Butter & Baggage

Energy Bites

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Healthy and delicious Energy Bites made with dates, walnuts, almond butter and dried cherries are great for when you need a pick-me-up.  Sweetened with just a bit of maple syrup and rolled in coconut, these will become a new favorite.
Energy Bites with a cup of tea
By about 10 am, I need a snack, I work out early in the morning and by 10, my breakfast is gone. Energy bites are perfect for bridging the gap between meals. Anyone that knows me knows that I have to eat something every couple of hours. These have been my go-to snack for the past few months. There are lots of energy bite recipes out there but I’ve never found one that I’m crazy about. I started messing with a recipe with my favorite ingredients and ended up with these. There’s no added sugar except the maple syrup that’s in the Maple Almond Butter. I used Justin’s, which is my favorite, it has just enough maple syrup to make it seem like a treat.  If you don’t have it on hand, just add about a teaspoon of maple syrup.
Ingredients for Energy Bites in a food processor
Sorry, but you really need a food processor to make these.  I don’t know how you could get the dates and walnuts fine enough without a food processor. Dates come in so many sizes, so just use about 2 cups of pitted dates.  I find that it works a little easier if you chop the walnuts a bit first and then add the dates.  If it doesn’t roll into balls easily you may need to add a bit more almond butter.  Don’t forget the salt, it really helps the flavors pop. I’ve thrown in bits and pieces of any dried fruit I have on hand and it all works, but I prefer the sweetness from dried cherries.
A batch of Energy Bites on a black board

Since I love coconut, coating them in toasted coconut was a no brainer. However, you could coat them in nuts or cocoa powder or leave them without a coating at all.

 

I think you’ll find that these have just enough sweetness to feel like you’re treating yourself but with so many healthy ingredients that your body will thank you.  I store them in the freezer and then grab a few for my morning snack.

A close up of Energy Bites
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Energy Bites

A batch of Energy Bites on a black board

Healthy and delicious Energy Bites made with dates, walnuts, almond butter and dried cherries are great for when you need a pick-me-up.  Sweetened with just a bit of maple syrup and rolled in coconut, these will become a new favorite.

  • Author: Barbara Curry
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 34 1x
  • Category: dessert
Scale

Ingredients

  • 2 cups large pitted dates
  • 1 cup walnuts
  • 1 cup unsweetened dried cherries
  • ¼ cup maple almond butter, (or add a teaspoon of maple syrup if using regular almond butter)
  • 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup unsweetened coconut

Instructions

1. Toast coconut until golden brown, it will not take long.
2. In a food processor, add chopped walnuts or process whole walnuts first. Then add pitted dates and process until the nuts are chopped very small. Add the rest of the ingredients except the coconut. Pulse a few times then process for 1-2 minutes, until it starts to come together. If it does not easily form into balls, add a little more almond butter.
3. Using a 1 tablespoon ice cream scoop or your hands, roll into 34 walnut sized balls. Roll in toasted coconut and refrigerate or freeze.

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