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Chocolate Peanut Butter No-Bake Energy Bites

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Chocolate Peanut Butter No-Bake Energy Bites -- full of protein, naturally-sweetened, and they taste like cookies! | gimmesomeoven.com

Can I just say how much I love this time of year on the blog??

When I first began blogging, it seemed as though November and December were the busiest traffic months here as everyone was cooking and baking up a storm for the holidays. But over the past two years, January has turned into the most popular time of year on the blog by a landslide. And you know what that means — everyone is New Year’s resolution-ing to cook!  Which makes me so happy!!

Even better? The most popular recipes on my blog right now (and a few blogging friends have said the same for theirs) are the healthier ones. And even better than that? Those recipes aren’t just getting pinned — they’re actually getting made. It still kind of blows my mind when I scroll through the #gimmesomeoven hashtag on Instagram or read the comments on the blog that these recipes I type out online in my little home here in Kansas City are actually getting recreated in kitchens around the world. But apparently this is the magic of the internet — they are, and man they look tasty!!

Anyway, as always, one of the most popular recipes on the site around New Years are our various recipes for no-bake energy bites. So per tradition, I thought I would add to the collection this year with a new chocolate peanut butter edition that is 100% naturally sweetened since I’m off sugar for awhile. (Trust me, you won’t even miss those chocolate chips!)

They’re unbelievably quick and easy to make. They are chocked full of protein. And oh man — they are tasty.

Shall we?

Chocolate Peanut Butter No-Bake Energy Bites -- full of protein, naturally-sweetened, and they taste like cookies! | gimmesomeoven.com

Speaking of hashtags, I was poking around on Instagram the other day and saw that someone tagged #energybites on one of my recipes. So I popped over to see what everyone was making and — oh man! — it seems like the whole world has jumped on the energy bites craze by now!

I mean, let’s be real. These guys are really just protein bars rolled up into tiny little bite-sized balls. But apparently the world loves those little portion-controlled bites just as much as I do, because there were zillions of recipes for them online!

I noticed that a bunch of people were nixing chocolate chips in favor of unsweetened cocoa powder to give theirs an extra chocolate-y kick. So I gave it a try and became a quick convert. Don’t worry — the honey still sweetens up the chocolate. But you can rest a little easier knowing that they are free of refined sugars. Here’s how to make ’em!

Chocolate Peanut Butter No-Bake Energy Bites -- full of protein, naturally-sweetened, and they taste like cookies! | gimmesomeoven.com

Begin by gathering your ingredients. You’ll need: chia seeds, toasted unsweetened coconut, honey, cocoa powder, oats, ground flax, vanilla extract, and (my favorite) lots of peanut butter.Chocolate Peanut Butter No-Bake Energy Bites -- full of protein, naturally-sweetened, and they taste like cookies! | gimmesomeoven.com

Simply stir all of the ingredients together in a big bowl until they are evenly combined. (Sometimes I find it helps to use your hands to mix these together.)Chocolate Peanut Butter No-Bake Energy Bites -- full of protein, naturally-sweetened, and they taste like cookies! | gimmesomeoven.com

Then cover and chill the mixture in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, which will make it easier to handle.

Chocolate Peanut Butter No-Bake Energy Bites -- full of protein, naturally-sweetened, and they taste like cookies! | gimmesomeoven.com

And then roll those babies up into cute little energy bites! I tend to make mine about 1-inch in diameter, which yields about 2 dozen bites. But you can make them larger or smaller, or even press them into a baking pan to create traditional bars if you’d like.

However you shape them, I’m pretty sure that you are going to love them. Just like my traditional energy bites recipe, they taste just like a no-bake cookie. Although you can rest easy knowing that the ingredients in these will give you much more energy throughout the day, rather than resulting in a sugar crash an hour later.

Enjoy!!Chocolate Peanut Butter No-Bake Energy Bites -- quick and easy to make, and naturally sweetened with honey | gimmesomeoven.com

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Chocolate Peanut Butter No-Bake Energy Bites (Naturally Sweetened)

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.8 from 33 reviews
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 0 About 20-25 bites 1x

Description

These chocolate peanut butter no-bake energy bites taste just like a cookie, although they are full of protein and naturally sweetened.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup (dry) oatmeal (I used old-fashioned oats, although use gluten-free oats if making this GF)
  • 2/3 cup toasted unsweetened coconut flakes
  • 1/2 cup peanut butter
  • 1/2 cup ground flax seed
  • 1/3 cup honey or agave nectar
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 tablespoon chia seeds (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, store-bought or homemade

Instructions

  1. Stir all ingredients together in a medium bowl until thoroughly mixed. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least half an hour, to make the mix easier to handle and mold.
  2. Once chilled, roll into balls of whatever size you would like. (Mine were about 1″ in diameter.) Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.
  3. Makes about 20-25 balls.
  4. *If the mix seems to dry, add in an extra tablespoon or two of honey or peanut butter.  If the mix seems too wet (which may happen if you use natural peanut butter), add extra oatmeal.

Notes

This recipe is slightly adapted from Smashed Peas & Carrots.



Be sure to check out these other energy bite recipes too!

No Bake Energy Bites -- these delicious bites are perfect for breakfast, snacking, even dessert! | gimmesomeoven.com #vegan

(Classic) No-Bake Energy Bites

Almond Joy Energy Bites 11

 Almond Joy Energy Bites

Nutella Energy Bites Recipe | gimmesomeoven.com

Nutella Energy Bites

Trail Mix Energy Bites | gimmesomeoven.com

Trail Mix Energy Bites

Cashew Dark Chocolate Energy Bites 8

Cashew Dark Chocolate Energy Bites

Pumpkin No Bake Energy Bites {Gimme Some Oven}

Pumpkin No-Bake Energy Bites

Cranberry Pistachio Energy Bites Recipe | gimmesomeoven.com

 Cranberry Pistachio Energy Bites

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242 comments on “Chocolate Peanut Butter No-Bake Energy Bites”

  1. Best snack I had for a long time :)

  2. These all look delicious!! Would they do well if you freeze them and pull them out as you need them??

    • Thanks Danielle! And yes, you can definitely freeze them and pull them out as you need them – in fact, that’s what we do most of the time. We hope you enjoy!

  3. I didn’t use any coconut, chia or flax seeds (yeah…I know…I basically butchered your recipe) BUT…this was delicious! It reminds me of brownie batter! YUMMO! Also- just a helpful hint, if you heat up the peanut butter for 15-30 seconds in the microwave it’s a lot easier to mix it all together!

    • That’s totally okay, we’re glad you made it your own! Even more glad that you enjoyed it – brownie batter is always a good thing! ;) and thanks for the helpful tip, we will definitely try that next time – good to know!

  4. loved it! I was searching for something yummy easy to make during this HOT summer and this was the answer! i wasn’t sure that it would work with the coconut, but it totally works  , and the bonus is : it’s healthy!!! it’s a win-win

  5. These were amazing. any idea how muxh protein would be in each ball? Of course it would depend on size but in general. 

    • Thank you Kristina, we’re happy you liked them! Unfortunately though we don’t know the protein content per serving. We currently are not publishing nutrition facts on the site, because 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!

  6. Do you list the nutritional values anywhere. I’m a diabetic and need to watch my carbs.

    They sure look good.

    Thanks.

    Tony

    • Hi Tony! We’re sorry but we currently are not publishing nutrition facts on the site. The nutrition calculators available are not 100% accurate, and we never want to publish anything that might be misleading. But many of our readers love the My Fitness Pal nutrition calculator, so feel free to try that for an estimate. We hope this helps!

  7. These are seriously delicious! I’ve been trying to cut down on sugar (but not give up on treats) and this is an awesome recipe that fits the bill! Thanks Gimme Some Oven!

  8. Hello! Thanks for this recipe! I am wondering, could I substitute coconut flour for the flakes? I realize that coconut flour can be a bit tricky to work with… What do you think? TIA. ?

    • Hi Kellie, you’re welcome! Hmmm, we haven’t tried using coconut flour in this recipe, so we honestly can’t say for sure if that would work or not. Since this recipe doesn’t need flour, we’d recommend leaving the coconut out if you don’t care for it, or using shredded or desiccated coconut instead. However, you could certainly give it a go, and see how they turn out — maybe just try half the recipe? We hope this helps!

  9. Hi, I was looking for something really different and i found this recipe of yours. I tried these last week and it came out so awesomely yummy. My husband and my friends loved it so much and they all asked for more. I will be making these again next week for sure, want to try the other recipes in your website. Thank you once again for highlighting me among my friends with your tasty n health n natural recipes. Thanks a ton. 

    • Hey Manasa, we’re so happy these were a hit with folks — thank you for sharing, and for your sweet words! :)

  10. Made these today exactly following your recipe. I know you are not publishing the nutritional facts, but my friend and I sat down and figured it out. I hope it’s okay that I share that here. We made 20 balls and calculated that each one is 100 calories, 10g fat, 5g fiber, 12g sugar, 20g protein.

  11. Along with the recipes you should display the carbs, protein, fat, cholesterol, etc. so diabetes person can know how many to eat.

    • Hi Ingrid. We appreciate your suggestion. The reason we currently aren’t publishing nutrition facts on the site, is 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!

  12. Instead of cocoa, I put chocolate protein powder. Also used a lil bit of maple syrup. Made into bars. Absolutely delicious. Thanks for sharing.

    • That’s a great idea Jan, we’ll definitely have to try those tweaks next time! We’re glad you like these. :)

  13. Following the recipe listed, minus the 2/3rd cup coconut flakes, I used 1/2 a cup instead I came up with the following nutrition information:
    If you make 20 balls each will contain;
    110 calories, 6.7 g of fat, 10.7g of carbs, 2.5g of fiber, 5g sugar, and 3g of protein.
    I know one user had similar values but put 20g of protein, hopefully that was just a typo. Other wise his energy bites are awesome! 

  14. hmmmm nyummiiiiee, my kids will like this, thank you!

  15. Really great recipe.  I love the idea of hiding healthy foods in something that taste great, especially for picky eaters which my partner is.  Thanks for the recipe idea.  I use more coconut and Scottish Oats. 

  16. My daughter has a nut allergy, so coconut and peanut butter need to be substituted, so instead of coconut I would use shredded jicama, and instead of peanut butter I would use raisins and dates to stick it all together. If they are too sticky, you could roll them in powdered organic sugar and cinnamon. Mmmmmm

    • Thanks for sharing Jennifer, it’s good to know that those are good substitutes – we’re glad you’re able to adjust and enjoy these! :)

  17. About the chia seeds….Are they soaked or straight out of the package?

  18. Could you substitute the cocoa powder for raw cacao powder? If so, how much would you need — the same amount? Thanks!

  19. I am in love!!!!! I added protein powder but still disappointed in how low the protein count is. However, they are way better, number wise, than a candy bar. I will continue to work on getting my protein number up in these. 

  20. Is one ball a serving size? 

  21. Hi
    what I can replace Flaxseed with
    Thanks

    • Hi Rana! You can just add extra oats in place of the flaxseed. We hope you enjoy! :)

  22. Any ideas on what to substitute for the coconut flakes? We have a coconut allergy in our family…

    • Hi Alison! We’d suggest just supplementing with extra oats, nuts and dried fruit if you like. We hope you and your family enjoy these!

  23. Sorry just saw the previous answer about jicama, but any other ideas? I am wondering if quinoa flakes would work?

  24. These look great but I wish you would include a nutrition facts with the recipe.  Calorie count, protein count, fats, sugar and carbs would be nice to know.  

    • Hi Valerie! We’re sorry, but the reason we currently don’t publishing nutrition facts on the site is 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!

  25. Like this idea. 2 questions B4 I make these: 1) If I only have unsalted PB, how much salt would I add, & 2) Can I sub an equal amount of cacao bits? Thanks so much for all your time & energy in making life more beautiful! You are a lifesaver for people with special dietary needs. I found you only a short time ago & I have made 6-7 of your recipes but have yet to comment, though I have shared everything with family & friends who have grown to love you too! When I can breathe again (I suppose after Christmas) I promise to critique every recipe that I have made because they are soooo good! Your granola bars will forever be a staple in our home.

    • Thanks! Hmm, we haven’t tried these with unsalted peanut butter, so it’s hard to say. We would think 1/2 teaspoon, but you might need to start by adding a little less than that, and possibly add more to taste. And yes, you can use cacao bits in these! Thanks for your sweet words about the blog — we hope you enjoy these! :)

  26. If I have all ingredients on hand besides he shredded coconut will this still work?!
    Thank you!! 
    Btw my boyfriend and I absolutely loved your chocolate chip all time favorite cookies!!!

    • Awww we’re so happy you and your boyfriend love the cookies, thanks for letting us know! And yes, these should be fine without the coconut – you might want to add some extra oats though, so these won’t be too wet or sticky. We hope you enjoy!

  27. These look delicious!!!  What is the serving size and how many are considered to be a good portion amount as I’m sure I could eat it all!!!  Thanks

    • Thanks Carrie! Unfortunately we aren’t sure of the nutrition facts or serving size for this recipe, but we think a serving size would be one of these. We hope you enjoy them!

  28. I just wanted to commment and say that I make these energy bites all the time! I found the recipe shortly after my son was born and I needed some healthy, one-handed snacks to fuel my breastmilk supply. Sometimes, I add a tablespoon of brewer’s yeast and grind up some almonds and add those (along with a little coconut oil for extra binding for the extra ingredients) for even more lactation support. Delicious and nutritious!

  29. Is it ohk to use another liquid sweetener such as brown rice malt syrup or molasses?

    • Hi Jordan! Yes, we think any one of those would be fine, but you’ll need to consult a sweetener conversion table (such as this one or this one) since they’re all different and you will likely need a different quantity of whatever you use. We hope that helps!

  30. I have made these a few times with some minor changes. I don’t use the coconut flakes or chia seeds, and I use semi-sweet chocolate nibs instead of cocoa powder. I will take them to work where I can pop a couple in my mouth if I need something quick and not-horrible for me. I work long shifts on my feet as a hospital nurse, so protein and convenience are super important. The plus side is that my husband, who is a picky eater, loves them too and requests them for his long days at school.

    • Thanks for sharing with us Christine! We’re happy you and your husband love these! :)

  31. This is great however I HATE coconut. Since it is a pretty hefty amount of the recipe I didn’t want to leave out a full ingredient. Can you recommend some alternatives? It’s not an ingredient I ever use so I’m at a loss for how to substitute for it. I’m already using almond instead of peanut butter and agave nectar instead of honey. 

    • Hi Stephanie! No worries, you can just supplement the coconut with extra oats and some nuts if you like. We hope you enjoy these!

  32. It’s really delicious. 

  33. I love all the versions you have of these ‘no-bake energy bites’, what do you think would happen if I decided to bake these? (gasp!) PS Love your site! :)

    • Thanks CJ! Hmmm, we haven’t tried baking these, but we say pop a few in the oven and see what happens (we think they would be yummy)! If you try it, definitely let us know how they turn out. :)

  34. Can you tell me nutritional content and calories?

    • Hi Rebeka! 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!

  35. Hi im just wondering if you have the nutritional value of the Chocolate peanut butter no bake energy bites?!!?

    • Hi Miranda! 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!

  36. I totally want to try these.

  37. What can I substitute for coconut…I don’t like coconut?

    • Hi Mireille! You can simply leave it out, or you can add extra oats, nuts, seeds and/or dried fruit. We hope you enjoy!

  38. Supper yummy! What is the portion size???

    • Hi Liz! We’re not sure, but we would guess one or two. We hope you enjoy! :)

  39. I made these – skipped the flax seed as I didn’t have any, and used carob molasses instead of honey. They’ve turned out amazing!

  40. Can’t wait to try them. I’m making them right now but… How do you store them? Do you store them in the fridge or in a room temperature container?

    • Hi Laura! You can leave them in a container in or outside of the fridge, and you can freeze them too if you like — we hope you enjoy! :)

  41. What can you substitute the Coconut Flakes for?

    • Hey Luke! You can just leave them out and add some extra oats and/or dried fruit/nuts. We hope you enjoy these!

  42. These are so good and so very filling. You can’t eat more than two at a time it’s to much… actually one is more than enough before pre or post workout… 

  43. Where can I find the carb count for each of these energy balls? They look great, but my wife is Type 1 diabetic.
    Thanks

    • Hi Dave! 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!

  44. Hi can you use almond butter.replacing peanut butter thanks.

  45. Serving size? And how many calories per ball? 

    • Hi Michele! We’re sorry but we are unsure of the serving size and 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!

  46. This is my absolute favorite way to make these! I love how this way the chocolate is evenly spread out instead of biting into a chunk of chocolate in the classic recipe. I actually thought 1/4 cup of cocoa powder would make it taste slightly bitter but it is perfectly sweet with the honey and peanut butter (I didn’t use natural so there’s obviously sugar from the pb too). I also love how it makes a lot so I can freeze some and pack individual portions for my husband and I during the week. Thanks for the recipe! 

  47. Hi,
      Thank you for sharing.Very simple and nutritious snack for any time.I don’t have some of the ingredients in handy. what I  tried I’m sharing here.I used raisins,chocolate chips, old fashion oats,peanut butter, honey, I roasted coconut powder and used them, flax seed powder and sesame seeds, 
    And to make a roll I used ghee (for whole balls only 1/2 tbs) Since, it helps to make a round shape without sticking in hands and also clarified butter with minimal use brings lot of health benefit.

  48. I thought I should give these a try, and I love these energy bites! This is the first clean snack that actually satisfies my sweet tooth when I’m craving sugar.
    Thanks for the recipe!

  49. These look delicious! I want to make them and send them to my son, who is in the Army. Have you ever put them  the mail? Do you think they would spoil since they are supposed to be refrigerated?

    • Hi Terri! We haven’t tried mailing these, but our advice would be to freeze them first, that way they hopefully won’t get too warm and lose their shape in transit. They definitely won’t spoil, the only concern we would have is them getting smushed. Freezing them should help prevent that from happening though. We hope this helps!

  50. Do these need to be refrigerated? Wondered about taking them hiking.

    • Hi Josie! They don’t need to be refrigerated but we suggest it (it’ll help them last longer), especially if you plan on taking them hiking (the heat might make them get a little melty and mushy).