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. Myra Gamble says:

    5 stars
    Great for sports moms! Great protein snack and less sugar that store bought bars. Teens thought they were equal taste to cookies!

  2. Natalie says:

    5 stars
    Delicious! I omit coconut because I am not a fan. I like the balls to be more firm before eating, so I just they chill in the refrigerator for at least a day, or put in the freezer for a few hours then transfer to the refrigerator.

  3. Yani Md says:

    Can I use crunchy peanut butter?

  4. Kelsey says:

    I am standardizing this recipe for a class. I did a nutritional analysis of the balls (without chia seeds).
    One protein ball contains:
    Calories: 35
    Cal from fat: 15
    Total Fat: 2
    Sat Fat: 1
    Trans Fat: 0
    Sodium: 4
    Carb: 4
    Fiber: 1
    Sugars:2
    Added Sugars: 1
    Protein: 1 (add protein powder if looking to increase protein amount)

    1. Ariana says:

      Hi, how many balls did you make or how many grams per ball? thank you!!

  5. Heidi says:

    4 stars
    Good recipe, but TOO sweet!!! For people who are mostly eating whole foods, this may be a little much. Next time, I will make sure that my peanut butter is JUST peanuts to cut back on the sugar and reduce the honey to a quarter cup and add more PB until I get the consistency I want. Also, be sure that your coconut is unsweetened. Mine was unsweetened and it was still a bit much for me. But, I’m sure this modification will do the trick!

  6. Teresa Aho says:

    5 stars
    Looking for a nutritious snack for my 15 month old granddaughter. Made these minus the flaxseed as I didn’t have any in the house. She loves them and so does the rest of the family. Quick and easy to make. Thanks to my friend Jess got the suggestion!

  7. Ashley says:

    How would I add protein powder to the recipe? Thanks!

  8. Laura Schricker says:

    If I want to make a bar instead what can I do to make it crunchy …not moist but dried out like?

  9. Sara says:

    5 stars
    Quick to make and they taste great

  10. Marji says:

    5 stars
    The toasted coconut makes this a 10 out of 10! The first time I made these I got them all rolled out and then realized that I’d forgotten the coconut sitting in the pan to cool after toasting. They were delicious anyway. Made them again WITH the coconut and SHAZAM! They add the perfect crunch!