Sunday, September 09, 2012

Recipe - No Bake Energy Bites

As soon as I set eyes on the No Bake Energy Bites recipe on Pinterest, I knew I had to try it right away. This is a mix of health and chocolate goodness that my daughter has started comparing to the Ferrero Rocher brand of chocolates available in the market. Not without good reason coz it looks almost the same but is much healthier and tastier too if you make it right. Plus the recipe is so versatile that it can adapt pretty much anything you wish your child had but doesn't. Whats even better is that these energy balls are perfect for breakfast, snacks or even as my daughter agrees - dessert!

I have tried several variations at home which I have listed out after the original recipe:


Ingredients:
1 cup (dry) oatmeal (I used old-fashioned oats)
2/3 cup toasted coconut flakes
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup ground flaxseed or wheat germ
1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)
1/3 cup honey
1 tsp. vanilla (essence)

Method:
Stir all ingredients together in a medium bowl until thoroughly mixed. Let chill in the refrigerator for half an hour (optional). Once chilled, roll into balls of whatever size you would like. (Mine were about 1″ in diameter.)  Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated. Makes about 20-25 balls.


My Substitutions & Variations:
This recipe like I said is super flexible and very substitution friendly :-) Here are some I have tried and the rest is upto your imagination and what you have at hand:

  • I have tried this with a little desi touch as well so for example, roasted some raisins in ghee, added deseeded dates (you can also try prunes) and cooled to room temperature. The dates become a binding agent along with honey.
  • If you don't have coconut flakes or don't prefer the taste (I know I don't), you can skip it altogether and substitute it with more of a different dry ingredient (such as oats or any other cereal you wish to add).
  • I have also made a batch including a variety of healthy seeds such as sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, melon seeds, sunflower seeds along with the ever so good flaxseed ofcourse.
  • For folks like me who do not prefer the taste of chocolate, you can substitute it with any nut butter (such as almond or peanut butter) or plain jaggery if you like.
  • I have also tried this with a whole lot of crushed unsalted dry fruits such as almonds, cashews, walnuts, figs, etc.
  • If you don't have chocolate chips, just take any chocolate bar you have at home and crush it into coarse powder.
These taste far better than the health bars available in the market and since they are home made, they are free of any preservatives or chemical agents. And they are so easy to make - no baking, microwaving or stove top cooking involved!

For more ideas or inspiration, you can see another fellow blogger who has also given this a try here. Enjoy!

Linking this to the "Made With Love" party over at Patty's blog.

6 comments:

  1. Ooohh!! I have to have to try this recipe out asap.! I love oats and walnuts and peanut butter so this is a must try. Thanks for sharing and will give it a shot soon. Am also working on that thing we were discussing via email :)

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  2. Glad you liked it Simran. Do let me know how it comes out. Yeah and am also looking forward to your response on the "thing" :-) Let me know when you are ready.

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  3. Oh… sure looks like a fun recipe… something that I could try for sure!! Thanks for sharing…

    Thank you for joining the Made with Love ~ Sept *smiles*

    Hope to see you joining in with more ‘me time’ in Oct…

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  4. Thanks for visiting Patricia. Yeah let me know how it turns out when you do give it a try. We absolutely love this at our home.

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