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!
Anyone ever make bars from these? Also how many would be a good portion for one person?
Hi,
These seem like they will be fabulous but they were totally dry even after I added several tbsps of honey. I tried refrigerating for an hour but it didn’t seem to help at all. The balls I managed to make are in the freezer…hoping that will help? Since I used mostly maple syrup, maybe honey is better?
Hi, I had the same problem at first, added more peanut butter, and a little more honey, didn’t use the maple syrup at all? Then they seemed to firm up a lot better! Mix well, then put in the fridge to firm up more before rolling them. I added raisins, was good, but they have a lot of calories per ball! Over 200 if I remember right and it’s easy to sit down and eat a lot of them in one sitting since there small? I think making 1 protien bar might be better or a protien smoothie myself.
Crystal, I used the maple syrup and mine were overly wet, maybe you need to slightly increase the amount or add a little more peanut butter?
do you know the nutritional info on these? if made exactly as your recipe says?
thanks!
oops…i read further down and saw it!
I was going to make these later using wheat bran (the store was out of the flax seed). Also, I don’t like coconut, so I was going to up the oatmeal. When I entered the ingredients for this variation, it came out to about 83 cals if making 24 balls. I guess not using the coconut really brings down the calorie count.
Hello. I made these today as well as the Pumpkin No Bakes. They are good raw but once I rolled them into balls (after refrigerating), I found them to be very sticky and more stuck onto my palms then I could form. Very messy. I wasn’t sure how to prevent this because with normal cookie dough you would simply add more flour. I found this with both recipes. They are currently in the freezer and I hope this helps but I don’t think it should be this way. It is my first attempt at raw cookies and I don’t see anyone else experiencing this so please help me so I can continue on this journey of raw treats.
Mi e are doing the same, sticking to my hands. They’re chilling a little longer right ow, hopefully they’ll be easier to work with!
As far as sticking to your hands, how about running your hands in cold water or having a bowl of ice water nearby to stick your hands in? This is a great idea for summer because it is refreshing. I have no solution for winter and I am NOT going to dip my hands in ice water in the middle of january!
I make these all the time and I have never used maple syrup, I always use honey. I also double or triple the recipe when I make them. They never turn out sticky! If you are using the maple syrup maybe try the honey? Also, you could add more oats or ground flax either will help with the stickiness :). I’ve even made these for whole flax seeds and just added some more oats to offset the stickiness! They freeze very well, that is why I make 2-3x the recipe!
I just made these and used a mellon baller to scoop them out into bite sized pieces. I used a toothpick to pop them out and they were perfect. No muss no fuss.
hi
These balls are our FAVORITE!!! I was just wondering if anyone knew the nutritional information on these tastey treats. Calories, cabs, fats, protein composition, Thanks!
never mind, I should have read down further on the page! oops sorry!
I made these and my 7 year old son who is super picky (if it isn’t served at an elementary school cafeteria it’s not for him) LOVED THEM! He just couldn’t get enough! Thanks for sharing
I calculated 4 Weight Watchers Plus points per ball if you make 25 balls.
www.caloriecount.about.com
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 28 g 1 ball (based on 20 balls per recipe)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 123 Calories from Fat 63
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 7.0g
Saturated Fat 2.5g
Trans Fat 0.0g
Cholesterol 1mg
Sodium 35mg1%
Total Carbohydrates 11.8g
Dietary Fiber 2.8g
Sugars 7.6g
Protein 3.8g
Vitamin A 0% • Vitamin C 0%
Calcium 3% • Iron 6%
Nutrition Grade C-
* Based on a 2000 calorie diet
I didn’t have flaxseed, so I ground up dried fruit and nuts and added it instead. They turned out yummy. Everyone that tastes them loves them.
O my goodness, these are delightfully delicious! Since finding the recipe I have already made two batches. I can’t eat just one, as a matter of fact I downed four of them only moments ago. As long as I give credit where credit is due – may I share your recipe? This one will definitely go in my collection of recipes as one of my favorites. Thanks.