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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?
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!
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.
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.)
Then cover and chill the mixture in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, which will make it easier to handle.
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.
1 teaspoon vanilla extract, store-bought or homemade
Instructions
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.
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.
Makes about 20-25 balls.
*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.
Made this today and it was waaaaaaay too sweet for us. I made another batch and substituted the peanut butter and syrup with a mashed banana. The rest stayed as the recipe said. Was very delicious :)
Hayley @ Gimme Some Oven —
Hi Yvette! We’re sorry to hear these were too sweet for you the first time around! However, we’re glad you were able to make them again with the right amount of sweetness. Thanks for giving the recipe a try!
Just made these! Ran out of flaxseeds so I filled the rest of the measure with almond flour. I even toasted the coconut! My husband doesn’t like peanut butter (what?) so there’s more for me! Honestly I am having a hard time believing these are healthy. I’m googling “are energy balls actually healthy” and … I guess they basically are! I mean, they aren’t fruits or vegetables but they aren’t far off. This will also help get through (and refresh, and expand) my stockpile of baking add-ons and dry goods…
Hi Sam! We’re not sure 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!
Adele —
The macros will depend on the brands you use of each ingredient. Different brands have different calories etc, you work it out yourself from the info on the back of the packet of the ingredients you use.
You could add chocolate protein powder instead of cocoa if you want more protein
To the commenter who had Macro questions, I can’t tell you that but I can tell you the amount of calories, proteins and carbs. I entered all of the ingredients into MyFitnessPal and got the following results: 129 overall calories, 13 grams of Carbs, 8 grams of fat, 3 grams of fiber, and 4 grams of protein. It has 135 mcg of potassium, 2% calcium and 6% iron.
Keep in mind that this is for one bite if you make them at a size that results in 20 bites. If you get less bites out of the recipe, each one will be more calories. If you get more bites, each bite will be less calories. In order to have 100 calorie bites, you would have to get about 25-26 balls out of the recipe.
Mac —
Jess, Thank you for the nutrition info. How can these be made with more protein to offset some of the carbs?
Hello!
Just wanted to drop a note that I’ve been making these for about a year now, and I keep going back to them time and time again.
I agree with some other comments- a bit too sweet for my liking; I use a bit less than 1/4 C of sweetener (much prefer maple syrup to honey).
I always toast the coconut and just made a batch with tpasted oats, which makes the bites extra crunchy. Just the way I like it!
Thanks for a great recipe!
Hayley @ Gimme Some Oven —
Thanks for sharing, Kathy — we’re so glad you’re a fan! :)
Just a note, these chocolaty, peanut buttery, toasted coconut lovelies are the PERFECT period craving snack! They are good for you, and solve the chocolate needies, without the additional calories of traditional chocolate bars. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
These are so beautiful! I make them regularly for an after dinner treat for my 2 year old who is very fussy and has had problems with weight gain. When I make them for her I also add about 2 tablespoons of coconut oil, and 2 tablespoons of pureed prunes, then we store them in the fridge. We call them “chocolate balls” and she will scoff as many as I let her! Thank you for your recipes!
Hayley @ Gimme Some Oven —
Thank you, Rachel — we’re so glad you and your kiddo enjoy these! :)
Delicious! I made them and my daughter liked it so much. Is there any nutritional chart?
Hayley @ Gimme Some Oven —
We’re glad you both enjoyed them! 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!
Fantastic flavors and it’s good for you to boot! That’s wonderful!! I’d love to make up a batch for me and the grandsons. They are always looking for some good snacks and this would fit the bill.
I’ve made this recipe twice and it’s been a big favorite in my family. I’ve had to substitute wheat germ for the flax seed as 1/2 my family is sensitive to its digestive effects, but the fiber and nutrients are still there. I’m excited to try some of the energy bites recipes!
Hi Patricia! 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!
Hi Stacey! 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!
Sooooo good!!! I cut back on the honey to 1/4 cup though and didn’t put in the flaxseeds because I ran out. And i used raw cacao instead of the cocoa powder. And i even toasted the coconut! My family loved these!!!
OH, MY GOODNESS! These cocoa pb energy bites are delish! I added a packet of Amazing Grass’s Pure Vanilla protein powder to the mix and it added another profile of yumminess! I used Ghiradelli’s cocoa powder in my recipe and it has such a rich cocoa taste. I did need to add more pb and a bit more honey because my mixture was more on the dry side. These taste like Holiday time! So perfect for breakfast, a snack to refuel mid-day or even a bite after dinner as a dessert. They are SO TASTY and so fun and easy to share w/ your “favorite” co-workers!
These are delicious and very chocolatey! I did not use chia seed and I added a teaspoon of coconut oil and 1-2 teaspoon of water because it was too dry. Will make these again since it’s so quick & easy.
Love these! I added a few tablespoons of semi swet mini morsels because, well why not? They were in my pantry right next to the coconut! I advise doubling the recipe if you have more than 4 or 5 people or need to sample while assembling.
if you want more protein…you can add protien powder…vanilla or choc…I heat the Peanut butter and honey…cut the honey in 1/2 and use the other 1/2 water…heat just to disolve the honey in the water..then add p.butter and mix as a syrup…..put every thing in a bowl w,Prot powder…1/3 cup and pour syrup over if too dry just add a little water….now you have more protien and less sweet..
These tasty bites are my new favorite. I use a small ice cream dipper to shape the balls.
They keep well in the refrigerator and are my new go-to snack. Just right!
We love the chocolate peanut butter no bake energy bites and we make them often. I was hoping to find out the nutritional value of these delicious blites, as I record my food on My Fitness Pal.
I made a variety of these last Christmas and gave them as gifts. Now they are the most requested thing , along with my deviled eggs, to bring to every gathering! Easy and so yummy!
This is now my go-to energy bite recipe! The flavors are fantastic. It’s super easy to make and my whole family loves it. I think next time I’ll make a double batch and keep half in the freezer for future snacking.
This recipe is amazing! I’m trying to be more thoughtful about my sugar intake, so this is such a helpful recipe to get just a touch of sweetness, along with fiber and protein. I make a double batch of these and keep them in a tupperware in the fridge. Great to use as “lactation bites” for nursing moms, as well.
Thanks for always having such high-quality and dependable recipes! I love knowing I can always count on your recipes to be awesome!
Sheela —
Hi Ali,
I have made your older version of the chocolate peanut butter energy bites with great success and I tried these this one, this week – 5 stars from my almost 13 y.o! He has gotten super conscious about eating processed, store bought snacks and wants me to come up with something new all the time! So he needed a sweet fix and I needed something quick- your recipe hit the spot!! This is now our go-to energy snack and chocolate fix!
Oh, and I love being able to use cacao instead of chocolate chips!
Hello,
I made this chocolate balls. I added organic Cacao, little protein, rest of the ingredients
( I used Natural PB). I also mixed everything well, & like another person said melted pb. I refrigerated for 1/2 hr. I’m NOT sure if using the natural pb, made it difference?? I found the oats were so large in size to roll, I added extra honey. My Mom said they were a little tart, “maybe”cacao. I had no idea??? Everyone else seem find making this.
Any thoughts or comments anyone?
Thank you…?
Blondie the builder YouTube —
I put all of my dry ingredients in a coffee grinder one at a time, always love these
We make these overseas where ready made food is scarce and this fixes our emergency sweet food craving in a jiffy! Thank u from my husband and daughter.
These are DELICIOUS!!! They taste like chocolate peanut butter no-bake oatmeal cookies (only much healthier in comparison). I was looking for something to satisfy my sweet tooth but also provide nutrition. This is a great recipe for just that! Thanks!
Great recipe! We made it a few times and made 4x the recipe to have plenty on hand. I made it first by mixing with my hands and it was a sticky mess but manageable. The second time we made it, we used a stand mixer and it was much better mixed so I could easily scoop with my ice cream scoop and make the same sized balls.
Made this today and it was waaaaaaay too sweet for us. I made another batch and substituted the peanut butter and syrup with a mashed banana. The rest stayed as the recipe said. Was very delicious :)
Hi Yvette! We’re sorry to hear these were too sweet for you the first time around! However, we’re glad you were able to make them again with the right amount of sweetness. Thanks for giving the recipe a try!
Just made these! Ran out of flaxseeds so I filled the rest of the measure with almond flour. I even toasted the coconut! My husband doesn’t like peanut butter (what?) so there’s more for me! Honestly I am having a hard time believing these are healthy. I’m googling “are energy balls actually healthy” and … I guess they basically are! I mean, they aren’t fruits or vegetables but they aren’t far off. This will also help get through (and refresh, and expand) my stockpile of baking add-ons and dry goods…
We’re so glad to hear you enjoyed them, Amy!
What are the macros?
Hi Sam! We’re not sure 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!
The macros will depend on the brands you use of each ingredient. Different brands have different calories etc, you work it out yourself from the info on the back of the packet of the ingredients you use.
You could add chocolate protein powder instead of cocoa if you want more protein
To the commenter who had Macro questions, I can’t tell you that but I can tell you the amount of calories, proteins and carbs. I entered all of the ingredients into MyFitnessPal and got the following results: 129 overall calories, 13 grams of Carbs, 8 grams of fat, 3 grams of fiber, and 4 grams of protein. It has 135 mcg of potassium, 2% calcium and 6% iron.
Keep in mind that this is for one bite if you make them at a size that results in 20 bites. If you get less bites out of the recipe, each one will be more calories. If you get more bites, each bite will be less calories. In order to have 100 calorie bites, you would have to get about 25-26 balls out of the recipe.
Jess, Thank you for the nutrition info. How can these be made with more protein to offset some of the carbs?
Hello!
Just wanted to drop a note that I’ve been making these for about a year now, and I keep going back to them time and time again.
I agree with some other comments- a bit too sweet for my liking; I use a bit less than 1/4 C of sweetener (much prefer maple syrup to honey).
I always toast the coconut and just made a batch with tpasted oats, which makes the bites extra crunchy. Just the way I like it!
Thanks for a great recipe!
Thanks for sharing, Kathy — we’re so glad you’re a fan! :)
Just a note, these chocolaty, peanut buttery, toasted coconut lovelies are the PERFECT period craving snack! They are good for you, and solve the chocolate needies, without the additional calories of traditional chocolate bars. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
We’re so happy you love them, April! :D
These are so beautiful! I make them regularly for an after dinner treat for my 2 year old who is very fussy and has had problems with weight gain. When I make them for her I also add about 2 tablespoons of coconut oil, and 2 tablespoons of pureed prunes, then we store them in the fridge. We call them “chocolate balls” and she will scoff as many as I let her! Thank you for your recipes!
Thank you, Rachel — we’re so glad you and your kiddo enjoy these! :)
I just tried this recipe with date paste instead of honey and it worked quite nicely :)
We’re glad to hear that, Kristine!
Delicious! I made them and my daughter liked it so much. Is there any nutritional chart?
We’re glad you both enjoyed them! 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!
What can you add instead of coconut?
You can add a combination of more oats, nuts, and dried fruit if you like. We hope you enjoy!
Fantastic flavors and it’s good for you to boot! That’s wonderful!! I’d love to make up a batch for me and the grandsons. They are always looking for some good snacks and this would fit the bill.
Awesome, enjoy! :)
I’ve made this recipe twice and it’s been a big favorite in my family. I’ve had to substitute wheat germ for the flax seed as 1/2 my family is sensitive to its digestive effects, but the fiber and nutrients are still there. I’m excited to try some of the energy bites recipes!
Awesome, sounds delicious!
what are the calories?
Hi Patricia! 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!
Did someone say everyday breakfast? And we make tiny scoops for that afternoon “I need it” time!
We hope you enjoy these, Barbara! :)
Question: Once I make the balls do I leave it in the refrigerator for a week and then eat it or it lasts for a week?
Hi Felicia! You don’t have to refrigerate these, but they should last a bit longer if you do. We hope you enjoy them!
Do you have nutrition info for these?
Hi Stacey! 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!
Just made these. So delicious! Love them. Can I freeze them?
These are amazing! I gave one for my husband to try and he gave it a thumbs up! Thank you for sharing?
Sooooo good!!! I cut back on the honey to 1/4 cup though and didn’t put in the flaxseeds because I ran out. And i used raw cacao instead of the cocoa powder. And i even toasted the coconut! My family loved these!!!
OH, MY GOODNESS! These cocoa pb energy bites are delish! I added a packet of Amazing Grass’s Pure Vanilla protein powder to the mix and it added another profile of yumminess! I used Ghiradelli’s cocoa powder in my recipe and it has such a rich cocoa taste. I did need to add more pb and a bit more honey because my mixture was more on the dry side. These taste like Holiday time! So perfect for breakfast, a snack to refuel mid-day or even a bite after dinner as a dessert. They are SO TASTY and so fun and easy to share w/ your “favorite” co-workers!
These are delicious and very chocolatey! I did not use chia seed and I added a teaspoon of coconut oil and 1-2 teaspoon of water because it was too dry. Will make these again since it’s so quick & easy.
Love these! I added a few tablespoons of semi swet mini morsels because, well why not? They were in my pantry right next to the coconut! I advise doubling the recipe if you have more than 4 or 5 people or need to sample while assembling.
Oh my god! These are unbeleivably delicious!!! Thanks for the recipe!!
if you want more protein…you can add protien powder…vanilla or choc…I heat the Peanut butter and honey…cut the honey in 1/2 and use the other 1/2 water…heat just to disolve the honey in the water..then add p.butter and mix as a syrup…..put every thing in a bowl w,Prot powder…1/3 cup and pour syrup over if too dry just add a little water….now you have more protien and less sweet..
These tasty bites are my new favorite. I use a small ice cream dipper to shape the balls.
They keep well in the refrigerator and are my new go-to snack. Just right!
We love the chocolate peanut butter no bake energy bites and we make them often. I was hoping to find out the nutritional value of these delicious blites, as I record my food on My Fitness Pal.
Thanks so much,
Gloria
These are amazing. I also put Almonds in this. I didn’t have any coconut. My co-workers also loved them.
I made a variety of these last Christmas and gave them as gifts. Now they are the most requested thing , along with my deviled eggs, to bring to every gathering! Easy and so yummy!
This is now my go-to energy bite recipe! The flavors are fantastic. It’s super easy to make and my whole family loves it. I think next time I’ll make a double batch and keep half in the freezer for future snacking.
Great Recipe Ali. Looks yummy and delicious. Going to try this recipe soon as I’m a crazy fan of peanut butter.
Can these be frozen?
These are super easy to make and delicious. I added pepitas and left out the coconut (didnt have any on hand). Would definitely make these again!
This recipe is amazing! I’m trying to be more thoughtful about my sugar intake, so this is such a helpful recipe to get just a touch of sweetness, along with fiber and protein. I make a double batch of these and keep them in a tupperware in the fridge. Great to use as “lactation bites” for nursing moms, as well.
Thanks for always having such high-quality and dependable recipes! I love knowing I can always count on your recipes to be awesome!
Hi Ali,
I have made your older version of the chocolate peanut butter energy bites with great success and I tried these this one, this week – 5 stars from my almost 13 y.o! He has gotten super conscious about eating processed, store bought snacks and wants me to come up with something new all the time! So he needed a sweet fix and I needed something quick- your recipe hit the spot!! This is now our go-to energy snack and chocolate fix!
Oh, and I love being able to use cacao instead of chocolate chips!
I made these and they didn’t really taste that good to me but I’m sure that others wouldn’t like them! I guess it’s only my taste buds.
Do we know the nutritional value of these? Calories? Carbs?
Hello,
I made this chocolate balls. I added organic Cacao, little protein, rest of the ingredients
( I used Natural PB). I also mixed everything well, & like another person said melted pb. I refrigerated for 1/2 hr. I’m NOT sure if using the natural pb, made it difference?? I found the oats were so large in size to roll, I added extra honey. My Mom said they were a little tart, “maybe”cacao. I had no idea??? Everyone else seem find making this.
Any thoughts or comments anyone?
Thank you…?
I put all of my dry ingredients in a coffee grinder one at a time, always love these
My husband doesn’t like coconut. Can the flakes be left out of this recipe?
Looks Yummy. Thanks for nice recipe
Awesome ! I want to make this at home.
Hello! What can I substitute for the coconut? My son doesn’t like it – should I just increase the amount of oats to compensate? Thank you!
I have made these numerous times, but instead of coconut flakes I use raisins and dark chocolate chips. They are delicious and nutritious!
We make these overseas where ready made food is scarce and this fixes our emergency sweet food craving in a jiffy! Thank u from my husband and daughter.
These are my absolute favorite. They are so creamy and delicous. This is definitely a repeat recipe
So good! Sometimes I sub maple syrup and/or almond butter just to change things up.
These are DELICIOUS!!! They taste like chocolate peanut butter no-bake oatmeal cookies (only much healthier in comparison). I was looking for something to satisfy my sweet tooth but also provide nutrition. This is a great recipe for just that! Thanks!
Great recipe! We made it a few times and made 4x the recipe to have plenty on hand. I made it first by mixing with my hands and it was a sticky mess but manageable. The second time we made it, we used a stand mixer and it was much better mixed so I could easily scoop with my ice cream scoop and make the same sized balls.
So good!
These are wonderful just the way you have this written! My whole family loves them!!
This looks fun and easy. I seriously needed to learn how to make this dish. I will keep checking for more lessons about food you post. Visit here
I love this chocolate peanut butter recipe.