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This No-Bake Energy Bites recipe is easy to make, full of feel-good ingredients, and irresistibly delicious!
Friends, have you tried this no bake energy bites recipe? ♡
It’s one of my all-time favorite recipes here on the blog, and one that I’ve personally made about a zillion times since I first published it here eight years ago.
I love these little energy bites because they are easy to make with simply pantry ingredients that I almost always have on hand. They are super easy to mix up and roll into cute little energy balls. (Or if you would like to save time, you can press the mixture into a parchment-covered baking dish, and then cut them into energy bars.) They are the perfect make-ahead recipe to keep on hand for healthy snacking or breakfasts. And most importantly, they are just irresistibly good.
Over the years, thousands of our readers have made and loved this classic energy bites recipe too. So I wholeheartedly recommend giving it a try!
No Bake Energy Bites Recipe | 1-Minute Video
No Bake Energy Bites Ingredients:
To make this no bake energy bites recipe, you will need the following ingredients:
Old-fashioned oats: Also called rolled oats — these will serve as the base ingredient for our energy bites.
Shredded coconut: Which I highly recommend toasting — either briefly in the oven or in a sauté pan — before adding to the energy bites. (Just be sure that they have cooled before adding in the chocolate chips, or the chocolate may heat and turn a bit melty.)
Creamy peanut butter: I have used both traditional creamy peanut butter and natural creamy peanut butter in this recipe, and both work!
Ground flaxseed: To add some extra protein, fiber and omega-3s to our energy bites.
Semisweet chocolate chips: I photographed this recipe with standard-sized semisweet chips, but mini semisweet chips mix in easier.
Honey: To add some natural sweetness and also help to bind the energy balls together.
Chia seeds (optional): Feel free to skip the chia seeds, if you do not have any on hand. But I love adding in a tablespoon or so when I do!
How To Make Energy Balls:
To make these energy bites, simply…
Stir everything together. Stir all ingredients together in a large mixing bowl until thoroughly combined.
Chill. Cover the mixing bowl and chill in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours, or until the mixture is chilled.*
Roll into balls. Roll into mixture into 1-inch balls.
Serve. Then enjoy immediately! Or refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 3 months.
If you have trouble getting the energy balls to hold together, I recommend adding in more peanut butter to make the mixture a bit more sticky. Or if you would rather, you can also just press the mixture into a square baking dish to make flat energy bars instead of round energy balls.
Possible Energy Bites Variations:
There are all sorts of ways that you can customize this energy bites recipe, so feel free to get creative! For example, you are welcome to…
Make energy bars: Press the mixture firmly into a parchment-lined 8×8-inch baking pan, chill, and then slice into energy bars (instead of rolling the mixture into energy balls).
Use a different nut or seed butter: Use almond butter, cashew butter, sunflower seed butter, or any other nut/seed butters that you prefer in place of peanut butter.
Omit the coconut: I’ve heard from many of you over the years who don’t love coconut. If that’s the case, no prob, just omit the coconut and add in an extra shake of oats instead.
Add spices: If you would like to give these energy bites some extra flavor, feel free to add in a few pinches of ground cinnamon or some pumpkin pie spice.
More Healthy Snack Recipes:
Looking for more healthy snack inspiration? Here are a few of my favorite snack recipes!
Stir everything together. Stir all ingredients together in a large mixing bowl until thoroughly combined.
Chill. Cover the mixing bowl and chill in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours, or until the mixture is chilled. (This will help the mixture stick together more easily.)
Roll into balls. Roll into mixture into 1-inch balls.
Serve. Then enjoy immediately! Or refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Prep Time: The prep time listed does not include time for the mixture to chill. To speed up the chilling, I recommend spreading the mixture out on a small baking sheet and popping it in the freezer for 20-30 minutes until the mixture is cool.
OH MY GOD I LOVE THESE!! I can’t make enough of these to keep up with the demand in my household! The only thing I did differently is I used rice crisp cereal in place of coconut to trim down the calories. Its really good this way and makes them a bit crunchy…although, I bet its tastier with coconut :) Thanks so much for posting this recipe!!
For extra nuttiness, try lightly browning the oats in a cast iron skillet. I also substituted toasted whole wheat Cream of Wheat because I didn’t have wheat germ. Perhaps not as nutritional, but added an extra crunch. My whole family loves them.
Hey! I have made this with only peanut butter, muesli, sugar, and vanilla extract! Its really good! I make this in the night ( the mixture) and make balls.. then freeze throughout night and pack them in morning for school!!! Really good! and doesnt become sticky! Must try!
I absolutely love how many variations you can make for for this recipe! I particularly like adding unsweetened 100% cacao powder into the mix for a healthy, chocolatey flavor without a huge amount of added calories or fat, even the picky eaters in our family love it :) I’ve tried adding whole nuts to the recipe but I found that they can make it slightly cumbersome to roll it into balls so I chopped them up instead and found that they give it a nice crunch :D
Made these for the 1st time last night. They are GREAT especially after 24 hrs in the fridgerator where they really firm up. I added 1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries to them and used dark chocolate chips. Will definitely make them again.
I am making these for my grandson who is a runner. So calorie count and substitutions arent my concern! In fact, the more good fats, calories, carbs, protein, the better! Making them today!
Any ideas to fit more protein in without adding more carbs?? I made as is without the coconut and used flax seed instead of wheat germ. I’d love to get more than 2 grams of protein per ball. Thanks!!
I wish the recipe contained proper portion information ie 1lb of oats etc as opposed to cups. Cups come in all shapes and sizes. Would also make it easier to work out the calorie content.
Hi Sara, 1 cup of old fashioned oats will equal 2.8 ounces (dry).
Catherine —
When recipes call for a cup or any variation such as 1/2 or 1/4 they are talking about actual measuring cups. Not just cups you use for drinking out of. All measuring cups are equal no matter what they look like. The only difference is if you are measuring liquids versus non-liquids. Glass measuring cups are best for liquids because you can fill the cup all the way to the exact line. With a metal measuring cup you always lose a small amount because if you filled it all the way it would spill.
If you read through the comment section, quite a few readers have calculated nutrition facts. You can calculate approximate facts at myfitnesspal.com, although I don’t trust its accuracy so hesitate to publish them on the site. Good luck!
I made these with almond butter and added a little cinnamon and a pinch of salt. Also used maple syrup instead of honey and I toasted the oats a little. Oh these are so good! Thanks for such a simple, yes delicious recipe!
I brought these to a long swim meet (6+ hours!) For a quick burst of energy, and to share with my teammates. Left them unattended for 5 minutes, and they were gone! I made these with half maple syrup and half honey, but they didn’t stick together well. Also had whole flax seeds and a few sunflower seeds. Using cocoa nibs also gave a good caffeine dose, as coffee doesn’t bode well before races. Great, even in crumble form (had to pinch some out)!
This is my absolute favorite recipe and I make it weekly. Since I’m currently pregnant and will be nursing, they are a fabulous way to get a quick healthy snack in on the go. I love that if you’re in a hurry, they can be made with just six ingredients and the recipe is simple enough to substitute out things if you happen to be out of something. 5 stars in my book for sure!
FYI, chocolate IS vegan. Many BRANDS are not, if they contain milk, but the cacao processed into chocolate that is sold to confectioners is dairy-free. Each company adds their own mix of fillers and emulsifiers and such.
Is the original recipe gluten free? My friend is allergic to gluten and expecting, I’d like to make her a batch or two but I know nothing about what contains gluten and what doesn’t. Thanks!
I wanted more of a recovery bite- we live 40 minutes away from where we bike and I prefer to eat as soon as I put the bike up. I don’t want the ready made stuff with preservatives, so I made these, deleting the chocolate ( I am sensitive to caffeine). I add a scoop of protein powder, about a quarter cup of ground nuts( I used almond left over from another recipe) and maple syrup for the extra liquid needed to make it stick together. All the other ingredients stay the same. To me, they taste like cinnamon rolls.
What is the nutrition info for this recipe? I saw a reference suggesting I check the comments, but there are over 1,100. I’m specifically interested in the carb to protein ratio. Thanks.
Made this with about two packages of kashi instant honey and cinnamon oats and unsweetened coconut ( toasted this mixture it in a skillet). I then added almond butter, blue agave, chia seeds, ground flax, dark chocolate chips, vanilla extract, and about a scoop of chocolate whey protein powder. They were so sweet and delicious! Next time I will probably use plain oats for a healthier option; for some reason I couldn’t seem to find them at the store. These little bites are so good but very high in calories so be careful when snacking.. Not the kind of thing you can eat all day (although Youll want to) unless you’re an athlete or something. Can’t wait to try different variations of this, such a versatile recipe!
I made 4 diffrent recipies yesterday for the family. I toasted my Oats so they would hopefully add some crunch. I could not get them to baqll even after chilling for 30 min. So I put hem on parchment and pressed and put in the freezer over nitght. This allowed me to cut them into squares this morning. Still soft an crumbly. Also I think the Oats are kind of tuff. Any suggestions on how how to fim them up and get a not so tough Oat?
second time making these…I use cocoa powder instead of chips and this time used 1/2 peanut butter, 1/2 speculoos spread. Plus chia seeds and 2tsps coconut oil, along with some flaked coconut. SO tasty!
Ali,
I know you have been asked for the calories in each energy bite ball (1″ diameter) and it seems like you have a difficult time responding to that particular question. This site should be transparent and provide all information, calories, fat, sugar etc for those of us who need to watch our intake on a daily basis. Look forward to having you answer my question.
Wow, I can’t believe the rude comments regarding you not adding nutritional information. If people can’t figure it out themselves, that’s their problem. If you have the ingredients on hand, look at the label. I did this myself about a year ago and it was pretty darn easy.
Anyway, I “lost” the recipe after figuring out how many calories was in each one but recently decided to see if I could control myself so, I did a search for the recipe. After I go to the store for some dried coconut (the shredded Parmesan cheese in the refrigerator probably wouldn’t taste the same although it looks identical) I will be making these and the cranberry pistachio bites, minus the cranberries (my oldest son cannot eat berries).
Thank you for your blog. The photos are beautiful and recipes are delicious!
These are SO good!! My kids call them cookie dough bites and I don’t feel at all guilty sending them to school for dessert. I used the mini chocolate chips so I could use only 1/4 cup but they’re still well dispersed. And we don’t like coconut so I added shelled sunflower seeds instead–added a nice crunch. Totally delicious, thanks for the great recipe!
A friend sent me this recipe & your website…she thought it just sounded new & exciting.
I think it is just very funny that these things are “catching on” when we were all making them in my “hippy days” about 45 years ago!! {I am in my 60’s}
Most of us had kids and often kept each others kids for weekends and overnights and we took turns making granola in mass quantities & we usually just added whatever we had on hand including raisins {one the highest iron containing foods} all sorts of seeds, even poppy & sesame seeds, all sorts of fresh & dried fruits, all kinds of nut butters including tahini, wheat germ, protein powders, {many of us were vegetarians & instead of vitamins we used natural protein powders to help ensure that our kids weren’t anemic} etc., so these recipes are not new to most of us “seniors.”
We also used to be able to buy Roman Meal whole wheat hot dog “boats” the boats are similar to a hot dog bun but are just one piece of “bread” with a trough in them {easy for kids to hold & eat since it doesn’t fall apart}…we would just put peanut butter in them, add a banana & a little honey or jam…the kids loved them. Now we have to make our own boats if we want them cuz I can’t find any at all. {they also work great for hot dogs lol}
I am planning to make some of these Granola Balls for my friend and will have fun with my memories, using newer products like peanut butter POWDER, dried cranberries, almond meal, sesame seeds, carob, some of my home canned products like apple sauce & pear sauce…2 other sammies to try: peanutbutter & head lettuce {lower in calories than adding jam or honey, moist & crunchy!} & peanutbutter and raisins!
To use whole nuts: just wrap the mix around the nut, surprise centers. {same for pieces of fruit, if fresh fruit is used refrigerate the balls}
OH MY GOD I LOVE THESE!! I can’t make enough of these to keep up with the demand in my household! The only thing I did differently is I used rice crisp cereal in place of coconut to trim down the calories. Its really good this way and makes them a bit crunchy…although, I bet its tastier with coconut :) Thanks so much for posting this recipe!!
For extra nuttiness, try lightly browning the oats in a cast iron skillet. I also substituted toasted whole wheat Cream of Wheat because I didn’t have wheat germ. Perhaps not as nutritional, but added an extra crunch. My whole family loves them.
Hey! I have made this with only peanut butter, muesli, sugar, and vanilla extract! Its really good! I make this in the night ( the mixture) and make balls.. then freeze throughout night and pack them in morning for school!!! Really good! and doesnt become sticky! Must try!
I absolutely love how many variations you can make for for this recipe! I particularly like adding unsweetened 100% cacao powder into the mix for a healthy, chocolatey flavor without a huge amount of added calories or fat, even the picky eaters in our family love it :) I’ve tried adding whole nuts to the recipe but I found that they can make it slightly cumbersome to roll it into balls so I chopped them up instead and found that they give it a nice crunch :D
Made these for the 1st time last night. They are GREAT especially after 24 hrs in the fridgerator where they really firm up. I added 1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries to them and used dark chocolate chips. Will definitely make them again.
I am making these for my grandson who is a runner. So calorie count and substitutions arent my concern! In fact, the more good fats, calories, carbs, protein, the better! Making them today!
Can these be frozen and stored?? We are going camping in a few weeks and if I can do some snack prep ahead of time it will really help.
Yes they can. Just be sure to store them in a ziplock bag that has had the air squeezed out of it.
Any ideas to fit more protein in without adding more carbs?? I made as is without the coconut and used flax seed instead of wheat germ. I’d love to get more than 2 grams of protein per ball. Thanks!!
You could add in some more nuts or nut butter!
Add some pumpkin seeds. They’re full of protein!
I just made these this evening and wowzers!! They are so good. I can’t wait to grab a couple for my morning workout.
Thanks for this easy and delicious recipe.
I wish the recipe contained proper portion information ie 1lb of oats etc as opposed to cups. Cups come in all shapes and sizes. Would also make it easier to work out the calorie content.
Hi Sara, 1 cup of old fashioned oats will equal 2.8 ounces (dry).
When recipes call for a cup or any variation such as 1/2 or 1/4 they are talking about actual measuring cups. Not just cups you use for drinking out of. All measuring cups are equal no matter what they look like. The only difference is if you are measuring liquids versus non-liquids. Glass measuring cups are best for liquids because you can fill the cup all the way to the exact line. With a metal measuring cup you always lose a small amount because if you filled it all the way it would spill.
Do you have an approx. calorie count for the original energy balls?
Thanks,
Hi Cheryl,
If you read through the comment section, quite a few readers have calculated nutrition facts. You can calculate approximate facts at myfitnesspal.com, although I don’t trust its accuracy so hesitate to publish them on the site. Good luck!
~Ali
I made these with almond butter and added a little cinnamon and a pinch of salt. Also used maple syrup instead of honey and I toasted the oats a little. Oh these are so good! Thanks for such a simple, yes delicious recipe!
I brought these to a long swim meet (6+ hours!) For a quick burst of energy, and to share with my teammates. Left them unattended for 5 minutes, and they were gone! I made these with half maple syrup and half honey, but they didn’t stick together well. Also had whole flax seeds and a few sunflower seeds. Using cocoa nibs also gave a good caffeine dose, as coffee doesn’t bode well before races. Great, even in crumble form (had to pinch some out)!
This is my absolute favorite recipe and I make it weekly. Since I’m currently pregnant and will be nursing, they are a fabulous way to get a quick healthy snack in on the go. I love that if you’re in a hurry, they can be made with just six ingredients and the recipe is simple enough to substitute out things if you happen to be out of something. 5 stars in my book for sure!
Can you tell me how many calories would be in a 1-inch ball of the original recipe?
will try no bake energy bites only issue l have is peanut butter
Use almond butter, cashew butter, soy butter, sunflower seed butter…
FYI, chocolate IS vegan. Many BRANDS are not, if they contain milk, but the cacao processed into chocolate that is sold to confectioners is dairy-free. Each company adds their own mix of fillers and emulsifiers and such.
Is the original recipe gluten free? My friend is allergic to gluten and expecting, I’d like to make her a batch or two but I know nothing about what contains gluten and what doesn’t. Thanks!
Yes, it is. Enjoy!
If it has oats in it… It is not gluten free
If you buy gluten-free oats, it is gluten free. Enjoy!
I wanted more of a recovery bite- we live 40 minutes away from where we bike and I prefer to eat as soon as I put the bike up. I don’t want the ready made stuff with preservatives, so I made these, deleting the chocolate ( I am sensitive to caffeine). I add a scoop of protein powder, about a quarter cup of ground nuts( I used almond left over from another recipe) and maple syrup for the extra liquid needed to make it stick together. All the other ingredients stay the same. To me, they taste like cinnamon rolls.
Did peanut butter drop off the recipe?
1/2 cup. Sorry about that, the recipe somehow was mistakingly edited when we copied it over to the new design yesterday.
How much peanut butter do you use? It’s not listed in the ingredient list!
1/2 cup. Sorry about that, the recipe somehow was mistakingly edited when we copied it over to the new design yesterday.
How much peanut butter?
1/2 cup. Sorry about that, the recipe somehow was mistakingly edited when we copied it to the new design.
I just saw these on Merideth Viera TV Show. They put in protein powder for a more healthier option. Yummy
What is the nutrition info for this recipe? I saw a reference suggesting I check the comments, but there are over 1,100. I’m specifically interested in the carb to protein ratio. Thanks.
These all look delicious! But I was wondering what the approximate calories were. Thank you. :)
Can you show me the nutrition facts for these? Thanks.
Made this with about two packages of kashi instant honey and cinnamon oats and unsweetened coconut ( toasted this mixture it in a skillet). I then added almond butter, blue agave, chia seeds, ground flax, dark chocolate chips, vanilla extract, and about a scoop of chocolate whey protein powder. They were so sweet and delicious! Next time I will probably use plain oats for a healthier option; for some reason I couldn’t seem to find them at the store. These little bites are so good but very high in calories so be careful when snacking.. Not the kind of thing you can eat all day (although Youll want to) unless you’re an athlete or something. Can’t wait to try different variations of this, such a versatile recipe!
Do these need to be stored in the fridge or can it be left out on the counter? Looks delicious!
You can store them either place. They hold their shape better if chilled in the fridge, but it’s not required that they be refrigerated. :)
Hi – do you have nutritional information for these? Thanks!
this looks like a delicious recipe, but I don’t like coconut. Can I omit it and put in in more oats? Or do you have another suggestion?
Yep, you definitely can. Just add in a few more oats (not an entire cup).
do you have nutritional/calorie information on the energy bites?
I make these all the time and love them! What are the nutrition facts for these?
Agave nectar is bad for you, and the environment.
I made 4 diffrent recipies yesterday for the family. I toasted my Oats so they would hopefully add some crunch. I could not get them to baqll even after chilling for 30 min. So I put hem on parchment and pressed and put in the freezer over nitght. This allowed me to cut them into squares this morning. Still soft an crumbly. Also I think the Oats are kind of tuff. Any suggestions on how how to fim them up and get a not so tough Oat?
Wish calories were on the recipes.
i’m not a huge fan of coconut so I used sliced almonds and almond butter instead of the peanut butter! So very tasty! Thanks for your recipe!
These little moesels are great they were all gone before i knew it give them a try
second time making these…I use cocoa powder instead of chips and this time used 1/2 peanut butter, 1/2 speculoos spread. Plus chia seeds and 2tsps coconut oil, along with some flaked coconut. SO tasty!
Does anyone know how many calories are in on of the energy bits, the one with oats, peanut butter, ground flax seed etc. Love them just curious
Ali,
I know you have been asked for the calories in each energy bite ball (1″ diameter) and it seems like you have a difficult time responding to that particular question. This site should be transparent and provide all information, calories, fat, sugar etc for those of us who need to watch our intake on a daily basis. Look forward to having you answer my question.
i would like to know the nutritional value and stats on these energy bites! Could you post them or send them please?
I added a scoop of chocolate soy protein powder instead of the chocolate chips for added protein.
Wow, I can’t believe the rude comments regarding you not adding nutritional information. If people can’t figure it out themselves, that’s their problem. If you have the ingredients on hand, look at the label. I did this myself about a year ago and it was pretty darn easy.
Anyway, I “lost” the recipe after figuring out how many calories was in each one but recently decided to see if I could control myself so, I did a search for the recipe. After I go to the store for some dried coconut (the shredded Parmesan cheese in the refrigerator probably wouldn’t taste the same although it looks identical) I will be making these and the cranberry pistachio bites, minus the cranberries (my oldest son cannot eat berries).
Thank you for your blog. The photos are beautiful and recipes are delicious!
They are so good have to make them for me young women and they cant get enough of them! Thanks for the recipe love them! ;-)
I love these they are so good! I love this recipe do u have any more like it? Its great!;-)
Hi,
have you calculated the calories per ball? Thnx
Great recipe! I found it needed lure peanut butter to stick together properly.
These are SO good!! My kids call them cookie dough bites and I don’t feel at all guilty sending them to school for dessert. I used the mini chocolate chips so I could use only 1/4 cup but they’re still well dispersed. And we don’t like coconut so I added shelled sunflower seeds instead–added a nice crunch. Totally delicious, thanks for the great recipe!
A friend sent me this recipe & your website…she thought it just sounded new & exciting.
I think it is just very funny that these things are “catching on” when we were all making them in my “hippy days” about 45 years ago!! {I am in my 60’s}
Most of us had kids and often kept each others kids for weekends and overnights and we took turns making granola in mass quantities & we usually just added whatever we had on hand including raisins {one the highest iron containing foods} all sorts of seeds, even poppy & sesame seeds, all sorts of fresh & dried fruits, all kinds of nut butters including tahini, wheat germ, protein powders, {many of us were vegetarians & instead of vitamins we used natural protein powders to help ensure that our kids weren’t anemic} etc., so these recipes are not new to most of us “seniors.”
We also used to be able to buy Roman Meal whole wheat hot dog “boats” the boats are similar to a hot dog bun but are just one piece of “bread” with a trough in them {easy for kids to hold & eat since it doesn’t fall apart}…we would just put peanut butter in them, add a banana & a little honey or jam…the kids loved them. Now we have to make our own boats if we want them cuz I can’t find any at all. {they also work great for hot dogs lol}
I am planning to make some of these Granola Balls for my friend and will have fun with my memories, using newer products like peanut butter POWDER, dried cranberries, almond meal, sesame seeds, carob, some of my home canned products like apple sauce & pear sauce…2 other sammies to try: peanutbutter & head lettuce {lower in calories than adding jam or honey, moist & crunchy!} & peanutbutter and raisins!
To use whole nuts: just wrap the mix around the nut, surprise centers. {same for pieces of fruit, if fresh fruit is used refrigerate the balls}
What do I do if I’m allergic to coconut? Haha