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
I have made these a few times with some minor changes. I don’t use the coconut flakes or chia seeds, and I use semi-sweet chocolate nibs instead of cocoa powder. I will take them to work where I can pop a couple in my mouth if I need something quick and not-horrible for me. I work long shifts on my feet as a hospital nurse, so protein and convenience are super important. The plus side is that my husband, who is a picky eater, loves them too and requests them for his long days at school.
Thanks for sharing with us Christine! We’re happy you and your husband love these! :)
Is it ohk to use another liquid sweetener such as brown rice malt syrup or molasses?
Hi Jordan! Yes, we think any one of those would be fine, but you’ll need to consult a sweetener conversion table (such as this one or this one) since they’re all different and you will likely need a different quantity of whatever you use. We hope that helps!
I just wanted to commment and say that I make these energy bites all the time! I found the recipe shortly after my son was born and I needed some healthy, one-handed snacks to fuel my breastmilk supply. Sometimes, I add a tablespoon of brewer’s yeast and grind up some almonds and add those (along with a little coconut oil for extra binding for the extra ingredients) for even more lactation support. Delicious and nutritious!
Thanks Sarah, we’re so happy you enjoy these! :)
These look delicious!!! What is the serving size and how many are considered to be a good portion amount as I’m sure I could eat it all!!! Thanks
Thanks Carrie! Unfortunately we aren’t sure of the nutrition facts or serving size for this recipe, but we think a serving size would be one of these. We hope you enjoy them!
If I have all ingredients on hand besides he shredded coconut will this still work?!
Thank you!!
Btw my boyfriend and I absolutely loved your chocolate chip all time favorite cookies!!!
Awww we’re so happy you and your boyfriend love the cookies, thanks for letting us know! And yes, these should be fine without the coconut – you might want to add some extra oats though, so these won’t be too wet or sticky. We hope you enjoy!
Like this idea. 2 questions B4 I make these: 1) If I only have unsalted PB, how much salt would I add, & 2) Can I sub an equal amount of cacao bits? Thanks so much for all your time & energy in making life more beautiful! You are a lifesaver for people with special dietary needs. I found you only a short time ago & I have made 6-7 of your recipes but have yet to comment, though I have shared everything with family & friends who have grown to love you too! When I can breathe again (I suppose after Christmas) I promise to critique every recipe that I have made because they are soooo good! Your granola bars will forever be a staple in our home.
Thanks! Hmm, we haven’t tried these with unsalted peanut butter, so it’s hard to say. We would think 1/2 teaspoon, but you might need to start by adding a little less than that, and possibly add more to taste. And yes, you can use cacao bits in these! Thanks for your sweet words about the blog — we hope you enjoy these! :)
These look great but I wish you would include a nutrition facts with the recipe. Calorie count, protein count, fats, sugar and carbs would be nice to know.
Hi Valerie! We’re sorry, but the reason we currently don’t publishing nutrition facts on the site is 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!
Sorry just saw the previous answer about jicama, but any other ideas? I am wondering if quinoa flakes would work?
We haven’t tried quinoa flakes, but we think that sounds like a good idea!
Any ideas on what to substitute for the coconut flakes? We have a coconut allergy in our family…
Hi Alison! We’d suggest just supplementing with extra oats, nuts and dried fruit if you like. We hope you and your family enjoy these!
Hi
what I can replace Flaxseed with
Thanks
Hi Rana! You can just add extra oats in place of the flaxseed. We hope you enjoy! :)