Desserts:Peanut Butter Oatmeal Energy Bites

Satisfy your cookie craving with these tasty no-guilt, no-bake energy bites naturally sweetened with honey!

I don’t know about you, but almost every day I have a craving for just a bite of something sweet. I don’t particularly want a full-size dessert—and certainly don’t need that every day—so these Peanut Butter Oatmeal Energy Bites are a great alternative over grabbing a cookie or scoop of ice cream.

Energy bites (or energy balls) are pretty popular over on Pinterest, There are so many variations. I’ve found that you can start with a basic recipe and mix it up depending on what you have on hand. My recipe today starts with old-fashioned oats, chunky peanut butter, and ground flax seed—for a few additional health benefits—and added mini M&M’s to satisfy my chocolate craving! You could add chopped nuts, chocolate chips, coconut, or even chia seeds.

The secrets to this recipe are making sure you get a good balance of dry ingredients to the peanut butter and honey, which will bind it all together, and letting the mixture chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before you form it into balls.

The mixture will be pretty crumbly and you won’t be able to roll it in your palms like cookie dough. Instead, use a one-ounce scoop to portion out the balls, press it together firmly into a ball in your palm, and it will hold together very well. If the mixture seems TOO crumbly, add a little peanut butter or honey. If it feels TOO sticky, toss in a few more oats. You can’t mess it up, so just adjust the portions as needed.

Instructions

• Using a wooden spoon or heavy spatula, stir together all ingredients in a large bowl until coated. If the mixture seems too wet or sticky, add a few more oats. If the mixture seems too dry, add a bit more honey. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
• Remove mixture from the refrigerator and portion the energy balls using a one-ounce scoop. Press each portion into a small ball, using your palms and fingers (note: the mixture will not easily "roll" into a ball, but can be shaped easily using the pressure of your fingers). 
• Store in an airtight container.