Nutritious little bites of goodness, also known as energy bites, are pretty much always a yes. So what about when they are conveniently little energy bites that taste like peanut butter chocolate chip cookie dough?
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These cookie dough balls are a weekly go to for me! They’re the perfect afternoon snack + coffee pick me up!
Erica Price
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These energy bites are MY ENTIRE LIFE right now.
Like many other good recipes in my life including these Chicken Tinga Tacos which I make reeeeligiously, these energy bites came into my life by way of the Minimalist Kitchen cookbook – and so many positive reviews to prove it on Amazon!
These are energy bites, but also they are kind of cookie dough. I mean, let’s be real – these aren’t the butter and sugar kind of cookie dough, and I am all about that goodness in my life, too. But being that I’m pregnant, I can’t / probably shouldn’t eat cookie dough right now, and these energy bites are just checking all the flavor/texture/nutrition/convenience boxes for me while also reminding me of peanut butter chocolate chip cookie dough.
Best Things About These Energy Bites:
- Main ingredients are always on hand: oats, coconut, peanut butter, honey, chocolate chips.
- NUTRITIOUS.
- But not, like, grossly nutritious, you know? They still taste really good and can stand in for dessert.
- Amazing texture. Just the right amount of squish and chunkiness.
- Excellent with coffee for a mid-morning snack.
- Two-bite.
- No-bake.
- No dates!!! I repeat: NO DATES. I love dates as a base for energy bites and healthy desserts, but sometimes it’s nice to take a break.
How To Make Cookie Dough Energy Bites In Two Shakes:
First. Grind up your oats and your unsweetened coconut.
Now add your extras – and this is where you can have a little fun. I normally use honey, peanut butter, chocolate chips, and chia seeds (HEALTH, obviously).
But you can also use almond butter, maple syrup, no chocolate chips, hemp or flax or something else altogether. You get the idea.
Then, you are basically done.
Just roll up that “dough” into little balls and pop it into the freezer so they get nice and solid.
Once they are individually frozen, I like to store them in the fridge in a container with a lid. When I need a snack…
Pop goes the top, and there is my nutritious, bite-sized, cookie-dough-like energy bite!
I am making a batch of these little guys every 1-2 weeks, and it’s just my favorite thing about life right now.
Cookie dough foreverrrr!
Watch How To Make Our Cookie Dough Energy Bites:
Cookie Dough Energy Bites
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 30 1x
Description
These nutritious little energy bites taste a whole lot like cookie dough! This recipe was adapted from the Minimalist Kitchen cookbook! The major changes that I made were omitting the dried fruit, using peanut butter instead of almond butter, and swapping chia for hemp.
Ingredients
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 2 cups flaked unsweetened coconut
- 1/2 cup peanut butter (extra as needed)
- 1/2 cup honey (extra as needed)
- 1/4 cup chia seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Pulse the oats and the coconut until coarsely ground.
- Add peanut butter, honey, chia seeds, salt, vanilla, and chocolate chips. Pulse again until well-mixed and the chocolate chips are cut into smaller pieces.
- Roll into balls. (If it’s too dry, just add a little more honey / peanut butter and mix again – I usually just eyeball the amounts until it gets sticky enough).
- Freeze until solid. Store in freezer or refrigerator.
Notes
I have made anywhere from 20-40 bites with this recipe – it all just depends on how big you want them. 20 for a larger size, 30 for a medium size, and 40 for a smaller size.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Snack
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: cookie dough energy bites, energy bites recipe, healthy cookie dough energy bites
One More Thing!
This recipe is part of our best healthy-ish recipes page. Check it out!
I have made this recipe many times and served them to many different people and everyone loves them and wants more. So delicious and yet nutritious.
Question: Should the chia seeds be whole or ground?
Whole!
I made this after my neighbor gave me one! I insisted on getting the recipe and now it will be a breakfast staple before school!
Love this recipe! I’m on my third batch! Such a great combination of flavors!
What would be a good substitute for the coconut? My kids don’t like coconut
What would be the best nut or seed butter alternative to peanut butter? My daughter has a peanut allergy. I made these constantly before she was born, and I’d love to start making them again if I can figure out a way to substitute.
Hi! Cashew butter!
My kids LOVED these! Fabulous. Keeping it.
Just curious about this recipe. It says “freeze until sold. Store in freezer or refrigerator.” Can you eat them right out of the freezer or do they have to come to room temperature? How long do they last if kept in the refrigerator? Thanks
We thaw for about 5 minutes or let come to room temp. Will store well for 6 weeks!
I doubled the recipe because we eat these so quickly! So tasty! I used basil seeds in place of chia this time for more fiber. YUM!
I was skeptical about these, but they are so so good! Easy to make and delicious. It’s like the best granola bar in ball form, and so satisfying! We call them “power balls” in my house!
Our family loves these! I’ve been making them at least weekly (sometimes twice a week) and love that they’re a good source of fiber and protein for my kids but actually delicious!
I’m about to make these for the second time. I don’t have a food processor (can you recommend one?) – do you have an idea for an alternative? I have a Ninja blender and immersion blender…just not sure what will be the least messy.
Pulsing the ingredients in the Ninja blender may work ok! This is the food processor we use!
Easy, healthy and yummy! Great little snack straight out of the freezer. Perfect for breakfast on the go, or lunches too! Thank you!
YESSS! These are SO good! And I used Hu chocolate chips so there isn’t even any refined sugar. I had to add more PB to the halved recipe portions (I used the runny kind from Trader Joe’s) and I also used quick oats because that’s all I had. Can’t wait to make these again!
I am excited to try these but I can’t eat coconut. What would you use as a substitute? More oats?
Thanks.
Love these! I swap out peanut butter for Wow butter so my kids can take them to school. I am wondering if the serving nutritional information is for 1 ball only, 179 calories? Or is that 179 for all 20?
Hi, Laura! There was actually a calculating glitch on this recipe. When you make 30 energy bites, each bite is approximately 119 calories. Hope this helps!
Just made these and wanted to thank you for the recipe! I subbed flax for chia because it’s what I had on hand. My blender is more powerful than I thought because I know I put a half cup of chocolate chips in there, but there is no evidence of chocolate being in there, at least visually; I think it must add to the great flavor!
Hi, Can you tell me the brand and cup size of the food processor you have please. I am so overwhelmed when looking on Instagram. Thank you.
Lindsay uses the Cuisinart brand 7 cup food processor (affiliate link). You can read more about her recs here!
Am I the only devilish one whose mind goes straight to drenching these in melted chocolate?
Do you think bananas could be utilized, or would that be too much moisture?
We wouldn’t recommend bananas here.
I’m not a chocolate fan….I know I’m weird. Could I add something in place of the chocolate chips? Dried fruit maybe?
Dried fruit may work! You also might enjoy our Pecan Pie Energy Bites recipe – it’s chocolate-free!
Hello! Can you please recommend a substitute for the peanut butter to make it nut free? Would tahini work?
Hi! You can sub sunflower seed butter. Enjoy!
The whole family loves these. We have people in the family who hate certain ingredients in this recipe but this is one of those recipes where it’s really the sum of all its parts. The honey hating child has no idea there is honey in here, the peanut butter hating husband adores these. Make them as written, no substitutions, they’re perfection.
A bit too sweet for me – will likely use more peanut butter in the ratio next time.
I can’t eat raw chia seeds. Do you know if they could work after having been soaked? I’m afraid about the moisture that would add. Thanks if you have any guidance!
Great question! You’re right. It may not work well with the excess moisture. You could try adding in more oats and/or unsweetened coconut. Or, simply leave the chia seeds out.
So awesome so easy
I used peanut butter chips
and ground fine cashews
Thanks again for recipe