Thin Mint Energy Bites (Chocolate Mint Energy Bites!)
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Thin Mint Energy Bites – These Mint Chocolate Energy Bites are a delicious snack or healthy treat! Made with simple ingredients, they’re great for meal prep. (Vegan + Paleo + Gluten-Free)
For a lot of Februarys in a row, we lived in a little apartment around a corner from a grocery store. Once or twice a week, I’d strap baby Sophie into a carrier (or buckle her into a stroller) and walk to pick up some groceries. It was an easy way to get out of the house, and Sophie LOVED errands. I’d usually just get what I could carry, which was easy enough…
…Until Girl Scout Cookie season.
I always looked forward to a little folding table set up outside the store, staffed by adorable enterprising little ladies happily waiting to make a sale. There was hardly a week that I didn’t get a couple of boxes (Thin Mints + Samoas, please!). I always tried to ration the cookies out, but they always *somehow* disappeared faster than I thought they would.
Now that we’re dairy + gluten-free, I usually get my Thin Mint fix from our homemade Thin Mints, but this year, I’m channeling some of my Girl Scout cookie love into these Thin Mint Energy Bites–easy mint chocolate energy bites that make a delicious meal prep snack or healthy treat when you’re craving something sweet. The ingredient list is short, sweet, and makes putting these together a breeze.
Here’s all you’ll need to get started on our mint chocolate energy bites recipe…
HERE’S WHAT GOES INTO OUR MINT CHOCOLATE ENERGY BITES:
MEDJOOL DATES. I recommend using Medjool dates for making energy bites. They’re moist, caramel-y, and have a great texture. If you can’t find them, you can use other dates (like Deglet Noor). Just be sure you get the pits out first + measure out 2 full cups.
RAW CASHEWS (OR ALMONDS). Next, you’ll add some nuts. I usually use raw cashews, but you can also use raw almonds for my mint chocolate energy bites recipe. Pick your fave!
UNSWEETENED COCONUT. A little bit of unsweetened coconut adds a subtle sweetness without the coconut taste taking over. (If you’re not a coconut fan, you can experiment with adding additional nuts to the recipe instead. You may need to play with the amount of liquid in the recipe to make this work.)
UNSWEETENED COCOA POWDER. It’s always amazing to me how much chocolate flavor you can coax out of a few tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder. It adds SO much yummy chocolate flavor to our mint chocolate energy bites without added sugar. Win-win!
VANILLA EXTRACT + MINT EXTRACT. You’ll take these from chocolate to mint chocolate energy bites with the addition of some vanilla extract and a little mint extract. Mint extract is pretty potent, so I suggest starting with 1/8 tsp. and adding more as desired.
SALT. A tiny bit of salt helps balance the flavors in these energy bites. I notice when I leave it out.
MELTED CHOCOLATE (IF YOU WANT!). To make them pretty, and give them a fun twist, I love adding a little bit of melted chocolate on top of the mint chocolate energy bites. You only need a little bit to make a big impact! Speaking of fun ways to mix these up, here are our favorite variations on this recipe…
MIX IT UP! TRY ONE OF THESE TWISTS ON OUR MINT CHOCOLATE ENERGY BITES.
DRIZZLE THEM WITH CHOCOLATE. You don’t *have* to drizzle these with chocolate, but I think that a tiny bit of chocolate (it only takes 2-3 Tbsp. of chocolate chips, tops!) drizzled on top makes these taste like Thin Mint Energy Bites. All that lovely chocolate mint flavor + a little chocolatey crunch? So good!
MIX IN SOME CHOCOLATE CHIPS. If melting the chocolate feels a bit fussy (it only takes a minute! promise!), you can mix in some chocolate chips or mini chocolate chips instead. I like mini chocolate chips in my energy bites, since they’re better distributed and you don’t end up with just a few big ones in each energy bite.
ADD CACAO NIBS. If you want the crunch and feel of a bit of chocolate without the added sugar, you can totally use cacao nibs. These are raw nibs of cacao and are unsweetened. If you’re not used to them, they can run a bit bitter, so keep that in mind if you’d like to try them!
TRY THEM WITH DARK COCOA POWDER. For a deeper chocolate look and taste, you can totally swap out our regular unsweetened cocoa powder for dark cocoa powder (sometimes sold as Dutched cocoa or alkalized cocoa powder). It looks almost black and has a little more intense flavor. It can be tasty now and then!
FAQ + TIPS AND TRICKS FOR THE BEST MINT CHOCOLATE ENERGY BITES.
A GOOD FOOD PROCESSOR. Using a good food processor makes preparing energy bites as easy as can be. I have this one. I love it and it’s a great size for all kinds of tasks, from making pesto, to mixing up hummus, to making banana ice cream, and more. It’s great for this mint chocolate energy bites recipe!
USE A SCOOP! To make measuring and scooping evenly-sized energy bites, I love using a small cookie scoop. Mine makes 1″ balls, which is the perfect size for mint chocolate energy bites. If you don’t have a scoop, using a tablespoon can help you get even amounts for each energy bite.
TRY THEM WITH DARK COCOA POWDER! In case you missed this in the last section, you can experiment with using dark cocoa powder (Dutch-processed/alkalized cocoa powder) instead of original unsweetened cocoa powder. Your mint chocolate energy bites will take on a darker color and a bit more intense flavor. If you like dark chocolate, this can be a tasty way to go!
DO YOU USE PEPPERMINT EXTRACT OR SPEARMINT EXTRACT FOR MINT CHOCOLATE ENERGY BITES? I recommend peppermint extract. The flavor is more complementary with the chocolate. (Spearmint can get a bit toothpaste-y.)
WHAT’S THE BEST WAY TO STORE ENERGY BITES? I recommend keeping your energy bites in an airtight container in the refrigerator for best results. Stored this way, your mint chocolate energy bites will easily keep for a week! (This makes them an awesome snack/treat to make as meal prep!)
CRAVING MORE? YOU’D PROBABLY LOVE:
- Apple Nachos
- Our Ultimate Guide to Trail Mix (+6 Favorite Combinations To Try!)
- Lemon Energy Bites
- Nut-Free Chocolate Cherry Energy Bites
- Peanut Butter Energy Bites
- Our Favorite Store-Bought Gluten-Free Snacks
- Chocolate Brownie Hummus
SHOP OUR FAVORITE TOOLS + INGREDIENTS FOR THESE ENERGY BITES:
Thin Mint Energy Bites (Chocolate Mint Energy Bites!)
- Total Time: About 20 minutes
- Yield: About 20 energy bites 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Thin Mint Energy Bites – These Mint Chocolate Energy Bites are a delicious snack or healthy treat! Made with simple ingredients, they’re great for meal prep. (Vegan, Paleo, Gluten-Free)
Ingredients
FOR THE MINT CHOCOLATE ENERGY BITES:
- 2 cups pitted Medjool dates (About 14–18 dates)
- 3/4 cup raw cashews
- 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla
- 1/8–1/4 tsp. mint extract
- 1/8 tsp. salt
- water, as needed.
FOR OPTIONAL CHOCOLATE DRIZZLE:
- 2–3 Tbsp. chocolate chips
- 1/4 tsp. coconut oil
Instructions
- Add dates, cashews, coconut, cocoa powder, vanilla, 1/8 tsp. mint, and salt to the bowl of a food processor.
- Pulse until the mixture starts to come together and no big pieces remain. It should stick together when you pinch the mixture between your fingers. Taste, and add additional mint extract, if desired.
- If your mixture is a bit dry (which can happen depending on how fresh + moist your dates are), add water 1/2 tsp. at a time as needed, blending 10 seconds between additions until the mixture starts to come together.
- Scoop the mixture into 1″ balls and roll between your palms to smooth the balls out.
- Place in an airtight container.
- If adding the chocolate drizzle, combine chocolate chips and coconut oil in a microwave safe bowl. Gently melt in 20 second increments, stirring until the mixture is silky smooth and easy to drizzle.
- Drizzle melted chocolate over the energy bites using a fork or small spatula.
- Cover the container of energy bites and refrigerate until the chocolate is set. Energy bites will keep about 1 week covered in the refrigerator.
- Prep Time: 15-18 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 minutes
- Category: Snack
- Method: Food Processor
- Cuisine: American
OMG!!! These are AMAZING! I didn’t have Medjool dates, so I used the ones I had (some big bag from Costco) and measured out the 2 cups. I did have to add a little water as suggested. Instead of peppermint extract, I used 3 drops of peppermint essential oil from Young Living. I ended up with a little more than 20 balls and didn’t do the chocolate drizzle. Shared some with some friends & they asked for the recipe too. LOVE these and will be making them regularly! Thanks for another great recipe Emily!
Great idea with the peppermint oil! So glad you loved them!
These look SUPER yummy!! I really want to try them, but I have a super severe cashew allergy. I was wondering if rolled oats might work in place of the cashews, because I don’t want the stronger flavor of almonds overpowering the other yummy ingredients. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE all of your other recipes that I’ve tried (granola bars, salsa, green salsa, and the BROWNIES!!!)!!!!!!! Thank you in advance, Emily!!!
Hi, Oona! I’d actually recommend pumpkin seeds if you can find them! They have a remarkably neutral flavor and work well with the chocolate + mint!