No Bake Cookie Energy Bites – The perfect snack when you’re craving something sweet. These chocolate peanut butter energy bites are gluten free, vegan and taste just like a cookie!
I’m pretty sure Milo’s summer anthem is “I will take all the snacks you have, please.”
He’s growing a TON this summer and, despite eating REALLY big meals, is super hungry all day long. We’ve gotten back in the habit of keeping a stash of energy bites in the fridge so we always have something easy and ready to offer when it’s snack or mealtime.
It’s helped! I can add one of these onto his lunches or snacks when he’s eaten seconds and is still hungry, or I can pull one out if he’s just not going to make it to the next meal.
It also helps that these energy bites taste like no bake cookies. For real.
I love the blend of favors here–the peanut butter chocolate combination is so satisfying! Plus, with oats, flax, and coconut, these get even more filling. It truly feels like you’re eating no bake cookie batter.
I typically pair one or two of these with something like fruit or veggies for afternoon snack, or tuck one into their lunches (they’re the perfect size for packing!). Both kids LOVE them, and I love that they’re so convenient and easy. (Plus, they taste AMAZING.)
Related: 15 Healthy Snacks to Make Right Now
If you’ve got a peanut allergy or prefer to avoid peanut butter, you can sub something else, like sunflower seed butter, this 7 Nut and Seed blend, almond or cashew butter, etc. They’re flexible and easy that way!
Notes on These No Bake Cookie Energy Bites:
Don’t have a food processor? You can mix these up in a large bowl with a spatula. You may find you need to add a little more oats or coconut to keep the mixture from being too wet this way. You want to be able to scoop and roll them into balls easily without the mixture completely coating your hands.
Natural peanut butter – I use natural peanut butter (just peanuts and salt–no sugar or oils added), and have found that different brands vary in consistency. Some are quite runny, others aren’t. You may find you need to add a little more peanut butter or a little more syrup or some milk if your peanut butter is thick.
Add a layer of flavor. When I have time, I love toasting the coconut before making these. It adds another little layer of flavor that’s so satisfying and delicious!
Got texture issues? If the texture of these would bother your kids, you can continue to process them, and add 1 Tbsp of milk or syrup to the mixture to pull the mixture together. They can be VERY smooth when processed this way.
My favorite trick: I swear by using a cookie scoop for these. It’s easy to get them all the same size. I scoop them out, then roll them in my hands to smooth them. I use my cookie scoop for everything from meatballs, to energy bites, to measuring muffin batter and more. It’s one of my favorite kitchen tools!
Notes on Oats (& a Gluten Free Tip): You can use either old-fashioned or quick-cooking oats for these. We’re gluten free, so we buy certified gluten-free oats. Oats themselves don’t contain wheat gluten, but processing and farming practices often cause cross-contamination. We buy certified gluten free oats and have never had a bad reaction. If that’s not a concern, any kind will do!
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No Bake Cookie Energy Bites
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 20-24 energy bites 1x
Ingredients
- 1 cup old-fashioned oats (use gluten free, if needed)
- 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut (I use this kind) – toasted, if you like.
- 3/4 cup natural peanut butter*
- 1/3 cup maple syrup (can sub honey if not vegan)
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder or cacao powder
- 2 Tbsp ground flaxseed (optional)
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch salt
Instructions
- In a food processor, combine peanut butter, syrup, cocoa powder, flaxseed, vanilla, and salt. Pulse until mixture comes together and is smooth.
- Add oats and coconut and pulse until well combined. Mixture will be fairly loose, but should come together when scooped and rolled into balls. (If your mixture is too dry, you can add a little more peanut butter or syrup, or a Tbsp of milk (plant based or dairy–whichever you use) at a time to help it come together.
- Scoop mixture into 1″ balls and roll out to smooth. Place in an airtight container in the refrigerator and store up to 1 week. (You can also freeze these up to 1 month)
Alternatively, you can make these in a bowl. Simply stir until all ingredients come together. You may find they’re slightly more wet this way (since the oats don’t get ground down).J ust add a little more coconut and oats until you reach a consistency you like.
Notes
Don’t have a food processor? You can mix these up in a large bowl with a spatula. You may find you need to add a little more oats or coconut to keep the mixture from being too wet this way. You want to be able to scoop and roll them into balls easily without the mixture completely coating your hands.
*Natural peanut butter – I use natural peanut butter (just peanuts and salt–no sugar or oils added), and have found that different brands vary in consistency. Some are quite runny, others aren’t. You may find you need to add a little more peanut butter or a little more syrup or some milk if your peanut butter is thick.
Add a layer of flavor. When I have time, I love toasting the coconut before making these. It adds another little layer of flavor that’s so satisfying and delicious!
Got texture issues? If the texture of these would bother your kids, you can continue to process them, and add 1 Tbsp of milk or syrup at a time to the mixture to pull the mixture together. They can be VERY smooth when processed this way.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Snacks
- Method: No bake
Keywords: energy bites, balls, chocolate peanut butter, peanut butter, chocolate, no bake cookie, energy bites
These sound amazing! Definitely must try! Sophie x
sophiehmstewart.com
These look amazing! I’m going to have to make these when we get home from vacation next week!
What would you suggest to use if we don’t use honey or maple syrup? Is there any other sticky substitute that isn’t sugar?
I haven’t tested anything else with this recipe. You could try some of my others! Most of them use dates instead, like these or these.
blue Agave syrup, or 100,%fruit juice, use your imagination, ingredients you like.
I will do flax, oats, cut up ginger pieces,crushed cashews, sunflower seeds, dates, dried figs, toasted coconut, vanilla Costco natural pnt butter…if it needs hydrating …maple syrup, unless to sweet then lil bit of flax or cashew milk. Yummy
I hope it works out for you! 🙂
How long will these keep?
About 1 week in the refrigerator or 1 month in the freezer 🙂
Weird question: do you think it world work to sub nut pieces (like almonds or chopped peanuts) for the coconut? I just don’t like coconut.
That’s not a weird question! I haven’t tested it that way, but I bet it’d work pretty well! I’d make sure to chop them pretty fine before adding them to the mix. If you find that your mixture is more wet (and sticking to your hands instead of rolling out well), I’d just mix in a little more oats to make up the difference. If you give it a try, I’d love to know what you think!
Yum, these are fantastic! They really do taste like no-bake cookies! My picky two year old gobbled them up. Thank you!
★★★★★
YAY!!! Both my picky eaters LOVE them!
This recipe has been such a life saver for my family in our transition into a healthier way of eating. Thank you!
★★★★★
I’m so glad to hear that Ashley! That’s fantastic! 🙂
My recipe is too soft to pick up. It’s not runny tho. After they are cooked and too soft do you have any suggestions to fix them. I tried putting them in the freezer but they are still soft. Do you have any alternative options that they can be turned into?
★★★★★
Melinda – I’m not totally sure I understand the question, but I’d love to help! Energy bites are a no-bake recipe meant to be pretty soft to bite into (kind of like a healthy truffle or cookie dough ball). They should hold their shape in balls but also still be soft to bite into.
If your “dough” is too soft to roll into balls, it could be that you need more oats or coconut to help the mixture stick together. You could try putting the dough back in a food processor and pulsing with 1 Tbsp. of oats or coconut at a time until the mixture comes together in a ball to help the mixture firm up a bit.
I hope that helps!