No-Bake Energy Bites
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Looking for a quick and healthy snack? These energy bites come together quickly, require no baking, and are easy to keep on hand for busy days.
Every once in a while, I go on a health kick and—rather dramatically—purge our kitchen of all processed junk food. Unfortunately, my enthusiasm for healthy eating isn’t shared by my kids, who come home from school starving, open the pantry, and yell, “Mom! There’s nothing to eat!” Enter these energy bites. They’re a perfect on-the-go breakfast, lunchbox stuffer, or afternoon pick-me-up with a cup of coffee.
Made with oats, nuts, and peanut butter, they’re the kind of wholesome snack you can feel good about eating. Even though they’re no-bake, I like to toast the oats and nuts in a skillet before mixing them with the other ingredients—a quick step that adds a golden, toasty flavor and really brings out the nuttiness. Finely chopped dates add natural sweetness and fiber, and their stickiness helps bind everything together.
For more wholesome options made with oats and nuts, be sure to check out my overnight oats, homemade granola, and granola bars—all packed with hearty, nutritious ingredients.
“Wow, these are delicious! Not to mention a great way for me to get a healthy protein energy boost during the day.”
What You’ll Need To Make Energy Bites
- Oats, nuts (pecans, walnuts, and/or almonds), and ground flaxseed or wheat germ: Create a hearty, nutrient-rich base with texture and crunch.
- Cinnamon: Adds warmth and flavor.
- Peanut butter, honey, and vanilla: Bind everything together while adding richness and sweetness.
- Dried dates: Provide natural sweetness and chewiness.
- Unsweetened shredded coconut: Adds texture and makes a pretty coating for the bites.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Toast the oats and nuts. To begin, place the oats and nuts in a medium skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the oats turn slightly golden and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a medium mixing bowl and stir in the flaxseed, cinnamon, and salt.
Step 2: Warm the binder. Place the pan back on the stove over low heat. Add the peanut butter, dates, honey, vanilla, and water. Stir until evenly combined (you’re not really cooking the mixture—warming it just makes it easier to combine).
Step 3: Mix the base and chill. Using a rubber spatula, scrape the mixture into the bowl with the oats and nuts. Stir until evenly combined, then refrigerate the mixture for 5 to 10 minutes, or until cool enough to handle.
Step 4: Roll and enjoy. Place the coconut in a shallow bowl. Roll the mixture into tablespoon-size balls, then roll in the coconut to coat. Refrigerate until set and cold, a few hours (or about 45 minutes in the freezer). The bites will keep in the fridge for up to a week or can be frozen for up to 3 months.
More Wholesome Oat Recipes You’ll Love
No-Bake Energy Bites
Easy, no-bake energy bites that store well in the fridge or freezer for quick grab-and-go snacks.
Ingredients
- 1 cup quick-cooking oats (or old-fashioned oats, pulsed briefly in a food processor or blender to break them up)
- ½ cup finely chopped pecans
- ½ cup finely chopped walnuts or almonds
- 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed or wheat germ (okay to substitute more oats or nuts)
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Scant ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cup creamy peanut butter
- ½ cup finely chopped pitted dried dates, from 6 to 8 large dates
- ¼ cup honey
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup water
- ¾ cup unsweetened finely shredded coconut, for rolling
Instructions
- Place the oats and nuts in a medium skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the oats turn slightly golden and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a medium mixing bowl and stir in the flaxseed, cinnamon, and salt.
- Place the pan back on the stove over low heat. Add the peanut butter, dates, honey, vanilla, and water. Stir until evenly combined (you're not "cooking" the mixture; warming it just makes it easier to combine). Using a rubber spatula, scrape the mixture into the bowl with the oats/nuts. Stir until evenly combined. Refrigerate the mixture for 5 to 10 minutes, or until cool enough to handle.
- Place the coconut in a shallow bowl. Roll the oat mixture into tablespoon-size balls, then roll in the coconut to coat. Place the balls in the refrigerator, uncovered, to set until cold, a few hours (or about 45 minutes in the freezer). The bites will keep in a covered container for up to a week in the refrigerator.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The energy bites can be frozen for up to 3 months. Let them cool completely and store in an airtight container separating layers with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Before serving, remove them from the container and let them come to room temperature.
Nutrition Information
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- Serving size: 1 bite
- Calories: 87
- Fat: 5 g
- Saturated fat: 2 g
- Carbohydrates: 8 g
- Sugar: 4 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Sodium: 31 mg
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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Hi Jen,
I’d like to add some dried cranberries to the bites. Do I need to adjust the rerst of the ingredients to accommodate the additional ingredient? I am not using the flax seeds; I love being able to do this without the food processor!
Hi Elan, I think you can add dried cranberries to these without any other modifications.
Delish!!
I just made these last night! I love them. Didn’t change a thing. They are sooo easy to make and really really tasty. Thanks again Jen for another wonderful recipe.
Looks so yum!
Can I replace Flax Seeds with Chia Seeds?
Sure!
Family favorite!
We recently removed peanut butter from our diet. Any recommendations for a peanut butter substitute?
Hi Jaime, Glad you like these! Almond butter should also work nicely here.
These are fantastic! I used maple syrup instead of honey because I’m not a fan. of honey & rolled them in my homemade granola, which I’d pulsed in the food processor. Delicious! & a great hiking snack. Thanks for a wonderful recipe.
Is there any way to incorporate cocoa powder? I think I could convince my kids to try these if there was chocolate involved 🤣
Hi Melissa, You could roll them in cocoa powder instead coconut. They’ll look like truffles that way. Or I’d add up to 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder to the peanut butter mixture. (I wouldn’t do more than that cocoa powder is pretty strong.) I’d love to hear what you/your kids think!
I’d like to make these and send to my marathoner son. Do you think these will survive, packed well, shipped priority mail- should take 2-3 days to reach him?
Hi Amy, I wouldn’t recommend it as they really should be refrigerated — sorry!
Fun to make and delicious. I wish I could attach a photo! They’re so pretty too!
These are a hit in our house! I rolled some in ground almond (as my daughter is not a big fan of coconut) and they we just as tasty.
These are delicious snacks to bring on a hike, way better than store bought granola bars.