Learn How to Make the Base Recipe
This is one of our base recipes. These easy no-bake energy bites are a great snack for any time of day. Pack a few in your backpack, diaper bag, or gym bag so that you can have a delicious, nutritious snack wherever you go!
Three Cooking Skills To Save You Time
Watch these videos to speed things up and cook like a chef! Learn how to:
Culinary Tips for Energy Bites Base Recipe
Soaking the oats in hot water first makes each energy ball taste like a little bite of oatmeal. This also creates a different taste and texture than other energy bite recipes that use more nut butter to keep the ingredients together. Using water also keeps the calories lower, which may be appealing to some of you.
If the nut butter is too hard to mix in, microwave it for 30 seconds to make it easier to stir.
If the energy bite mixture is too sticky, add more oats 2 Tablespoons at a time. If the mixture is too dry, add more hot water, 1 Tablespoon at a time.
Got kids? This is a great kid-friendly recipe! Have them help you measure, mix, and roll. The ingredients in this recipe can be eaten while cooking (because we all know that kids love to “taste test”), rolling is a great way to practice fine motor skills, and kids love getting their hands dirty!
Ingredient Substitutions
- Spices: use any variety of sweet spices – apple pie spice, allspice, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, or pumpkin spice.
- Flavor Extract: use vanilla, almond, lemon, or coconut extract. Use 1/4 teaspoon to start for all but vanilla; 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla is perfect!
- Oats: use old-fashioned or quick oats. Quick oats create a squishier texture and will be stickier when rolling. Do not use steel cut oats; they might make your energy bites a little too chewy. Looking for a brand of oats to try? We love oats from King Arthur!
- Nut Butter: use your favorite variety. Choose natural varieties whenever possible. Have a nut allergy or send your kids to a nut free school? Use a seed butter such as sunflower butter to make these an allergy-friendly snack. They even have a lower sugar chocolate version now 🙂
- Liquid Sweetener: use honey, maple syrup, or agave. To make vegan energy balls, use anything except honey. And depending on the mix-ins, you might not need any sweetener at all.
- Mix-ins to YOUR Taste:
- Nuts or Seeds: use chopped almonds, walnuts, peanuts, hazelnuts, pecans, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, or sunflower seeds. Use toasted nuts for the best flavor.
- Mini Chocolate Chips: use semi-sweet or dark if you can find them. You can substitute full size chocolate chips or chunks, and either leave them whole or chop them for more chocolate in each bite!
- Dried Fruit: use any variety you like. If using larger fruits such as prunes, apricots, or dates, dice before adding to the mixture.
- Fruit or Vegetable Puree: use pumpkin puree, mashed sweet potato, applesauce, or mashed banana.
We like to buy our spices from the Spice House. They have great quality, variety, and flavor!
Base Recipe Variations
Remember that this is a base recipe, so the goal is for you to customize it to your taste!
Feel free to add other mix-ins of your choosing: chia seeds, flax seeds, coconut flakes, cocoa powder, etc.
If you go crazy with the added mix-ins, you might need to add a little more nut or seed butter to help it all stick together.
Need some energy bites recipe inspiration?
Use these recipe variations for inspiration, then have fun exploring other flavors, ingredients, and textures!
Blueberry Vanilla Energy Bites
Cranberry Almond Energy Bites
Pumpkin Energy Bites
Chocolate Cherry Energy Bites with Walnuts
Peanut Butter Energy Bites with Raisins
Chocolate Hazelnut Energy Bites
Almond Energy Bites with Cherries
Equipment Recommendations
Use these kitchen tools for this simple recipe!
Check out our essential equipment guide to stock your kitchen with ALL the tools you need to prepare anything and everything!
Oatmeal Energy Bites are a Healthy Snack
A healthy, well-balanced snack should contain some form of fiber, protein, and healthy fat. The oats and nut butter are the key ingredients in this recipe that make it the perfect snack.
Oats
Oats of any variety are a good source of fiber and complex carbohydrates. Fiber is important for digestion, satiety, stable blood sugar, good cholesterol, and healthy gut bacteria. Carbohydrates are important for energy and focus.
Learn about the different types of oats in our popular article!
Nut Butter
Nut butter – almond, cashew, peanut, or whatever variety you enjoy – contains plant-based protein and healthy fats. These nutrients help you feel satisfied until your next meal.
For more information about the best ingredients to use, check out our ingredient guide!
How to Store Homemade Energy Bites
Oatmeal energy bites are a great on-the-go snack because they do not have to be cold to eat. However, for food safety reasons, don’t leave them out of the fridge for longer than 4 hours.
For optimal freshness, store the energy balls in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. You can also store them in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Do you love oats as much as we do? We might have a slight obsession 🙂
Check out these other delicious base recipes featuring oats!
Baked Oatmeal Cups Base Recipe
Energy Bites Base Recipe
Ingredients
Base Recipe
- ½ cup hot water
- up to ½ teaspoon spices
- up to ½ teaspoon flavor extract
- Dash salt
- 1 ½ cups old fashioned oats
- ¼-½ cup nut or seed butter
- 1-2 Tablespoons natural sweetener (or to taste)
Mix-ins to YOUR taste
- ¼ cup finely chopped toasted nuts or seeds
- ¼ cup coconut flakes
- ¼ cup mini chocolate chips
- ¼ cup dried fruit
- ¼ cup fruit or vegetable puree (pumpkin, sweet potato, etc.)
- 2 Tablespoons ground flaxseed
- ¼ teaspoon citrus zest
Instructions
- Mix hot water, flavor extract and/or spices, and salt in a medium bowl. Add oats to the mixture. Mix until all the water is absorbed.
- Add the nut butter, liquid sweetener, and mix-ins to your taste and stir until well incorporated.
- If sticky, refrigerate mixture for 30 minutes before rolling. If not sticky, skip this step!
- Divide mixture into 1-inch balls (~2 Tablespoons) using a spoon or small portion scoop. Roll into balls.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. Enjoy!
Notes
Energy Bites Base Recipe
Ingredients
Base Recipe
- ½ cup hot water
- up to ½ teaspoon spices
- up to ½ teaspoon flavor extract
- Dash salt
- 1 ½ cups old fashioned oats
- ¼-½ cup nut or seed butter
- 1-2 Tablespoons natural sweetener (or to taste)
Mix-ins to YOUR taste
- ¼ cup finely chopped toasted nuts or seeds
- ¼ cup coconut flakes
- ¼ cup mini chocolate chips
- ¼ cup dried fruit
- ¼ cup fruit or vegetable puree (pumpkin, sweet potato, etc.)
- 2 Tablespoons ground flaxseed
- ¼ teaspoon citrus zest
Instructions
- Mix hot water, flavor extract and/or spices, and salt in a medium bowl. Add oats to the mixture. Mix until all the water is absorbed.
- Add the nut butter, liquid sweetener, and mix-ins to your taste and stir until well incorporated.
- If sticky, refrigerate mixture for 30 minutes before rolling. If not sticky, skip this step!
- Divide mixture into 1-inch balls (~2 Tablespoons) using a spoon or small portion scoop. Roll into balls.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. Enjoy!
This Post Has 4 Comments
Yummy!
Thank you! We think so too 😉
We love these energy oat treats! My kids can help make them and they are the best after school snack or pre-soccer game boost. Our favorite is peanut butter with chocolate chips but the kids enjoy almond butter as well if we need to swap it out. So easy to make and store!
We love making these with kids! Glad yours are enjoying them. They are so perfect for a pre-workout snack 🙂