I make a lot of healthy, outdoors-inspired recipes at home, some of which I’ll be sharing here on Element.ly. For my first suggestion, I’m featuring the “no bake energy bites” that a group of friends had been raving about forever.
These things are deliciously dangerous, and I can’t wait to take them on my next hike. Once you try them, you’re gonna wonder why you ever bothered with mass-produced energy bars.
Ingredients:
1 cup dry oatmeal
2/3 cup toasted coconut flakes
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup ground flaxseed
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/3 cup honey
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1. Blend the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
2. Add the honey, peanut butter and vanilla and mix well.
3. Pop the bowl into the fridge for 20 minutes to chill. Once the mixture is well chilled it should be firm enough to roll into 20, one-inch balls.
4. Place balls in airtight container and store in the fridge.
The recipe is plenty customizable, so I’m already planning to experiment with dried fruits and nuts.
Tips: When toasting coconut flakes, low and slow is key. Any nut butter can be used instead of peanut butter and the honey and chocolate can be swapped out for agave nectar and cocoa nibs if preferred. The energy bites should hold up well in a small sturdy container thrown into a backpack for fall hikes or some winter ski turns.
My friends, otherwise known as Team Trumbull, originally sourced these no bake energy bites from Gimme Some Oven and they usually add ¼ tsp. of chipotle powder to the basic recipe.
