Quite a while ago, I poo-pooed the idea of energy bites as a fad, said that they didn’t appeal to me at all, vowed to never make them. Embarrassingly, I’m now going back on that. Turns out that, yes they may be a bit of a fad, but I actually quite like them, and made them on a number of occasions during exam season.
Right at the start of exam season, I’m made the mistake of treating myself to ‘just one’ packet of half-covered hobnobs. Several packets later, skinny jeans starting to feel a little uncomfortable, enough was enough. I pulled out my favorite ‘healthy eating’ books, threw some bits into a blender, and discovered that energy bites weren’t as horrible as previously feared. I’ve now honed my recipe, and now is the time to share it…
- 75g ‘dry stuff’ – I use equal measures of oats, almonds (flaked as that’s what I tend to buy), hazelnuts, chia, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds.
- 50-75g pitted dates, soaked in a little boiling water then drained
- 50g nut butter
- 2 teaspoons cacao powder, for chocolatey bites
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon – for ‘plain nut bites’ (a drop of vanilla extract is also good!)
Blitz the dry stuff in a blender (I use the grind function on mine) until you have a coarse powder. Tip into a large bowl and stir through the cacao, if using. Blitz together the dates and nut butter, adding a little of the soaking liquid if the mix is too sticky to blend.
Personal preference – I like to leave a few good-sized chunks of date in there for a fruity hit (says the person who hates fruit!).
Tip the sticky mix into the bowl, then mix together with your hands. Trust me, a spoon does not work here! I find some actions similar to bread kneading works well to combine the ingredients. Roll tablespoons into balls, place on a lined baking tray, and chill in the fridge for a few hours, before transferring to a sealed container – keep in the fridge, though I prefer to bring them to room temperature before snacking!
Are you a fan of energy bites? What’s your go-to sweet snack?
