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!
These sound wonderful but a little high in calorie. Maybe I could make them for my kids or take them camping.
These are a great snack and even great for a quick breakfast with a banana!
Also, just thought you’d like to know from one food blogger/photog to another, I believe your image was stolen and used on another blog. :(
Do you know what the calorie count is for these balls?
They’re between 80 and 90 calories per ball if you make 25.
Nicole, I experienced a similar issue with the sticky fingers and just washed my hands in between rolling 5-6 bites, as it seemed that what was sticking was the little bits on my hands. No biggie, you just have to be creative and try some things.
Hello, I posted 12 days ago and am still awaiting a reply from someone if not at least the writer of this recipe, if no reply, what is the point of posting? I am waiting to make these again and have others wanting me to make some for them, so please someone……..
Thanks so much for this recipe! I was starting to get a craving and these did the trick. I am currently on a hybrid paleo/raw diet, and so these are the substitutions I made:
For the peanut butter: a “shaking” or so of PB2-type* peanut powder + scant 1/4 cup of extra virgin coconut oil
For the chocolate chips: carob!*
*Two notes: PB2 has added sugars and such; I say “PB2-type” powder because the brand I use only consists of peanuts. (That’s it! :D) Carob chips may contain milk powders or I don’t know what–it’s a safe bet with mine that they do not. (Or soy lecithin or whatnot)
I imagine that you could substitute the flax meal with another gluten-free flour, but I haven’t tried that version yet. This recipe is simply superb–simple ingredients, wonderful taste!
Delicious. I love these and have shared the recipe with many friends. I follow a Paleo lifestyle, so to make these Paleo friendly, I use 1/2 cup of coconut flour and 1/2 cup of finely shredded unsweetened coconut, and I use different types of nut butter in place of the peanut butter (not paleo). I also love to put gogi berries and chopped nuts in them.
Question: do you add the coconut flour and shredded coconut to the whole recipe or substitute for the oats and/or toasted coconut flakes?
Omg, these look so healthfully heavenly!
Just made a batch and it’s currently in the fridge gettin ready to be rolled into balls. I decided to add a little bit of Vega chai protein powder (at least I think that’s what it’s called).. simply because I never got around to using it in anything else and I loooove chai taste/flavor in almost anything! I’m not gonna lie, I was totally nibbling on the mixture and I cannot wait to actually eat a whole one. lol
I love these energy bites. Just made some using “natural granola” with oats, honey and raisins.
Don’t forget to add a little coconut oil for healthy fats and to act as a natural preservative for these kinds of things!