Mini chocolate chip energy bites are sure to satisfy that urge for a chocolate fix. Easy to make and only 106 calories each.
Happy Monday….I hope your weekend was a good one. We’re in the dog days of summer, but there should be lots more summery days if you live in the Northern Hemisphere. You Southern Hemisphere folks are heading into what I feel is the greatest season…Springtime.
Here in Minnesota it’s time for county fairs….just before the BIG ONE. The Great Minnesota Get Together, ie. the State Fair. Well MaryJo and I went to the Le Sueur County fair the other day. This is where these rural folks show their animals like pigs, cattle, goats, and sheep.
Also, the 4-H programs is pretty strong here and there were lots of projects on exhibit. One of these was a young girl who made Energy Bites, (she called them balls). She listed how she made them and the ingredients were nearly identical to what I used.
I guess it’s no great secret how to make these. It’s just a matter of mixing some great tasting items together and making sure they hold together in a ball.
Ingredients used in my energy bites
The main ingredient is Old Fashioned Rolled Oats. I used Quaker brand. If you are gluten intolerant, you may want to find some Bob’s Red Mill gluten free rolled oats since the Quaker brand may contain small amounts of gluten. Bob’s Red Mill processes their oats in a dedicated facility where there’s never any wheat .
Next is peanut butter. This is what ultimately binds the energy bites together. I used Smucker’s Natural creamy. It is the type of peanut butter that needs to be stored in the refrigerator and it is kind of runny otherwise. I like this brand since it doesn’t contain any added sugar, just peanuts and a little salt. If you make these bites and intend to pack them into your child’s school lunchbox, it would be best to use a standard non-refrigerated peanut butter.
Then you add a little more protein and for this I used chia seeds. Flax seeds would be a good choice too. You might also experiment using protein powders if you use them.
Finish the bites off with some maple syrup or honey for sweetness, and then of course some mini chocolate chips.
Once you get all these ingredients well blended, stick the bowl into the refrigerator for 30 minutes or so to firm up.
To make the balls, I used a #50 cookie scoop to form them. A #50 is about 1″ across. You can see a good #50 scoop right here. Dig into the oats and press the mix in well using your thumb or the palm of your hands. Pop the energy bite out onto a plate or waxed paper. Store in the refrigerator in a covered dish or a tupperware container.
If you are feeling adventurous, try making these with some dried cranberries or raisins. I made a batch with coconut and chopped almonds which was really good.
If you make these chocolate chip energy bites, post a photo to your Instagram and hashtag #joeshealthymeals. I love seeing what you’ve been making.
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Mini Chocolate Chip Energy Balls
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups Old fashioned rolled oats
- 1/2 cup peanut butter
- 1/3 cup maple syrup or honey
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
- 2 tbsp chia seeds
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients well in a large bowl, then place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or more to firm up.
- Use a #50 cookie scoop to make the energy balls. Press the mixture in well to ensure the mix adheres well. If forming by hand, make 1" balls compressing with your hands. If the mix gets too sticky, return to the refrigerator again.
- Store the energy bites in the refrigerator in a covered container. A #50 scoop makes 20 balls.
My wife made these energy bars and they were great! She didn’t have any chocolate chips on hand at the time but they were still excellent. I ate them for breakfast, or just as a snack. She is making these again today!
Sounds good, but I would add the coconut.
These are great to have in the frig for a quick snack when you’re hungry and dinner is still 3 hours away.
Oh, and if you click on the link for the cookie scoop, you’ll find the chart that you click on showing what the different sizes are of the various cookie scoops. Those scoops (or dishers as some people call them) are one of my favorite time-savers.