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No-Bake Energy Bites

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This No-Bake Energy Bites recipe is easy to make, full of feel-good ingredients, and irresistibly delicious!

Easy No Bake Energy Bites Recipe

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

Energy Bites Ingredients

No Bake Energy Bites Ingredients:

To make this no bake energy bites recipe, you will need the following ingredients:

  • Old-fashioned oatsAlso called rolled oats — these will serve as the base ingredient for our energy bites.
  • Shredded coconutWhich 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 butterI have used both traditional creamy peanut butter and natural creamy peanut butter in this recipe, and both work!
  • Ground flaxseedTo add some extra protein, fiber and omega-3s to our energy bites.
  • Semisweet chocolate chipsI photographed this recipe with standard-sized semisweet chips, but mini semisweet chips mix in easier.
  • HoneyTo add some natural sweetness and also help to bind the energy balls together.
  • Vanilla extractFor a touch of extra flavor.
  • 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 Bites (Balls)

How To Make Energy Balls:

To make these energy bites, simply…

  1. Stir everything together. Stir all ingredients together in a large mixing bowl until thoroughly combined.
  2. Chill. Cover the mixing bowl and chill in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours, or until the mixture is chilled.*
  3. Roll into balls. Roll into mixture into 1-inch balls.
  4. 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.

Healthy 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 barsPress 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.

Healthy Energy Bites with Chocolate Chips and Peanut Butter

More Healthy Snack Recipes:

Looking for more healthy snack inspiration? Here are a few of my favorite snack recipes!

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No Bake Energy Bites Recipe

No Bake Energy Bites

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.9 from 298 reviews
  • Prep Time: 20 mins
  • Cook Time: 0 mins
  • Total Time: 20 mins
  • Yield: 20-25 energy bites 1x

Description

This No-Bake Energy Bites recipe is easy to make, full of feel-good ingredients, and irresistibly delicious!


Ingredients

Scale

Instructions

  1. Stir everything together.  Stir all ingredients together in a large mixing bowl until thoroughly combined.
  2. 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.)
  3. Roll into balls.  Roll into mixture into 1-inch balls.
  4. Serve.  Then enjoy immediately!  Or refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 3 months.


Notes

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.

Source: Recipe slightly adapted from Smashed Peas & Carrots.

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2,108 comments on “No-Bake Energy Bites”

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  1. ❤️Scrumptious! And super easy to make!❤️

  2. How many grams of protein are in each ball, approx?

    • Hi Mercedes! We’re sorry but we are unsure of the nutrition facts/amount of calories in this recipe. We currently are not publishing nutrition facts on the site, as the nutrition calculators available are not 100% accurate, and we never want to publish anything that might be misleading. However, a lot of our readers love the My Fitness Pal nutrition calculator, so feel free to try that for an estimate. We hope that helps!

  3. I just made these! They are extremely quick to make. Thanks for that! Instead of the chocolate chips I did blueberries and it is delicious. I just wish I blended them and threw then threw them in!! Thanks again! 

  4. I did these without flaxseed or coconut for a last minute snack for a road trip and it tasted divine!!!!

  5. This is probably my 3rd time making these. I always have the problem that they don’t stick together well. I saw a recent comment about the same problem and the recommendation was to add more oats, not peanut butter or honey. That makes no sense to me because more dry ingredients are going to make these more crumbly. You need to add more pb to give something to help these stick together. There’s a lot of dry ingredients and only 1/2 cup pb and 1/3 cup honey. I use close to an extra 1/4 cup peanut butter and they roll perfectly. It obviously is going to change the nutritional values but, for me, these are replacing any bad choices I could make throughout the day so they’re worth it.

    • Hi Torrey! We’ve also found it’s helpful to sometimes spread them out on a baking sheet and refrigerate so that they’ll cool faster and be easier to work with and shape. We hope that helps!

  6. Add 1/2 cup Brewers yeast and viola! Lactation protein balls. 

  7. Hi! I am trying to reduce my sugar intake. Any recomendatioan on sweeteners askde from honey? I imagine the honey helps the balls stick together so I’d have to add more nut butter. Any help would be appreciated! 

    • Hi Stacey — you could try brown rice syrup, barley syrup, or liquid Stevia! Here is a chart you might find helpful — we hope you enjoy these! :)

  8. Can steel oats be used?

    • We wouldn’t recommend you just use steel oats, but you could use a mixture (they are just going to be more coarse).

  9. Hey! I was just wondering if I can leave out the flax seeds? Thanks!

    • Hi Jenny! Yes, you sure can. You may need to add some extra oats though, so the mixture isn’t too wet. We hope you enjoy these!

  10. What is the serving size and colors for these?

    • Hi Allison! We’re sorry but we are unsure of the nutrition facts/amount of calories in this recipe. We currently are not publishing nutrition facts on the site, as the nutrition calculators available are not 100% accurate, and we never want to publish anything that might be misleading. However, a lot of our readers love the My Fitness Pal nutrition calculator, so feel free to try that for an estimate. We hope that helps!

  11. Love these, but how many as a serving. These taste like cookies to me, so I can eat a ton if left unchecked!

    • Hi Corrine! We’re so glad you enjoyed these! Unfortunately though, we aren’t sure of the nutrition facts/amount of calories or serving size for this recipe. We currently are not publishing nutrition facts on the site, as the nutrition calculators available are not 100% accurate, and we never want to publish anything that might be misleading. However, a lot of our readers love the My Fitness Pal nutrition calculator, so feel free to try that for an estimate. However, that being said, if we had to guess, we would say a serving size would probably be one or two of these. We hope that helps!

  12. Okay, I ran this through myfitnesspal.com. I took the recipe and listed it as 8 servings meaning 3 per serving and it came out to 300 calories. This is pretty high, but I think next time I may cut the agave and up the peanut butter as it was a little too sweet for me anyway.

    • Hi Corrine! We’re not sure on the accuracy of this, just because different types of ingredients and brands all vary, but we feel like a serving size should probably be one or two of these. Anyway, we appreciate you giving the recipe a try, and definitely feel free to cut back on the agave and up the peanut butter! :)

  13. What do you think of the idea of putting the mixture in the microwave for a bit then mixing the ingredients? Too messy when time to eat?

    • Hi there! Hmmm, we haven’t tried that, and while it might work well, we’re worried it might make things too sticky to work with and shape.

  14. I’m so excited to make these. My sister is obsessed. Do you happen to have an idea what they’d be point wise on the weight watchers system?

    • That’s awesome Ashlee! Unfortunately though we aren’t sure of the nutrition facts/amount of calories or WW points in this recipe. We currently are not publishing nutrition facts on the site, as the nutrition calculators available are not 100% accurate, and we never want to publish anything that might be misleading. However, a lot of our readers love the My Fitness Pal nutrition calculator, so feel free to try that for an estimate. We hope that helps!

  15. Made these, amazing! But I only got 12 balls. Top tip: used an ice cream scoop and got lovely uniformed balls! Lovely!!

    • We’re glad you enjoyed them Rachel! It sounds like you might have made yours a bit bigger which is probably why you only got 12. Either way, we’re happy you liked them and appreciate you trying the recipe! :)

  16. I’ve made this recipe so many times we love it and i LOVE cookies so this recipe makes me feel better eating 2 than if i were to eat 2 cookies, delicious and nutritious :)

    • Thanks for sharing Meg — we’re so glad to know you’re a fan of the recipe! :D

  17. These are amazing!! I made them today before our workouts and the boy’s absublutly love them. The health benefits are so good for you as far as all the ingredients you put into them. Chia seeds are great for energy and long stanima and peanut butter and oats are good carbs for lifting . just all around a good source of energy and great taste!! These are a must try for anyone looking for a quick burst of energy before working! ?

    • Thank you Renee! We’re so happy you and your boys love these (they’re definitely our favorite pre and post workout snack)! :)

  18. Hey what would you say the nutritional info is for a single ball? :) I made and love but am following a close diet regimen! 

    • Hi Meagan! We’re sorry but we are unsure of the nutrition facts/amount of calories in this recipe. We currently are not publishing nutrition facts on the site, as the nutrition calculators available are not 100% accurate, and we never want to publish anything that might be misleading. However, a lot of our readers love the My Fitness Pal nutrition calculator, so feel free to try that for an estimate. We hope that helps!

  19. Do these have a prominent honey taste, as I am not a huge honey fan.  If so what can i use as a substitute? Thanks in advance 

    • We don’t think they do, but you could always use agave instead, if you’re not a big fan of honey anyway!

  20. Our family loves this protein ball recipe!!! My husband takes them to the gym for his post workout snack & my picky kids LOVE them as a treat. 
    Thanks for all of your great recipes! I suggest your website to many of my friends. 

  21. I’ve made these several times and love them!  Wondering if anyone has taken the time to calculate the calories? 

  22. I am not a big coconut fan. Any ideas for substitutes? I thought maybe dry roasted peanuts and flax seed.

    • We think those would be great substitutions, Kari! You can also add in some extra oats if you like. We hope you enjoy these!

  23. Is it better to use sweetened or unsweetened coconut?

    • Hi Allyssa! You can use either one. We think they’re sweet enough so we tend to use unsweetened but we’ve used both. We hope you enjoy these! :)

  24. These are fantastic!  For nutrition count:  I did not use the chia seeds. I used honey and 2/3 cup Ghirardelli 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate chips.  I used my 1 TBSP scoop and it made 36 balls.  Plugged the recipe in to My Fitness app and it came up with 69 calories, 7 carbs, 4 fat, 1 protein, 21 sodium, and 5 sugars

  25. Can steel cut oats be substituted? Thanks!

    • Hi Jen! We think old-fashioned rolled oats work better for these, since they’re softer and are bigger. If you don’t mind the coarser texture, you could use a mix, but we wouldn’t recommend using all steel cut oats. We hope this helps!

  26. I have been making these energy bites for more than a year now and my husband and I LOVE them!! They are the perfect quick snack to grab on the go from our fridge that is healthy and filling….and sweet too :) One batch never lasts very long – we just can’t resist eating them for breakfast, a snack, or dessert to curb our sweet tooth!! Thank you for such a great recipe blog that I can always rely on.!!!

  27. These are amazing. I make them all the time (with coconut oil instead of shredded coconut) and they are amazing! 

  28. I love these!! My 16 yr old has football for 5 hours a day for two weeks every summer and I make these for him every year to be a quick and easy and healthy snack! Plus DELICIOUS!! thank you! 

  29. Why not use dates instead of the honey? Dates are so good and naturally sweet!

  30. Love this recipe so much and have used it all summer so thought I should write you a thank you for sharing it! 

    • You are so sweet, Claudia! We appreciate you letting us know, and we’re so happy you enjoy these! :)

  31. These sound amazing but I am out of ground flax seed and oat bran. Is there anything else I can substitute for the ground flax seeds?

    • Thanks Charlie — we hope you enjoy them! You could use ground chia seeds if you have those.

  32. So,so,good!!!!i made these today and there the BEST!!!! Definitely making them again❤️❤️

  33. I just made these as healthy sweet snacks for my husband and I as we start on our fitness kick! I followed the recipe exactly -using agave because I have some I needed to use up – and they turned out delicious! Just sweet enough and not too heavy on any specific flavour. Ie. not too much peanut butter, too much coconut etc. I forgot about the mix and left it in the fridge for a couple hours so it needed quite a bit more work and warming to actually form the balls but they ended up perfect. Sampled a few *ahem* and popped the rest in the freezer! Still good even frozen. I’ll likely put in just a tablespoon or two more liquid (maybe PB since I love!) to help them not crumble as you eat. Thanks for the recipe!

    • Thanks for sharing with us, Erica! We’re so happy you and your husband enjoyed these! :)

  34. These look delicious! I was wondering – Is it okay to eat raw oats? I’ve heard varied opinions about this.

    • Thanks, Elizabeth — we hope you enjoy them! We haven’t heard that it might not be okay to eat raw oats, but if it makes you uncomfortable, then these might not be for you.

  35. I worked this out and it’s about 110 calories per ball, if anyone was interested. 

  36. Mmmmmm…..yum. This looks totally amazing. I’m just starring at the screen looking at how delicious they look.
    Insanely adorable! I cannot wait to try it out!

  37. This is ideal for people with a busy lifestyle that are constantly on the go(like myself…). How do you suggest storing them throughout the day, will a week in the fridge before get them hard enough not to fall apart?

    They look delicious as hell by the way.

    • Hi Conor! These will definitely keep longer if you store them in the fridge (and especially if you store them in the freezer — they won’t take long to thaw since they’re so small). We hope you enjoy them! :)

  38. These look great! I’d love to try them but the coconut kind of throws me off. Do you know of a good substitute for it? If I leave it out and add more oats, will the result be too dry? Or is the coconut needed at all?

    • Thanks, Elizabeth — we hope you enjoy them! You can definitely just leave the coconut out and add more oats and nuts, and/or some dried fruit even.

  39. I made these today without the chocolate and they were still great! I only had Jif and blue agave nectar. I will make these again and might add different nuts or dried cranberries next time. Thank you!

  40. I use crunchy peanut butter in mine.

  41. Hi. Can I use steel cut instead?

    • Hi Charlene! You could try steel cut oats but they’re going to be a completely different texture (much firmer and not as soft), so we think regular rolled oats work best. We hope you enjoy these!

  42. These look great but I have granola not oats at home right now.  Would they work with granola?

    • Hi Cheryl! Because of the texture and sugar of the granola, we wouldn’t advise using that in place of the oats. We hope you can get some oats soon and give these a try! :)

  43. I make this for all my new mom friends and myself! All the time! They’re a staple in our house! ?

  44. I have made these 3 times since trying them!! Yummy, yummy. I use organic SF peanut butter and sugar free honey. I also use 70% chocolate bc I am trying to do no sugar. What do you think the calorie content of each one is?

    • We’re so glad to hear that, Wendy! As far as the calorie content though, we aren’t sure. We currently are not publishing nutrition facts on the site, as the nutrition calculators available are not 100% accurate, and we never want to publish anything that might be misleading. However, a lot of our readers love the My Fitness Pal nutrition calculator, so feel free to try that for an estimate. We hope that helps!

  45. I made these two times this morning.  They become extremely sticky and hard to work with. I am an avid baker and these taste good but they are not easy , extremely messy and dont form nicely.

    • We’re sorry you had some difficulty with these, Dina! Did you try refrigerating them? That always helps us shape them better and makes them easier to work with.

  46. Hello

    – if i want to replace the chocolate chip with cacao powder how much should i add?

    • In my chocolate no-bake energy bites recipe, I recommend using about 1/4 cup cocoa powder, which I think would work well for cacao as well. https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/chocolate-peanut-butter-bake-energy-bites/

  47. I made these as a kid with my Mom, THANK YOU, for publishing this, I couldn’t for the life of me remember how we made them. My kiddo is loving them just like my brother and I did at her age.

  48. Can you use steel cut oats?

    • Hi Kaylee! You could try steel cut oats but they’re going to be a completely different texture (much firmer and not as soft), so we think regular rolled oats work best. We hope you enjoy these!

  49. My kids love,love these!We like to use puffed quinoa (its sooo good) in these instead of the coconut,it tasets like a rice krispie Pb treat!

    • We’re glad to hear that, Denise, and we’ll definitely have to try these with puffed quinoa sometime — yum! :)

  50. Hi, I’m not seeing the link to share to Pinterest etc..? Thanks so much! Love love this recipe!