This No-Bake Energy Bites recipe is easy to make, full of feel-good ingredients, and irresistibly delicious!

Easy No Bake Energy Bites Recipe

Friends, have you tried this no bake energy bites recipe? ♡

It’s one of my all-time favorite recipes here on the blog, and one that I’ve personally made about a zillion times since I first published it here eight years ago.

I love these little energy bites because they are easy to make with simply pantry ingredients that I almost always have on hand. They are super easy to mix up and roll into cute little energy balls. (Or if you would like to save time, you can press the mixture into a parchment-covered baking dish, and then cut them into energy bars.)  They are the perfect make-ahead recipe to keep on hand for healthy snacking or breakfasts. And most importantly, they are just irresistibly good.

Over the years, thousands of our readers have made and loved this classic energy bites recipe too. So I wholeheartedly recommend giving it a try!

No Bake Energy Bites Recipe | 1-Minute Video

Energy Bites Ingredients

No Bake Energy Bites Ingredients:

To make this no bake energy bites recipe, you will need the following ingredients:

  • Old-fashioned oatsAlso called rolled oats — these will serve as the base ingredient for our energy bites.
  • Shredded coconutWhich I highly recommend toasting — either briefly in the oven or in a sauté pan — before adding to the energy bites. (Just be sure that the coconut has cooled before adding in the chocolate chips or the chocolate may melt.) Feel free to use either sweetened or unsweetened shredded coconut.
  • Creamy peanut butterI have used both traditional creamy peanut butter and natural creamy peanut butter in this recipe, and both work!
  • Ground flaxseedTo add some extra protein, fiber and omega-3s to our energy bites.
  • Semisweet chocolate chipsI photographed this recipe with standard-sized semisweet chips, but mini semisweet chips mix in easier.
  • HoneyTo add some natural sweetness and also help to bind the energy balls together.
  • Vanilla extractFor a touch of extra flavor.
  • Chia seeds (optional): Feel free to skip the chia seeds if you do not have any on hand. But I love adding in a tablespoon or so when I do!

How To Make Energy Bites (Balls)

How To Make Energy Balls:

To make these energy bites, simply…

  1. Stir everything together. Stir all ingredients together in a large mixing bowl until thoroughly combined.
  2. Chill. Cover the mixing bowl and chill in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours, or until the mixture is chilled.*
  3. Roll into balls. Roll into mixture into 1-inch balls.
  4. Serve. Then enjoy immediately! Or refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 3 months.

If you have trouble getting the energy balls to hold together, I recommend adding in more peanut butter to make the mixture a bit more sticky. Or if you would rather, you can also just press the mixture into a square baking dish to make flat energy bars instead of round energy balls.

Healthy Energy Balls

Possible Energy Bites Variations:

There are all sorts of ways that you can customize this energy bites recipe, so feel free to get creative! For example, you are welcome to…

  • Make energy barsPress the mixture firmly into a parchment-lined 8×8-inch baking pan, chill, and then slice into energy bars (instead of rolling the mixture into energy balls).
  • Use a different nut or seed butter: Use almond butter, cashew butter, sunflower seed butter, or any other nut/seed butters that you prefer in place of peanut butter.
  • Omit the coconut: I’ve heard from many of you over the years who don’t love coconut. If that’s the case, no prob, just omit the coconut and add in an extra shake of oats instead.
  • Add spices: If you would like to give these energy bites some extra flavor, feel free to add in a few pinches of ground cinnamon or some pumpkin pie spice.

Healthy Energy Bites with Chocolate Chips and Peanut Butter

More Healthy Snack Recipes:

Looking for more healthy snack inspiration? Here are a few of my favorite snack recipes!

No Bake Energy Bites

4.92 from 407 votes
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Makes: 20 -25 energy bites
No Bake Energy Bites Recipe
This No-Bake Energy Bites recipe is easy to make, full of feel-good ingredients, and irresistibly delicious!

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Stir everything together.  Stir all ingredients together in a large mixing bowl until thoroughly combined.
  • Chill. Cover the mixing bowl and chill in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours, or until the mixture is chilled.  (This will help the mixture stick together more easily.)
  • Roll into balls.  Roll into mixture into 1-inch balls.
  • Serve.  Then enjoy immediately!  Or refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 3 months.

Notes

Prep Time: The prep time listed does not include time for the mixture to chill.  To speed up the chilling, I recommend spreading the mixture out on a small baking sheet and popping it in the freezer for 20-30 minutes until the mixture is cool.
Source: Recipe slightly adapted from Smashed Peas & Carrots.

Additional Info

Course: Snack
Cuisine: American
Did you make this?Let me know how it turned out in the comments below!

About Ali

Hi, I'm Ali Martin! I created this site in 2009 to celebrate good food and gathering around the table. I live in Kansas City with my husband and two young boys and love creating simple, reliable, delicious recipes that anyone can make!

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4.92 from 407 votes

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Recipe Rating




2,367 Comments

  1. Leah von Schaumburg says:

    5 stars
    So yummy! All if my 5 kids devoured these in minutes!!! Best part, they were super easy to make, and I could trust that my 11 year old could make them, and clean up the No-flour mess.

  2. Michelle Chang says:

    5 stars
    Instead of chocolate chips I used one date and it was delicious! I also coated the balls with hemp seeds and ground flax seeds, so it was not sticky to store them.

  3. Rachel says:

    Hi I wanted to try these out but I was wondering what vegan alternative would work for the honey. Thanks!

    1. Jill says:

      I’ve done them with maple syrup!

    2. Barb says:

      I’ve used pancake syrup with white Karl syrup half and half

    3. Sasa says:

      Maple syrup

  4. Joanne says:

    4 stars
    Very Good, May use a little less honey. I used both white and semi sweet chocolate chips. It was a great snack on the go

  5. Michelle Winkeler says:

    I put this recipe in very well fit.com. Here are the nutrition facts i got. I use toffee bits instead of chocolate chips but not sure that will change that much in the nutrition facts
    22balls per recipe: calories-121; fat-7; carbs-12; total sugars-8; protein-3

  6. carina garcia says:

    Peanut butter makes me really sick (it’s not an allergy though). Can this recipe work with almond butter?

    1. Jill says:

      5 stars
      I’ve used almond or cashew butter, both have been great!

    2. Tricia says:

      5 stars
      I’ve used Costco almond butter and it’s great! Just make sure to stir really well (Costco peanut butter too, for that matter.) If you get too much oil it’ll be too sticky.

    3. D says:

      I make with almond butter n love them still

    4. JoAnn says:

      Yes. I make them both ways, with almond butter or natural peanut butter. Both are so good.

    5. Beth Wilke says:

      I believe I read that any nut better can work well. Good luck

  7. Reina says:

    5 stars
    i made these today and they were so good ! the mix was a bit dry so i added more honey.

  8. Bryn says:

    5 stars
    I make this recipe for my family all the time, using almond butter and no chocolate chips. And toasting the coconut is genius—it adds an incredible depth of flavour!

  9. Amber says:

    I was able to make 21 “energy balls” with this recipe and in doing the math. ONE 1″ ball has LESS THAN 3 grams of protein and NEARLY 14 CARBS. I could die.

    1. Jill says:

      Healthy carbs are a great energy source. Obviously it isn’t a keto recipe, but it’s a great one for providing a healthy boost on the go! I love to take them on long hikes.

    2. Jenn says:

      I added hemp hearts and chocolate protein powder instead of chocolate chips

    3. PewPew says:

      yeah thats why they are called energy balls and not protein balls :D

  10. Cynthia says:

    5 stars
    Love these no bake energy bites, but with being on NOOM, I would love an idea on how many calories are in each ball.

    1. Justin Ricks says:

      5 stars
      I made some without coconut and with sugar free chocolate chips, and it’s around 148 calories per ball. The ones I made are close to 2” in diameter.