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Soft peanut butter chocolate chip balls in a small white dish. The top ball has a bite taken out.

The Best Energy Bites {Master Recipe}

Yield: 24 Small Bites
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (100 g) old-fashioned oats
  • ⅓ cup (35 g) ground flaxseed meal (see note)
  • ⅔ to 1 cup (170 to 255 g) nut butter (see note)
  • ¼ cup (85 g) honey
  • Dash of vanilla extract
  • Pinch of salt

Optional Add-Ins:

  • Mini chocolate chips
  • Shredded coconut
  • Chopped nuts
  • Dried fruit

Instructions 

  • In a food processor, add the oats and process until coarsely chopped. If you don't have a food processor coarsely chop the oats in a blender and transfer to a bowl.
  • Add the flaxseed meal, nut butter, honey, vanilla and salt. Process/mix until the mixture comes together into a soft but not overly sticky ball.
  • If the mixture is overly dry, add nut butter a tablespoon at a time and process/mix until the consistency is soft but not overly sticky or crumbly.
  • Remove the blade from the food processor, if using. Add any add-in ingredients, and mix with your hands until evenly combined.
  • Roll the dough into small balls (I use my small cookie scoop - #60) and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet or tray.
  • Refrigerate until set. Store in the refrigerator for up to a week or in the freezer for 1 to 2 months.

Notes

Flaxseed Meal: you can replace the flaxseed meal with other nutrient-dense "meals" like chia seed meal or omit the flaxseed meal and replace with 1/3 cup extra oats.
Nut Butter: as far as nut butter, I've tried these with almond butter, peanut butter (both natural and Skippy-types), and cashew butter. My favorite combo is half peanut butter/half cashew butter (to die for). Almond butter is my least favorite of the options, but that's just personal preference (my kids like it less, too) - the texture of the bites tends to be a bit grainier.
Consistency: for the overall consistency of these energy bites, a lot will depend on how coarsely the oats are chopped in the first step and the thickness of the nut butter (for instance, cashew butter and natural peanut butter are sometimes runnier). If you are using a nut butter with a thinner consistency, start with the 2/3 cup amount and add more, if needed. 
Nutrition Facts: the nutrition facts for this recipe were calculated based on the bites (but do not include the optional add-ins as those are added based on personal preference).