No Bake Energy Bites

My no bake energy bites are a healthy pick-me-up packed with lots of heart-healthy and energizing ingredients. Brimming with your choice of natural almond or peanut butter, raw honey, dates, dried cherries, flaxseeds, nuts and coconut, this no bake energy bites recipe is a treat you can feel great about enjoying any time the craving for something sweet comes!

The deliciously healthy alternative to a candy bar

Something that you should know about me is that I really love my chocolate.

My husband and I keep a stash on hand at all times, one that we each sneak into and nibble on when we get that hankering for sweet, smooth, dark, rich naughtiness. Our cravings for all things chocolate typically happen in the late afternoons when we're looking for a shot of quick energy, or our sweet tooth kicks in.

And because we're more conscious of our health these days, we try to avoid candy bars filled with all sorts of ingredients that are not so great for us. We like to stick to dark chocolate, with perhaps a few "benign" morsels hidden within that'll tantalize our tastebuds.

Seeing as we love dates, almonds, dried fruit, coconut, nut butters and natural sweeteners, I came up with a really delicious pick-me-up to indulge in, and it's packed with healthy ingredients we love.

These no bake energy bites are a terrific one or two-bite treat, and a fantastic replacement for candy bars that we can actually feel great about enjoying!

My no bake energy bites recipe

With so much going on these days, I'm always on the lookout for healthy snacks full of good fats which will help me sustain my energy levels and feed my brain. So it was a fun endeavor for me to create these no bake energy bites brimming with flavors and textures that I love.

I've added in lots of protein, fiber, and omega 3 fats, all the good stuff that the body uses as fuel when it's expending energy on physical activities such as exercise, or on mental work, when sharpness and clarity are a must.

These no bake energy bites are also loaded with oats, almonds, pistachios, whole flax seeds, a hint of unsweetened shredded coconut, and a sprinkle of dried tart cherries.

To help bind everything together, I use natural almond butter and/or peanut butter (sometimes a combo of both!), some dates which I process into a paste, as well as a bit of raw honey for sweetness.

And because I'm a chocolate lover, I'm drizzling a coating of semi-sweet or dark chocolate over these bites for that little touch of decadent flavor paired with those good-for-you ingredients, of course!

Here's a sneak peek at my no bake energy bites recipe: (or just jump to the full recipe...)

1. To get started, I combine my nut butter with some flavoring and honey, then set aside for a moment.
2. Next, I process my pitted dates to form a paste, and set that aside.
3. Then, I combine my oats, seeds, nuts and dried fruit, and add in the nut butter/honey mixture as well as the date paste, and mix to combine.
4. Next, I use a cookie scoop to portion out equal amount of the mixture, then roll between my palms into balls, or energy bites, and chill briefly.
5. Finally, I melt together my chocolate and a touch of coconut oil, then drizzle a touch over each energy bite.
6. I allow the energy bites to chill and firm once more for about 2 hours in the fridge. When firm, I add them to a ziplock bag or container with a lid, and store in the fridge until ready to enjoy.

Recipe

No Bake Energy Bites

by Ingrid Beer

Print Recipe

These no bake energy bites are the perfect pick-me-up, made with healthy fats, raw honey and dates, then drizzled with a touch of chocolate!

Category: Dessert
Cuisine: American

Yield: 30 energy bites

Nutrition Info: 108 calories (per energy bite)

Prep Time: 30 minutes (does not include chill time)
Cook time: 0 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• ½ cup natural creamy almond butter and/or peanut butter (unsalted and unsweetened)
• ¼ cup raw honey
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon (scant) salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 18 pitted dates
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 ½ cups old fashioned rolled oats
• 2 tablespoons whole flax seeds
• ½ cup dried, tart cherries
• ¾ cup roasted and unsalted almonds, chopped roughly
• ½ cup roasted and unsalted pistachios, chopped
• ¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut, plus 1 tablespoon for garnish
• ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate
• ½ teaspoon coconut oil

Preparation:

1. Begin by gathering and prepping all of your ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
2. In a small bowl, combine the almond or peanut butter (or a combo of both), the honey, vanilla, salt, and cinnamon, and stir to combine. Set aside for a moment. (I like to gently heat my mixture in the microwave for about 20 seconds, just to make it a tad softer and easier to mix.)
3. Next, add the dates to a food processor, along with the tablespoon of water, and process until they become a chunky paste. Set these aside for a moment.
4. To a large bowl, add the oats, flax seeds, cherries, almonds, pistachios and shredded coconut, and toss well to combine. Then, add in the date paste and the nut butter/honey mixture, as well, and using a spatula (or even your hands, my personal favorite), mix everything together until very well combined. (It will be sticky, which is fine.)
5. Using a 1 ½ tablespoon cookie dough scoop, scoop out equal portions of the mixture and place onto a parchment-lined baking sheet (you should have about 30 energy bites). Because the mixture is quite crumbly, moisten your hands a little as you roll each energy bite between your palms, pressing together, to create a ball shape, and set back onto the parchment.
6. Once all are rolled, place the no bake energy bites into the fridge to chill for about 20 minutes.
7. Mix your chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate with the coconut oil in a bowl, and melt together in the microwave until smooth and shiny (about 1 minute, pausing to stir a couple of times).
8. To coat the energy bites, hold each bite over the bowl, and simply drizzle about a teaspoon or so of the chocolate over top, allowing any excess to drip back into your bowl. Place onto the parchment-lined baking sheet, and repeat with the remaining bites.
9. Finish them by sprinkling over each a little extra shredded coconut, if desired.
10. Place the coated bites back into the fridge to chill for 2 hours. Once firm, place them into a ziplock bag or a container with a lid, and store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Tips & Tidbits for no bake energy bites recipe:

• Use old-fashioned rolled oats: Regular old fashioned rolled oats are best for this recipe, so make sure you don't use instant oats or steel cut oats.
• Keep things raw, if you'd like: If you'd like to keep these energy bites completely raw, use raw nuts, raw almond butter, and raw honey. Otherwise, you can use roasted nuts for extra flavor.
• Chill, baby, chill: Once the mixture is prepared, portioned, and rolled into “bites”, give them a little time to chill before coating in chocolate. This helps the energy bites to firm up, and makes them easier to work with.
• How to store no bake energy bites: Once prepared, these energy bites are best stored in the fridge, as that helps keep them from becoming crumbly. Plus, the fridge helps prevent the chocolate coating from melting or getting messy at warmer temperatures, and it keeps the bites deliciously chewy too!

Craving more sweet and chocolatey recipes? Check out my recipe for Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups, Chocolate Bark, Trail Mix Cookie Bars, Almond Flour Cookies, Chocolate Truffles, or even my recipe for Brownie Cookies!

Cook's Note: This recipe was originally published in 2018, and has been updated with even more love!