Yum!! These peanut butter based Energy Bites are so good, nutritious, the perfect pick me up, hold-me over and pre-workout snack! Balanced nutrition, bite-sized and portable – they’re great as a mini meal, when you need quick energy, a protein boost or a sweet and satisfying snack. While they seem daunting to make they really only take a few minutes!
In this no-cook core recipe (just a minor warm up to the peanut butter) you’ll have the starter steps to a great energy bite along with versatile ways to mix it up to make it your own.
CORE RECIPE CONCEPT:
The base of the recipe uses core ingredients like oats, peanut butter and natural sweetener. The add in’s are ingredients that bring it together. They can be added in and changed out for different variations. If you need chocolate fix, you can make the Chocolate Chip Bite recipe, if you want a protein boost, add in protein powder or if you need something on the vitality side, you can easily incorporate ingredients that work for that!
This post shares the core ingredients for my peanut butter bites and the recipes included are the Oatmeal Raisin Bites and Pb Chocolate Chip Bites
MAKE IT
CORE INGREDIENTS
- Oats – traditional rolled oats work best, they promote satiety and steady energy
- Peanut Butter – All natural, creamy
- Sweetener – Maple Syrup or Honey
Add In’s
- Raisins – traditional black raisins
- Chocolate Chips
- Cinnamon
- Himalayan Pink Sea Salt
- Vanilla, pure
- Protein Powder, Plain or Vanilla
INSTRUCTIONS
CORE RECIPE:
In a large mixing bowl add oats. Warm peanut butter about 20-30 seconds in a glass dish just enough so that it is somewhat runny as it will blend together and adhere to the oats nicely. Pour the warmed peanut butter into the oat mixture, add salt and mix until well combined.
Option A – Oatmeal Raisin
Add in Cinnamon, Raisins, Vanilla. Stir well. Adjust seasonings to your preference. Once everything is coated evenly, with about a 1inch cookie scoop or large spoon, scoop mixture out into about 1 – 1.5 inch rounds. Roll each round into bite-sized balls, set aside until all bites rolled out. Store in the fridge or freezer using the methods below. Enjoy!
Option B – Pb Chocolate Chip Bites
Add in vanilla, cinnamon, chocolate chips and protein powder. Stir well. Adjust seasonings to your preference. Once everything is coated evenly, with about a 1inch cookie scoop or large spoon, scoop mixture out into about 1 – 1.5 inch rounds. Roll each round into bite-sized balls, set aside until all bites are rolled out. Store in the fridge or freezer using the methods below. Enjoy!
STORAGE
There are a couple of methods for storing the bites; in the fridge or the freezer. The fridge works great when you want to have them on hand for the week. They can be easily stored in a snack bag to take on the road, in your lunch box or in your day bag for filling snack during the day.
To stock up a bit or make them ahead for later, freezing works great. They actually hold up quite well. When you have a little extra time, it’s nice to double or triple a batch so you can stock the freezer. If you’re making a mess anyway might as well stretch your time and make extra bites for later. It’s the best feeling when you remember you have those little treats in their especially when time is of the essences and you need food for the day in a hurry. No mess, just thaw and enjoy!
For the Fridge:
To store in the fridge, simply place the rolled energy bites into a container and refrigerate. They stay fresh for about 1 week. For a longer shelf life or for larger batches, storing in the freezer is the way to go!
For the Freezer:
Once all bites are rolled out, place onto a freezer friendly tray. I actually just use a small cookie sheet. Make sure the bites have space in-between them so that they freeze separately. Then place the tray in the freezer for about an hour or until they are frozen. Store the bites in a container or a gallon freezer bag. They don’t take all that long to thaw and they’re actually really good, not frozen but cold too. Thaw about 30 minutes or so before serving, enjoy!
Tips:
- To Boost Protein: Add an additional scoop of vanilla protein powder into them and adjust honey and peanut butter to accommodate the extra powder so they will form into balls and hold their shape.
- If they are too sticky or chewy, add a half scoop of protein powder to them or oats to soak up the liquid
Ingredients
OATMEAL RAISINÂ
1C Oats
1/2C peanut Butter - natural, creamy
1/4C HoneyÂ
1 Tsp Cinnamon
1/2C Raisins
 Pink Himalayan Sea Salt , to tasteÂ
PB CHOCOLATE CHIPÂ
1C Oats, Traditional rolledÂ
1/2C Peanut butter, natural, creamyÂ
1/4C HoneyÂ
1Tsp VanillaÂ
1/2 Tsp CinnamonÂ
1Scoop Protein PowderÂ
Pink Himalayan Sea Salt, to tasteÂ
1/2 C Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips
Instructions
Option A - Oatmeal Raisin
Add in Cinnamon, Raisins, Vanilla. Stir well. Adjust seasonings to your preference. Once everything is coated evenly, with about a 1inch cookie scoop or large spoon, scoop mixture out into about 1 - 1.5 inch rounds. Roll each round into bite-sized balls, set aside until all bites rolled out. Store in the fridge or freezer using the methods below. Enjoy!
Option B - Pb Chocolate Chip Bites
Add in vanilla, cinnamon, chocolate chips and protein powder. Stir well. Adjust seasonings to your preference. Once everything is coated evenly, with about a 1inch cookie scoop or large spoon, scoop mixture out into about 1 - 1.5 inch rounds. Roll each round into bite-sized balls, set aside until all bites are rolled out. Store in the fridge or freezer using the methods below. Enjoy!
Notes
For the Fridge:
To store in the fridge simply place the rolled energy bites into a container and refrigerate. They stay fresh for about 1 week. For a longer shelf life or for larger batches storing in the freezer is the way to go!
For the Freezer:
Once all bites are rolled out, place onto a freezer friendly tray. I actually just use a small cookie sheet. Make sure the bites have space in-between them so that they freeze separately. Then place the tray in the freezer for about an hour or until they are frozen. Store the bites in a container or a gallon freezer bag. They don't take all that long to thaw and they're actually really good cold too. Thaw about 30 minutes or so before serving, enjoy!
Tips:
- To Boost Protein: Add an additional scoop of vanilla protein powder into them and adjust honey and peanut butter to accommodate the extra powder.
- If they are too sticky or chewy. add a half scoop of protein powder to them or oats to soak up the liquid
- To mix them up, swap chocolate chips with raisins