Looking for the perfect, gluten-free snack for parties, road trips, hiking, camping, or making with the kids? I’ve worked up a few recipes and put them to the test. The result…Chocolate Monkey Bites.
Chocolate Monkey Bites (No-bake Energy Bars)
For years, I’ve been in love with those little, square Carob Energy Snacks you find in the bulk section at natural grocery stores, but I’ve wanted to make my own so I can be in control of my ingredients and cost. I wanted a bar that had the following characteristics:
- No added sugar or sweetener
- Gluten-free
- Dairy-free
- Sodium-free
- Fiber-rich
- Preservative-free
- No peanuts
- No-bake
And of course I wanted them to be…
- Super, duper EASY to make
- Packable
- Not gooey/messy and not firm/crunchy
- Kid-recipe friendly
- Loved by kids and adults
Sounds like a lot to ask, but this Chocolate Monkey Bites recipe meets all the requirements! In fact, if you call them by name, your kids might not scream “ewwwwwww, energy bars!” So far, little ones and parents have given two thumbs way up!
What’s really great about this recipe is the flexibility of ingredients. For instance, you might want to add sesame seeds, chia seeds or dried fruits such as cranberries, apricots, or cherries. Or, if you prefer a sweeter bar, you can add 1/4 cup of raw honey to the wet mixture ingredients.
The rules of adding/subtracting ingredients (on such a forgiving recipe) go something like this:
If you add some dry stuff, add some wet stuff…and vice versa.
What you need to know is this…when you mix the entire batch with your hands, you should be able to form a firm ball without stickiness or crumbles. This makes your end result the perfect consistency for pressing, cutting, and eating.
In order to keep this recipe gluten/dairy/sodium-free, I recommend using as many RAW and unprocessed ingredients as you can get your hands on. If you’re skeptical about whether or not oats contain gluten, check out this blog post by The Kitchn which should clear up any doubts.
You probably already know, but this recipe is super-duper kid-friendly. They can measure, pour, stir, and work with their hands to mix and later smoosh the ingredients. And they can eat it as raw dough. It’s a win-win for everyone.
Well, thanks so much for keeping food real with The Kitchen Girl. I really appreciate YOU and will LOVE to hear your comments or questions in the comments section below.
Cheers to natural, homemade snacks…and always, to your health!
Yields 1 pan (13” x 9”) of 1/2” thick bars
No-bake Chocolate Monkey Bites are a date-sweetened, throw-together, natural snack for the whole family to enjoy. Dates, oats, nuts, and cocoa make this the perfect, healthy snack.
15 minPrep Time
PCook Time
PTotal Time
Save RecipeIngredients
- 4 cups Organic Medjool Dates (pits removed, soaked in warm water 15 minutes, drained)
- 1/2 cup Unprocessed Cocoa Powder
- 1 cup Pure Old Fashioned Oats (uncooked)
- 1 cup raw Almonds (chopped or pre-sliced)
- 1/2 cup raw Cashews (chopped small)
- 1/2 cup raw Pecans (chopped small)
- 1/2 cup raw Coconut Flakes
- 1/2 cup pure Oat Bran
Instructions
- Gather ALL ingredients, measure, and implement prep steps (chop, dice, etc)
- In a food processor or blender, place DATES and COCOA POWDER together; pulse until evenly blended
- Remove mixture with a spatula and place into large bowl
- Add OATS, ALMONDS, CASHEWS, PECANS, COCONUT, and OAT BRAN, to date mixture; combine thoroughly - get your hands dirty!
- Line a 13” x 9” baking sheet with wax paper and place Monkey Bites mixture onto baking sheet
- Place another sheet of wax paper over the mixture and gently hand-press it to cover pan surface
- Compact the mixture into bottom of pan (I used a flat meat tenderizing tool)
- Place baking sheet in refrigerator; chill for 1 hour
- Cut bars into desired shapes once set up; store in sealed container; store up to one week
Traci Antonovich
About my recipes: Minimal meat & more plants!
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