No Bake Energy Bites

No-Bake Energy Bites

OK, my last post was a little bit on the "Would you like to have a heart attack today list" so I thought I would balance it out (guilty conscience I guess) and post these good for you No-Bake Energy Bites. I feel it is my duty to share these great recipes when I find them (especially when I lead you to the dark side on some of my others)! So here is to healthier eating. For now. 

I am excited at the fact that my kids will love these and can eat a good breakfast on the go snack or a quick snack after school. I love anything that is bite size. They are easy to eat, less mess and fun to make. 

So here you go. These were found on the wonderful blog Gimme Some Oven. How cute it that name? Please take a look at their site. Thanks to them I might live a few extra years. 

Ingredients

·         1 cup (dry) oatmeal (old-fashioned oats)

·         1 cup toasted coconut flakes

·         1/2 cup chocolate chips

·         1/2 cup peanut butter

·         1/2 cup ground flax seed

·         1/3 cup honey

·         1 tsp. vanilla

Method:

Stir all ingredients together in a medium bowl until thoroughly mixed.  Let chill in the refrigerator for half an hour.  Once chilled, roll into balls of whatever size you would like.  (Mine were about 1″ in diameter.)  Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.

Makes about 20-25 balls.

Ali's Tip - From Gimme Some Oven

Substitution ideas can abound for just about any of these ingredients!  Feel free to substitute in your favorite nut butter (almond butter, sunflower seed butter, etc.) for the peanut butter.  And you could also add in some wheat germ in place of some or all of the flax seed.  I would caution, though, against substituting agave nectar for the honey, as the honey’s thickness helps hold things together. 

The joy of these bites being “no bakes” is that this recipe is super flexible.  If you end up needing to omit one of the dry ingredients (such as coconut or flax), just add in some extra of whatever other dry ingredient is remaining (for example, the oats).  If you feel like your energy bites are too dry, just add in extra honey or peanut butter.

Some other fun substitutions for the chocolate chips (or an addition to them) could include:

·         chopped dried fruit (apricots, dates, raisins, etc.)

·         dried berries (cranberries, cherries, etc.)

·         chopped almonds, pecans, or sunflower seeds

·         other chips (butterscotch, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, etc.)

There is some good info on her site in the comments where people have substituted to make gluten free and even more healthier options. 

There, now I don't feel so guilty. I would love to hear what variations you do on this recipe if any.

Hope you enjoy this wonderful recipe. Thanks for stopping by!