Sweetened primarily with dates and a small amount of maple syrup, these no-bake energy bites are perfectly sweet and have the loveliest chewy texture. The recipe is inspired by the ones served at our favorite cafe, and I find them completely irresistible.
Two to three times a year, I find myself in Skaneateles with one of my kids for hockey. During these brief visits, we stop by Good Eats, a cafe on the main strip, at least twice a day for bagels, smoothie bowls, coffee, and snacks in between. And while we love everything on the menu, our favorite is the Power Bites, which are packed into small containers in the grab-and-go fridge.
Wren, my 13-year-old, who has had the Good Eats Power Bites label stuck to her Chromebook for over a year, finally gave a homemade recipe a go, with the help of Google, which formulated a recipe for her using the ingredients she suggested: dates, coconut, oats, almonds, vanilla, almond butter, salt, cinnamon, and maple syrup.
With a little tweaking — more dates, more almonds, less coconut — Wren has created a very similar likeness to the Good Eats product: a deliciously chewy, goodness-loaded energy bite. I find these completely irresistible — sweetened primarily with dates, they are not too sweet, and they have the loveliest texture, thanks to the dates, almonds, and coconut. Find step-by-step instructions below.
How to Make Energy Bites, Step by Step
First, gather your ingredients: dates, coconut, oats, almonds, vanilla, almond butter, salt, cinnamon, and maple syrup:
Purée the dates in a food processor until you have a paste:
Add the oats, almonds, and coconut:
Then purée until you have a uniform, coarse mixture:
Add the salt, cinnamon, almond butter, maple syrup, and vanilla:
Purée until smooth, then taste, and adjust with more salt, vanilla, cinnamon or maple syrup to taste:
Once the mixture tastes seasoned to your liking, portion it using a #50 scoop, a scale, or both. Each portion should weigh roughly 25 grams.
Once the batter has been portioned…
… ball up each portion using your hands to form a smooth ball:
Chill the portions for at least 30 minutes before serving them or storing them in an airtight vessel:
These are such a treat to have on hand when you need a quick snack:
Sweetened primarily with dates and a small amount of maple syrup, these no-bake energy bites are perfectly sweet and have the loveliest chewy texture. The recipe is inspired by the ones served at Good Eats in Skeneateles, and I find them completely irresistible.
Notes:
Dates: The Medjool dates I have been using are on the soft side, but if the ones you buy feel firm or dry, you can soften them by soaking them for 5 minutes in boiling water. Also, other varieties of dates will work.
Almond Butter: Any nut butter you like will likely work here. I’ve used peanut butter with success but prefer almond butter. I like the Whole Foods 365 brand for its short ingredients list: almonds.
Tools:
A food processor is essential here. I love my 14-cup Cuisinart.
A #50 scoop is perfect for portioning the dough, but you can also use a scale.
1 cup (208 grams) Medjool dates, about 10, see notes above
1 cup (105 grams) rolled oats
1/2 cup (50 grams) sliced almonds
1/3 cup (35 grams) unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 teaspoon (2.2 grams) flaky sea salt
1 teaspoon (2.3 grams) cinnamon
1/2 cup (129 grams) unsweetened almond butter, see notes above
2 tablespoons (40 grams) maple syrup, plus more to taste
2 teaspoons (8 grams) vanilla, plus more to taste
Place the dates in a food processor and purée until the dates form a ball, 15 to 20 seconds.
Add the oats, almonds, and coconut, then purée again until you have a uniform, coarse mixture, about 30 seconds.
Add the salt, cinnamon, almond butter, maple syrup, and vanilla, and purée again until the mixture is smooth, about 60 seconds. Taste. Adjust with more salt, maple syrup, or vanilla to taste. Purée again. The mixture should be smooth and shiny.
Using a #50 scoop (roughly 1.5 tablespoons) or a scale, portion the dough into roughly 22-23 small balls (each weighing roughly 25 grams). Once portioned, ball up each using the palms of your hands.
Chill the balls for at least 30 minutes before serving. Store in the fridge. At this point the energy bites can be frozen in an airtight container for as long as 3 months.
