Looking for a healthy, delicious, and guilt-free snack? I love these for all that and more: the taste, the ease and the versatility also make these winners in my recipe box. I believe you will find a combination that works for you and your family. These little bites can be refrigerated or frozen, so even if it’s just you enjoying these in your home, you won’t have to worry about any of this goodness going to waste!

Gather your ingredients. Separate the ingredients into wet and dry groups. A food processor or powerful blender is a requirement for this recipe, since the dates need to be thouroughly incorporated into the mixture. After the dates are added, you can transfer the mixture to a bowl, and finish mixing by hand, if you prefer. The mixture gets very thick and sticky, and some appliances just can’t handle this easily.

Mix the oats, seeds and coconut in a blender, and pulse to chop and mix everything. Add the dates one at a time, along with the water, oil and nut butter. The coconut oil must be in a liquid state for the best results. Continue to pulse until blended.

If you’d like to add additional flavor, you can leave the chips whole, or add them to the processor, or you can chop them by hand. I enjoy mixing cinnamon and dark chocolate chips or adding coconut water in place of the water with white chocolate chips and a bit more sweetened coconut with the unsweet.

Scoop out small amounts with a cookie scoop or a spoon, and tightly form a ball. You can lightly wet your hands if the mixture is too sticky. One batch will make anywhere between 25-30 bites. I store some in the refrigerator for immediate eating, and the rest in the freezer to enjoy later.

Versatile Energy Bites

Flavor packed healthy snack

Print Recipe

Prep Time:20

Total Time:20

Ingredients

2 cups dry old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup shredded coconut, sweetened or unsweetened
6-8 pitted Medjool dates
2 Tbsp chia seeds
2 Tbsp flax meal
2 Tbsp pumpkin seeds (pepitas), roasted or raw
2 Tbsp water
2 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
1/2 cup nut butter
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips, optional
pinch salt (if using raw pumpkin seeds

Instructions

Add all dry ingredients to a food processor and pulse for about 30 seconds. Just enough time to grind the oats and coconut down a bit and mix everything together.
Add dates, one at a time to incorporate. Then add water, melted coconut oil and nut butter. Pulse for another minute or so. The mixture may seem pretty dry and crumbly. Scrape down the sides of the processor/bowl a few times.
If the mixture becomes too thick for your particular appliance, remove to bowl and continue to mix.
Add flavored chips, if desired.
Once mixed together, scoop out a bit at a time and form into balls. You can wet your hands, or use a cookie scoop. Just press together well, so the ball will form and hold together.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Notes

I love this recipe for its versatility. My special favorite combination is using sunbutter, white chocolate chips, coconut water in place of the water and extra coconut. My kids enjoy dark chocolate chips and cinnamon chips together.

This recipe can also accommodate many allergies. Simply make adjustments as needed.

Flax seeds should be ground before using, as they are too hard for your body to digest whole. To receive the nutritional benefits of flax seeds, use a coffee grinder to make meal, or by them already ground into flax meal.

If using raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas), add a pinch of salt to your mix while blending. Roasted pumpkin seeds are usually salted, so I don’t add additional salt.

Nutritional information was calculated from the recipe shown, using sunbutter.

Course: Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Fun in the Kitchen, Healthy, Kid Friendly, Snack

Servings: 30

Calories: 105kcal

Versatile energy bites