Chewy and delicious grab-and-go fuel, these Chocolate Chia Coconut Energy Bites are perfect for stashing in your purse, gym bag or desk drawer.
Today is a special day – it’s my 34th birthday! I thought about sharing a fabulous cake or indulgent dessert recipe to celebrate but if I’m being honest, I feel happiest when I can walk into my closet and fit into all of my clothes or pop into a boutique store and not worry that none of the dresses will fit.
Admittedly, I’m not a huge cake or sweets person but I do love chocolate and eat it regularly. In fact, indulging in my chocolate cravings on a regular basis keeps me on track.
October is a busy travel month for me which means it is even harder for me to stay on track with my weight loss goals. No matter the trip, whenever I am on the road I never exercise as much, drink as much water or eat as healthfully as I do when I am home.
But guess what? We are in #NoExcuses zone so I am going to do everything I can to minimize the damage. Travel is not the time to be setting lofty weight loss goals but I am going to work my tail off to maintain the 46+ pounds I’ve lost since Jacob was born.
Case in point: I will be keeping a stash of these Chocolate Chia Coconut Energy Bites in my purse to tide me over during airport layovers or to munch on after a hotel gym workout.
Each batch makes 24 bites but you can easily double them up and pair them with a piece of fruit to turn them into a convenient breakfast on the go. My husband likes to take them to work for an afternoon snack and my toddler loves them any time of the day.
I must give a shout out to my kind, gorgeous and enormously talented friend Ali who inspires me to make my food look beautiful. She recently taught me to poke a few chocolate chips into the sides of the bites so that they look as good as they taste! (Don’t worry, they are accounted for in the nutrition facts – 1/4 cup is plenty for this trick.)
Are these energy bites Gluten Free?
They can be! Just be sure to buy gluten free oats (that aren’t manufactured in a gluten plant) and vegan chocolate chips. :)
Do I have to include flax seed with these?
You should use the flax seed but can omit if you want. The flax seed helps them stay together – almost like flour. Also, I like to rub them around a little bit to let the oils come out of the nuts.
No forks required.
No Bake Chocolate Chia Energy Bites
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup creamy natural peanut butter such as JIF or Skippy
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups oats old fashioned or quick cooking
- 1/4 cup chia seeds
- 1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
- 1/4 cup flax seed meal
- 1/4 cup chocolate chips
Instructions:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together peanut butter and honey until smooth. Stir in cinnamon and salt.
- Add oats, chia, coconut and flax seed meal to the bowl and stir until evenly incorporated.
- Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl so that all ingredients are combined then stir in chocolate chips.
- Use a small/medium cookie scoop to form into bite-sized balls. Can be served immediately or chilled if you prefer them cold.
Notes:
Nutrition Facts:
Friends, what are your best tips for staying healthy while traveling? I am all ears!!
Marissa
Love these energy bites! I have made them three times now. The whole family loves them. I use Manuka honey as a slightly healthier version of honey. My son has a nut allergy so we also substitute sunflower seed butter instead of peanut butter. We like the all natural butters so they did turn out a little crumbly, but I found that when I formed the balls I was able to make them stick together. I plan to add a little more honey next time to make it a little easier to form. Thanks so much for such a great recipe!
Liz DellaCroce
Ahhh I’m so glad you enjoyed these Marissa! Great idea to use sunflower seed butter!!!
Lily
These are really delicious! Thanks so much for the recipe!
Liz DellaCroce
Of course! Enjoy!