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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Glad I stumbled upon this recipe and tried it by using what I had on hand. Sub pumpkin seeds for pecans. Added whole flax seeds to help with crunch. Healthy & quick! Goes great with a cup of tea or coffee for breakfast !
These are easy to make and a great go-to snack when I want something a little sweet. These would be a great snack for kids. I didn’t have some of the ingredients called for in the recipe so I used Chia seeds (instead of flax) and golden raisins (instead of dates). They were delicious, and the slight crunch of the nuts makes for a satisfying treat. The raisins made them a little too sweet for me so next time I am going to use dates as the recipe states and compare. I make them small, a one to two bite-size and store them in the refrigerator. They last for weeks.
Toasting the oats is brilliant! I’ve made these “unbaked “ many times and loved them. Toasting the oats adds an extra layer of YUMMY!
This looks amazing and I am ready to try them but is there a way to make this with steel cut oats? How would you prepare them?
Hi Mary, Unfortunately, this recipe won’t work with steel cup oats. Sorry!
Thanks, Jenn! Could I simply eliminate the oats and up the nut quantity?
And FYI, I love all your recipes that I’ve tried and am so looking forward to the release of your new book. Keep ’em coming!
Hi Mary, The texture will different, but it should work. Glad you’re enjoying the recipes!
Hi Jenn,
I’m a huge fan of yours as every recipe of yours I’ve tried is a success!
A couple questions here: can you use chunky peanut butter? And, since I’m trying to cut out sugar (including honey), any suggestion for what to substitute? Stevia would be okay, maybe increasing the amount of chopped dates to get them to stick together?
Sure, I think you could use chunky peanut butter (but I’d stay away from the natural variety). And, yes, I suspect you could also use stevia and more dates to hold the balls together. (Please keep in mind that I haven’t tried them with these tweaks.) Hope you enjoy!
Hi Jenn
I’m a big fan and have made many of your recipes… I’m never disappointed and they are a working woman’s godsend!
Can you substitute agave for the honey? And can they be made into bars as well?
Thanks
Diane
That is so nice to read, Diane – glad you are enjoying the recipes! I’ve made these with maple syrup so I think agave would work too. And you can definitely make them into bars but they might not hold together as well. Hope that helps!
WOW!! the best I’ve eaten!!! I did make some minor adjustments: left out the pecans (because of allergy)..used only 1/2 cup finely chopped almonds for the nut addition. added 2 Tbsp chia seeds too. This recipe is a keeper!
These are just delicious, Jenn, and healthy to boot! What could be better? I’ve even made them without first toasting the oats & nuts, and we like them just as well! I’ll always keep a batch in my freezer!
Best energy bites to date! The kids enjoyed these so much. I attempted to make these awhile back (different website) and completely failed. I couldn’t get the ingredients to combine well enough to form into balls. Heating up the peanut butter, dates, honey, vanilla, and water definitely made it a lot easier. Thank you for such a great and easy recipe!
Hi Jen!
I made these two times already and they are delicious. Thank you for posting the recepe. I would like to add some chocolate flavor next time (without adding the calories). How much cocoa powder do you think I should add?
Hi Alla, Glad you enjoyed them – what about just rolling them in cocoa powder instead of coconut? They’ll look like truffles. Otherwise, I’d add no more than a few tablespoons, as cocoa powder is pretty strong.
We have almost finished our first batch and I am ready to make another. We all loved these! I think the step of roasting the oats really helps the flavor and gets rid of the raw taste of the oats. We are always trying to think of ways to get some protein into my elderly mom and these seem to fit the bill. She likes them and will eat them, which is hard to find.