World, please meet my New Favorite Snack.
I know, I know, I just had a new favorite snack last week. But I have another one today. Can’t I have both? Who only eats one snack a day, anyways?
Not I.
Anyways, while I am well aware that these peanut butter dark chocolate energy bites will not win any beauty contests, I need you to make them A-S-A-P if you’re into delicious, healthy, chocolate-y, peanut butter-y bites of wholesome and naturally-sweetened goodness. Or just chocolate and peanut butter. That’s cool, too.
As I mentioned last week, I am always on the lookout for excellent snack recipes. It’s so easy to just pop a granola bar or some pre-packaged snacks into your mouth when those afternoon hunger-times strike, but there’s something so much more satisfying about making your own snacks. You can control what goes in them and customize them to your own tastes and cravings, and most of the time, they barely take any time at all to throw together. I’ve made lots of snacks on this here blog, but I have been wanting to try the forever-trendy energy bites/balls for awhile after loving the results of the energy bars I made earlier this year. They’re just so cute and poppable and customizable – what perfect snacks are made of, people!
Luckily these peanut butter dark chocolate energy bites are not only an incredibly healthy and satisfying snack, but also FREAKIN’ DELICIOUS. Brad demolished them in about 2 days, and he doesn’t even care that they’re healthy. (In fact, it probably counted as a strike against them…can I get a giant SIGH to 20-something guy metabolisms? IT’S NOT FAIR.) In any case, I’ve vowed to make a batch of these every Sunday to keep on hand as snacks for the week, since we both loved them so much. They’re seriously PACKED with peanut butter flavor, and they’re hearty and satisfying from the dates and oats. There is just enough dark chocolate to get a little bit in every bite, and the whole thing is just healthy-snack heaven to me. I’m officially on board with the energy bite train, and I think you will be too after trying this peanut butter and dark chocolate version!
- 1 cup pitted Medjool dates
- 3 tbsp. natural peanut butter
- ¼ cup dark chocolate chunks (use dairy-free dark chocolate for a vegan version)
- 1 tbsp. chia seeds
- 2/3 cup rolled oats
- Pulse dates in a blender or food processor until they form a ball. Add the rest of the ingredients and pulse to blend (you might have to stir it around a bit to get the dates to mix with the rest of the ingredients). The oats should be in pretty small pieces but not completely processed.
- Once combined, use your hands to roll the mixture into 12 evenly-sized balls. Place the balls on a plate or baking sheet in the refrigerator and allow to set for about 15 minutes. Eat as-is, or store in the refrigerator in an air-tight container for up to a week.
Looking for more healthy homemade snacks?
White Chocolate Cherry Almond Energy Bars
Tropical White Chocolate Coconut Granola Bars
Dark Chocolate Coconut Quinoa Granola
