This No-Bake Energy Bites recipe is easy to make, full of feel-good ingredients, and irresistibly delicious!
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
No Bake Energy Bites Ingredients:
To make this no bake energy bites recipe, you will need the following ingredients:
- Old-fashioned oats: Also called rolled oats — these will serve as the base ingredient for our energy bites.
- Shredded coconut: Which 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 butter: I have used both traditional creamy peanut butter and natural creamy peanut butter in this recipe, and both work!
- Ground flaxseed: To add some extra protein, fiber and omega-3s to our energy bites.
- Semisweet chocolate chips: I photographed this recipe with standard-sized semisweet chips, but mini semisweet chips mix in easier.
- Honey: To add some natural sweetness and also help to bind the energy balls together.
- Vanilla extract: For 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 Balls:
To make these energy bites, simply…
- 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.*
- 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.
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.
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 bars: Press 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.
More Healthy Snack Recipes:
Looking for more healthy snack inspiration? Here are a few of my favorite snack recipes!
- Chocolate No Bake Energy Bites
- Seed Cycling Energy Bites
- Easy Refrigerator Pickles
- Nooch Popcorn
- Beef Jerky
- Sea Salt and Vinegar Kale Chips
No Bake Energy Bites
Ingredients
- 1 cup old-fashioned oats
- 2/3 cup toasted shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/2 cup ground flaxseed
- 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips (or vegan chocolate chips)
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds (optional)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
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
Did you make this?Let me know how it turned out in the comments below!
Just made these and I love them. I used dried strawberries instead of chocolate chips. I also used reduced fat peanu butter. I have to have reduced fat peanut butter or my stomach will not tolerate it. I cannot seem to get the balls to stick though any ideas as to why?? I just put it all in a container and scoop it out as I want but it crumbled. I still love the favors though
Thanks so much for a great recipe! I have been making these for a few months now and always keep them on hand in the fridge, usually for breakfast or an afternoon snack (sometimes both!). I’ve tripled the recipe like this to make more:
-3 cups old fashioned oats
-1 1/2 cup peanut butter
-2/3 cup honey
-half the box of ground flax (not sure of measurement- maybe a cup?)
-1/2 cup of chocolate chips
I leave out the vanilla just bc I’m lazy and I don’t think it adds to it and I leave out the coconut as well, bc I don’t like coconut flakes….I also don’t enjoy dried fruit, so I don’t go that route either.
Since I eat these so much, I would be very interested to hear ideas to make these “healthier”… such as replacing the peanut butter with something else. I tried using half natural peanut butter & half regular, but the consistency wasn’t sticky enough to hold everything together. I also did not have good luck with agave…. felt like it made it fall apart too. That’s my problem with trying to add healthier stuff to it… they won’t stick into balls!
I do think these are much healthier than many snacks as is, I’m just trying to up the benefits any way I can! Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks :)
Just made these this morning and they are so so good. I replaced the honey with maple syrup and added some cranberries.
Just made these last night and i am in love!
I’m not dieting, but im living healthy which includes daily exercise for mind and body as well as making good eating choices. I am trying to monitor my caloric and nutrition intake, and i didn’t see that info with the recipie. Did i miss it or do you have a general idea?
Looking forward to using this site quite often in the future:)
I made these today and subtracted the coconut and added 1/4 cup sunflower seeds and they are about 130 cal per 2 tbsp ball, according to MyFitnessPal.
Whoa! per ball?? Thats alot!
Just made these last night and they are SO SO SO good!!! Thank you for the recipe!!
Can you use chia seeds instead of flaxseeds ??
I love these! Best treat I’ve made in a while!
I just made these, they turned out wonderfully! I used peanut butter, oatmeal, ground flax seed, and a tiny bit of vanilla extract. They are very tasty, nutritious, and a great quick snack. Good to have on hand. My two year old loves them too.
These are really good…and good for you too!! I did add 1/2 c. ground walnuts to the mixture. I had to use Quick-cooking oats and mini chocolate chips as that was what I had on hand, both worked out well. Used flaxseed, but will try with wheat germ the next time. I got 22 balls from the recipe, but to save time, I will try pressing into a pan and cutting into bites next time. Hubby loves ’em!!
These are wonderful! I made them with wheat germ and left out the coconut (hubby doesn’t like it). My family wasn’t fond of the ball shape so the second time I used mini chocolate chips so I could flatten it with a roller. Then I used a pizza cutter to cut them into squares. They are a big hit in my house!
PS. for the people wanting the calorie counts. It differs depending on the ingredients you chose so check the labels on your ingredients.