Time for a new energy bites recipe!
You all know how much I love a good salty and sweet combo. So I’m excited to introduce to you my new version — Trail Mix Energy Bites!
I was actually spring cleaning-out my pantry when the idea occurred to me to use up some leftover nuts, pretzels and dried fruit to make some trail mix. But at the last minute, I decided to mix them with some natural peanut butter, puffed brown rice cereal (or you could use oats), wheat germ, a pinch of chia seeds, and behold — these trail mix energy bites were born!
It’s a good thing that they are shaped into portion-controlled little bites, because I’m pretty sure I could have eaten the whole bowl. These turned out SO tasty!!! I especially loved having the salty crunch of the pretzels in there too. And even after a week in the fridge, my pretzels didn’t get soggy at all. It’s like they were meant for these bites. ;)
As with any of these energy bite recipes, the options for substitutions here are endless. Energy bites are a great way to use up any ingredients you might have on hand. You can sub in any nuts (peanuts, almonds, pecans, sunflower seeds, walnuts, etc.), any nut butter (PB, almond butter, sunflower seed butter, etc.), any dried fruit (cranberries, raisins, apricots, cherries, etc.), or chocolate (dark chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, cacao nibs, or sans chocolate, etc.) that sounds good. And if you don’t want to shape the mix into little balls, you can also just press it into the bottom of a baking dish and then cut them into bars.
However you make them, have fun and don’t be afraid to get creative! Enjoy!!
Trail Mix Energy Bites
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole grain crispy puffed rice cereal or old-fashioned oats
- 1/2 cup creamy natural peanut butter
- 1/2 cup dark or semisweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup peanuts or almonds
- 1/2 cup chopped pretzels
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1/3 cup raisins or dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup wheat germ
- 1 Tbsp. chia seeds (optional)
Instructions
- Stir all ingredients together in a large bowl until evenly coated. Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours. (This step is important — it makes the mixture easier to shape.)
- Remove and shape into small 1-inch balls, or press into the bottom of a parchment-lined baking pan to make granola bars.
- Enjoy immediately, or refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 2 weeks.
- **It is not essential that these be refrigerated, but it helps the balls to keep their shape.
Did you make this?Let me know how it turned out in the comments below!
is there a calorie count per piece?
What is the calorie count?
These look delicious. I think I will have to try these.
I am hooked on your original energy bites recipe! For this recipe do you suggest puffed brown rice cereal or puffed crispy brown rice cereal? There is a huge difference between the two when making other snacks like crispy treats-the plain puffed type gets soggy. Does this matter with your bites?
Good question — I used the crispy. I will be sure to note that in the recipe. Thanks, Allison!
Has anyone successfully made these into bars instead of balls? How about PB2 instead of peanut butter?
Just press these into a parchment-lined baking pan to turn them into bars. And I have not tried PB2 yet, but hope to develop some energy bites with PB2 soon!
~Ali
Hi Ali.
Gorgeous recipe and photos.
I would love to try these for my girlfriend’s birthday.
I love in humid hot Singapore. These needs to be refrigerated to hold its shape. would baking retain its shape? How long should I bake it for?
Thank you.
Hi Jacqui,
This is a no-bake recipe, so there shouldn’t be a need to bake. They stick together best after being refrigerated for a bit. Good luck!
~Ali
THANKS SO MUCH FOR THIS RECIPE! I cannot eat oats or granola, and this is the ONLY site that offers an alternative to that ingredient.
is there anything I can use to substitute the peanut butter??
Hi Stacy! You can substitute in any other sort of nut butter.
How about coconut butter as a substitute for nut butters?
Hi Michelle,
I’ve never tried coconut butter with these before, but it might work! If you give it a try, let me know how it goes. :)
~Ali
yummy!
Made these with All Bran Buds instead of the puffed rice cereal because I couldn’t find it – but thought the extra fiber would be great – LOVE this snack!! I did have a hard time getting them to stick, so I added a little extra honey/peanut butter and threw them in the freezer for a half hour. Also as a side note, you should keep refridgerated as wheat germ spoils very easily!