Can I just say how much I love this time of year on the blog??
When I first began blogging, it seemed as though November and December were the busiest traffic months here as everyone was cooking and baking up a storm for the holidays. But over the past two years, January has turned into the most popular time of year on the blog by a landslide. And you know what that means — everyone is New Year’s resolution-ing to cook! Which makes me so happy!!
Even better? The most popular recipes on my blog right now (and a few blogging friends have said the same for theirs) are the healthier ones. And even better than that? Those recipes aren’t just getting pinned — they’re actually getting made. It still kind of blows my mind when I scroll through the #gimmesomeoven hashtag on Instagram or read the comments on the blog that these recipes I type out online in my little home here in Kansas City are actually getting recreated in kitchens around the world. But apparently this is the magic of the internet — they are, and man they look tasty!!
Anyway, as always, one of the most popular recipes on the site around New Years are our various recipes for no-bake energy bites. So per tradition, I thought I would add to the collection this year with a new chocolate peanut butter edition that is 100% naturally sweetened since I’m off sugar for awhile. (Trust me, you won’t even miss those chocolate chips!)
They’re unbelievably quick and easy to make. They are chocked full of protein. And oh man — they are tasty.
Shall we?
Speaking of hashtags, I was poking around on Instagram the other day and saw that someone tagged #energybites on one of my recipes. So I popped over to see what everyone was making and — oh man! — it seems like the whole world has jumped on the energy bites craze by now!
I mean, let’s be real. These guys are really just protein bars rolled up into tiny little bite-sized balls. But apparently the world loves those little portion-controlled bites just as much as I do, because there were zillions of recipes for them online!
I noticed that a bunch of people were nixing chocolate chips in favor of unsweetened cocoa powder to give theirs an extra chocolate-y kick. So I gave it a try and became a quick convert. Don’t worry — the honey still sweetens up the chocolate. But you can rest a little easier knowing that they are free of refined sugars. Here’s how to make ’em!
Begin by gathering your ingredients. You’ll need: chia seeds, toasted unsweetened coconut, honey, cocoa powder, oats, ground flax, vanilla extract, and (my favorite) lots of peanut butter.
Simply stir all of the ingredients together in a big bowl until they are evenly combined. (Sometimes I find it helps to use your hands to mix these together.)
Then cover and chill the mixture in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, which will make it easier to handle.
And then roll those babies up into cute little energy bites! I tend to make mine about 1-inch in diameter, which yields about 2 dozen bites. But you can make them larger or smaller, or even press them into a baking pan to create traditional bars if you’d like.
However you shape them, I’m pretty sure that you are going to love them. Just like my traditional energy bites recipe, they taste just like a no-bake cookie. Although you can rest easy knowing that the ingredients in these will give you much more energy throughout the day, rather than resulting in a sugar crash an hour later.
Enjoy!!
Chocolate Peanut Butter No-Bake Energy Bites (Naturally Sweetened)
Ingredients
- 1 cup (dry) oatmeal (I used old-fashioned oats, although use gluten-free oats if making this GF)
- 2/3 cup toasted unsweetened coconut flakes
- 1/2 cup peanut butter
- 1/2 cup ground flax seed
- 1/3 cup honey or agave nectar
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds (optional)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, store-bought or homemade
Instructions
- Stir all ingredients together in a medium bowl until thoroughly mixed. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least half an hour, to make the mix easier to handle and mold.
- Once chilled, roll into balls of whatever size you would like. (Mine were about 1″ in diameter.) Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.
- Makes about 20-25 balls.
- *If the mix seems to dry, add in an extra tablespoon or two of honey or peanut butter. If the mix seems too wet (which may happen if you use natural peanut butter), add extra oatmeal.
Notes
Did you make this?Let me know how it turned out in the comments below!Be sure to check out these other energy bite recipes too!
(Classic) No-Bake Energy Bites
Cashew Dark Chocolate Energy Bites
Do these need to be refrigerated? Wondered about taking them hiking.
Hi Josie! They don’t need to be refrigerated but we suggest it (it’ll help them last longer), especially if you plan on taking them hiking (the heat might make them get a little melty and mushy).
These look delicious! I want to make them and send them to my son, who is in the Army. Have you ever put them the mail? Do you think they would spoil since they are supposed to be refrigerated?
Hi Terri! We haven’t tried mailing these, but our advice would be to freeze them first, that way they hopefully won’t get too warm and lose their shape in transit. They definitely won’t spoil, the only concern we would have is them getting smushed. Freezing them should help prevent that from happening though. We hope this helps!
I thought I should give these a try, and I love these energy bites! This is the first clean snack that actually satisfies my sweet tooth when I’m craving sugar.
Thanks for the recipe!
We’re happy to hear you liked them Jeni! :)
Hi,
Thank you for sharing.Very simple and nutritious snack for any time.I don’t have some of the ingredients in handy. what I tried I’m sharing here.I used raisins,chocolate chips, old fashion oats,peanut butter, honey, I roasted coconut powder and used them, flax seed powder and sesame seeds,
And to make a roll I used ghee (for whole balls only 1/2 tbs) Since, it helps to make a round shape without sticking in hands and also clarified butter with minimal use brings lot of health benefit.
Thanks for sharing — we’re happy you enjoyed them!
This is my absolute favorite way to make these! I love how this way the chocolate is evenly spread out instead of biting into a chunk of chocolate in the classic recipe. I actually thought 1/4 cup of cocoa powder would make it taste slightly bitter but it is perfectly sweet with the honey and peanut butter (I didn’t use natural so there’s obviously sugar from the pb too). I also love how it makes a lot so I can freeze some and pack individual portions for my husband and I during the week. Thanks for the recipe!
Serving size? And how many calories per ball?
Hi Michele! We’re sorry but we are unsure of the serving size and the nutrition facts/amount of calories in this recipe. We currently are not publishing nutrition facts on the site, as the nutrition calculators available are not 100% accurate, and we never want to publish anything that might be misleading. However, a lot of our readers love the My Fitness Pal nutrition calculator, so feel free to try that for an estimate. We hope that helps!
Hi can you use almond butter.replacing peanut butter thanks.
Hi Stephen! Yes, you certainly can. We hope you enjoy these!
Where can I find the carb count for each of these energy balls? They look great, but my wife is Type 1 diabetic.
Thanks
Hi Dave! We’re sorry but we are unsure of the nutrition facts/amount of calories in this recipe. We currently are not publishing nutrition facts on the site, as the nutrition calculators available are not 100% accurate, and we never want to publish anything that might be misleading. However, a lot of our readers love the My Fitness Pal nutrition calculator, so feel free to try that for an estimate. We hope that helps!
These are so good and so very filling. You can’t eat more than two at a time it’s to much… actually one is more than enough before pre or post workout…
Thank you Joy — we’re glad you enjoyed these! :)
What can you substitute the Coconut Flakes for?
Hey Luke! You can just leave them out and add some extra oats and/or dried fruit/nuts. We hope you enjoy these!