Easy No-Bake Energy Bites Recipe

We know, we know — we had you at "no-bake." There are even more reasons to love this recipe though. These double chocolate no-bake energy bites are the perfect snack to prep if you're trying to eat healthy even when you most definitely get an afternoon (or morning) sweet tooth. Have these at your disposal and you'll satisfy your chocolate craving while also giving yourself a relatively good-for-you pick-me-up. 

We scored the recipe from Mackenzie Burgess, a registered dietitian nutritionist who created the blog Cheerful Choices. She tells us, "Energy bites are a snack I always have around my house. It's perfect to make in advance and grab on the go." We'd venture to say these will make you feel less weighed down in the afternoon than a handful of Oreos (nothing against Oreos, of course).

While you don't need an oven to make these energy bites, you will need a food processor or a high speed blender. 

The first items to go on the chopping block (or food processor or blender) are the dates and the walnuts. This no-bake energy bites recipe calls for pitted dates, that are chopped. The keywords here are "pitted" (so you better make sure those giant seeds are removed) and "chopped" (don't go dropping full-size dates on the blade). The dates might need to be softened prior to going in the processor. How can you tell? "If your dates are slightly squishy they should be fine to throw right in the food processor," Burgess says. "However, if they've been sitting around for a while and are pretty hard, soak them in hot water for 10 minutes before throwing in the food processor to blend." 

Can you substitute a different nut if you don't like walnuts? We asked Burgess about that too and she assures us, "If you don't have walnuts, you can use another type of soft nut like pecans. You can also use almonds, they will just take a little bit longer to blend since they are a harder type of nut." The walnuts and dates do seem like a winning combo, though. And there are lots of good reasons to eat walnuts. And as for dates, those have perks too. Burgess praises dates because they, "pack in natural sweetness without any added sugars. The fiber in dates also helps keep our digestive health in check." 

Now that almost all of the ingredients have been incorporated, you should check to make sure the dough is on the right track. The texture is important because the mixture should be starting to stick together at this point. If the no-bake energy bite dough is still too crumbly, you can gradually add one to three teaspoons of water or almond milk (which some people might argue are one and the same), then pulse a few more times in the processor, to help smooth it out somewhat to get that perfect texture.

You're going to be rolling the dough into balls with your fingers (spoiler alert), so it's important that it be the right consistency. Not all food processors are alike, so this step might come down to what kind you have and/or what type of blade you're using.

As you form each no-bake energy bite into a ball with the dough, the next step is to gently roll the dough in a dish of cocoa powder. Repeat this step until all of the bites are coated with the powder. 

If you're a superfood nerd, you've probably also heard of cacao powder, which should be noted is different from cocoa powder. We asked Burgess about the two from a dietitian's perspective. She explains, "Cacao powder is made from beans that have not been roasted. They are also processed at a low temperature before being milled into a powder. This allows them to be a bit higher in nutrients but also quite bitter." This is something to keep in mind if you only have cacao powder on hand when making these no-bake energy bites. 

As far as cocoa powder, Burgess says it is, "made from beans that are both fermented and roasted. They are then processed at a much higher temperature. This allows for a slightly lower nutrient content, but also a much less bitter flavor. I find that cocoa powder is also easier to find in stores. You can use either, it's really just personal preference for taste and nutrient content." Just know that the powder you choose can affect how the bites end up tasting.