Ok, kinda weird, but I think energy bites are the cutest snack. Agreed? I’m usually too lazy to make them because I’m happy to just grab a small handful of nuts and some fruit instead, no prep necessary. However, on the rare occasion I do make them, I always think to myself, “why aren’t I making these more often?”. These are so nutrient dense that a little goes a long way. Like, two of these would probably cover your snack needs.
I created this recipe with my kids in mind, because they love PB & J, and I thought it would be fun to recreate those flavors in an energy bite. And, honestly, I knew I would want to eat a bunch of them myself, too. I used raisins to impart the grape jelly flavor, and included a balance of protein, fat, and slow carbs to ensure these morsels live up to their “energy bite” label. Feel free to sub out the peanut butter with sunflower butter if you need to keep things peanut-free.
I soaked the oats overnight first (really, it’s no big deal at all), to soften them and make them more digestible. Soaking directions are included in recipe below.
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energy bites
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- 1/2 cup steel-cut oats (+ 1/2 cup warm or room temp water + 1 tbsp something acidic like lemon juice, kefir, or plain yogurt)
- 1/3 cup peanut butter or sunflower butter sugar-free
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons raisins finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 4 scoops (or the equivalent of 2 servings total) plain unsweetened protein powder (I used Teras Whey)
Ingredients
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- Place the oats, water, and acidic medium (see above) in a small, covered jar to soak overnight. No need to refrigerate this. In the morning, drain oats in a fine-mesh strainer for a few minutes. Using the back of a spoon, press the oats to get a bit more of the liquid out. If you don't have a mesh strainer, just use a clean dish towel to gently wring the liquid out of the oats.
- Place the drained oats and all remaining ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine thoroughly.
- Roll into approx. 1" balls. Yields about 15.