navigate life

–– This list is for you.

We wanted everyone to find something that helps them eat well even in the midst of chaotic feeding schedules, non-stop carpooling, and emotionally draining days where the last thing you have time for is eating. With that in mind, we can’t help but give you some added resources!

More Mom + Kid-Friendly Recipes

For the kids:

For the mom and fellow parents:

To Learn More About Making Freezer Meals

Do you know if your meal planning method is really working?

  • Are you still scrambling at 6 PM every day?
  • Are you struggling to make healthy meals?
  • Is it hard to stick to your diet when life gets hectic?
  • Are convenient food choices costing you?
  • Is your grocery budget constantly out of control?
  • Do you feel like daily cooking is a chore?

At Once A Month Meals, our mission is to provide resources and meal plans for families and teach them how to freeze meals ahead of time so that they never have to plan daily meals ever again. To that end, we have developed the leading meal planning software for batching and freezing your food that makes this process the fastest it’s ever been.

For over 13 years we have helped over 80,000 thousand families make freezer meals fast, effectively, and safely. Our hope is that every family will spend less time in the kitchen and more time doing what matters most to them.

As you establish making freezer meals as a habit, you will naturally want to start building a library of go-to freezer-friendly meals that you know your family will love. You’ll want them to be equally as easy, fast, efficient, budget-conscious, and family-friendly, right?

However, each family has unique food requirements and preferences, and finding recipes that are compliant, family-friendly, freeze well, and are delicious becomes challenging. Simply put, Once A Month Meals removes that challenge.

We make it incredibly convenient to find and choose recipes that fit your family’s food needs. With over 50+ ways to filter 13,500+ freezable recipes, including special diets and allergens, there is a 100% chance you will find tons of recipes approved by our on-staff registered dietitian. Each recipe has also been individually tested by our dedicated group of test cooks for ease and complete freezability.

With all this at your fingertips, Once A Month Meals helps you break into the iron triangle of eating –– convenient, healthy, cost-effective meals –– for the long-term. 

Try a free membership, or learn how to make a custom plan that fits all your family’s needs.

Create a no-credit-card-needed OAMM membership account to explore and see if OAMM is the right fit for YOU!

You’ll be able to:

  • search the 13,500+ freezer recipe database with hundreds of filters available.
  • build and save for later use up to 3 meal plans of 5 recipes each.
  • favorite recipes you find and want to try later or have cooked and love.
  • view nutritional data of each recipe.

*For more information on paid vs free membership check this out.

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