by Traci · 02/12/2019

No Bake Energy Bites

Name: No Bake Energy Bites
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 1 cup Pitted Dried Dates (pitted); 1/4 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder; 1/4 cup Old Fashioned Rolled Oats (uncooked); 1/4 cup Unsalted Cashews (or any nut); 2 tablespoons Almond Flour (or almond meal); 1/8 teaspoon Sea Salt (optional); 1 tablespoon Maple Syrup

5 from 20 votes

Total 15

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Chocolate No Bake Energy Bites are made with 6 pantry staples in 15 minutes. They're soft, chewy, and satisfy the deepest chocolate cravings. These energy balls taste rich and indulgent, but they're secretly nutritious, just like my chocolate energy bars!

chocolate energy bites lined up on off-white background

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Table of Contents hide

1) Energy bites healthy energy balls

2) Energy bite ingredients

3) These energy bites are brownie bites with benefits

4) How long do energy bites stay fresh?

5) Energy bites are convenient

6) How to make energy bites

7) Energy Bites Recipe Notes and Tips

8) Energy Bite Recipe Tips

9) Energy Bite Add-Ins

10) More healthy snack recipes

11) 📖 Recipe

12) No Bake Energy Bites

Energy bites healthy energy balls

When I think of the perfect, healthy snack of all time...I think of an energy ball! These cuties are like the super healthy version of brownie bites. They have the same effect too...as in, you can't eat just one.

They really satisfy my sweet tooth and chocolate cravings, yet there's no refined sugar OR processed chocolate in them! Nope. Just unsweetened cocoa, combined with dates, maple syrup, and a few other pantry ingredients.

Yay! A naturally sweetened, chocolate snack that I can actually feel good about eating.

Energy bite ingredients

pitted dates
unsweetened cocoa powder
rolled oats
unsalted cashews (or any nut)
almond flour (almond meal)
maple syrup
(optional) salt

These energy bites are brownie bites with benefits

made with minimally processed ingredients
naturally vegan
sweetened with dates and maple syrup
no cholesterol
a source of fiber, iron, protein, and potassium

How long do energy bites stay fresh?

When stored in an airtight container, energy bites can retain optimal freshness 3-5 days either at room temperature or in the refrigerator. You'll notice after that, they can become dry and crumbly.

In our house, these babies never last beyond 36 hours, because I devour them, one by one, every couple hours.

Yet, somehow I always forget to double the recipe. (shrugs shoulders)

Energy bites are convenient

meal prepped snack in 15 minutes
no baking and no freezing necessary
kid-friendly
packable snack
fulfills chocolate cravings without refined sugar
eat for breakfast, or a midday snack, or pre/post workout

chocolate energy bites scattered on off-white background

How to make energy bites

*see full recipe below

1. Place all ingredients (except maple syrup) in a food processor.

Chocolate energy bite ingredients in food processor

2. Process mixture until a dry, fine mixture forms.

3. Add maple syrup through the top opening, pulsing to form moist, coarse crumbles.

chocolate dough crumbles in food processor

4. Turn crumbly dough out from food processor into a bowl. Lightly compress it with your hands or a spoon to make a cohesive lump of dough.

5. Portion dough into bite-sized balls with your hands or a portion scoop.

Chocolate dough packed into portion scoop over food processor with chocolate dough in it

6. Roll each ball between your hands to create a uniform surface and compacted ingredients

Energy Bites Recipe Notes and Tips

Ingredients

Pitted Dates: You're probably most familiar with dates sold in U.S. grocery stores. They are 1) Deglet Noor pitted dates and 2) Medjool dates (with pits).

I love both types of dates and will use what I have on hand for this recipe. If you use Medjool dates, just be sure to remove the pits!

Oats: I use old-fashioned rolled oats because I always have them in my pantry. Use any dry oats you like.

Cocoa: I prefer "unsweetened" cocoa for this recipe...nothing else.

Almond Flour or Almond Meal: I find it doesn't matter which one you use...the two are interchangeable in this recipe.

Nuts: Use any nuts you like! I prefer them raw and unsalted since they are less processed than roasted, salted, etc.

Nut Butter: I didn’t use nut butter for this recipe, but you can easily substitute the nuts for an equal amount of peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter, etc.

Dessert: Turn these energy bites into a delicious dessert by dipping them into a silky chocolate ganache and allowing it to set up in the refrigerator.

Recipe Tools

I recommend using a food processor with a minimum power of 600 watts for this recipe.

I don't know of any "mini" processors cut out for a recipe like this. They lack the power to break the ingredients into the right texture.

The Vitamix blender also works for this recipe. Just make sure you have your tamper at the ready because you'll need it to keep the ingredients moving.

Energy Bite Recipe Tips

Tip #1: Blending

When you initially process the dry ingredients, the mixture will seem very dry and not cohesive at all.

Not to worry. The purpose of this step is to blend the dates, nuts, and oats into a crumbled texture.

The mixture will become cohesive during the next step.

Tip #2: Handling the dough

When processed, the mixture will turn into a malleable dough. You’ll be able to handle it with a stainless steel portion scoop, or with your hands.

When rolling the dough into balls, you'll find it adheres to itself nicely and the balls are easy to form.

Tip #3: How to store energy bites

Once rolled into balls, these bites really don't stick to each other or get messy. In fact, the opposite is true, especially after they've sat overnight.

This makes them like...miracle bites!

So it's not really necessary to separate them with parchment or wax paper, but you're welcome to do so.

chocolate energy bites in white bowl and scattered on off-white background

Energy Bite Add-Ins

Add any of these ingredients to make your energy ball dough more interesting!

coconut flakes
chia seeds
hemp seeds
ground flaxseed
chocolate chips
unsweetened coconut

More healthy snack recipes

📖 Recipe

5 from 20 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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