No Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Energy Bites

These are perfect little bites of energy and deliciousness that are great when you don’t want to turn on the oven (or like me, have a broken oven)!  Never fear, a new one is on the way.  I love that these are healthy with mostly all natural ingredients (except the chocolate, though it is dark chocolate so is definitely on the healthier side anyway).

Super easy to make!  I formed them into to little one and a half inch disks, but they would be easy to just for into to balls.  I found these on Maggie’s blog, Smashed Peas and Carrots.  I made a few little changes to how I made them, besides forming them in to disks instead of balls.  The recipe used ground flaxseed and I only had half of what was needed for that, so I also used some wheat germ.  Her recipe also doesn’t say more than “coconut flakes”, I used the unsweetened ones and instead of mini chocolate chips, I used some chopped dark chocolate.  You could actually make these with all kinds of flavors, using different nut butters and putting dried fruit in them. 

No Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Energy Bites, by Katrina and Baking and Boys! adapted from Smashed Peas and Carrots

1 cup old fashioned oats

1/2 cup natural peanut butter

1/3 cup honey

1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

1/4 cup ground flaxseed

1/4 cup wheat germ

1/2 cup (3 oz.) chopped dark chocolate

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes or so, which helps make the mixture easier to form into bite sized pieces.  Scoop out tablespoonsful with a small cookie scoop and put them into a 1  1/2 inch round cookie cutter (these would even be fun to use different cookie cutter shapes!), Pack the mixture down into the cutter.  You can also form them into balls, packing the mixture before you roll it.  Place them on a wax paper lined baking sheet.  Refrigerate again.  (Although you may find them getting eaten before the make it back to the refrigerator.)  Store in an airtight container.  Makes 24-28 cookies, depending on size.

These really are fun, easy, delicious bites of energy!  Try not to eat too much before you even get them shaped.  I dare ya!

I have some almond butter.  I think I’ll try that next with some chopped almonds and maybe some dried cranberries.