These Chocolate Peanut Butter Energy Bites have just 5 ingredients and are sweetened with dates! These easy energy bites come together in only 10 minutes and they’re gluten-free, refined sugar free + vegan.
So I made these little Chocolate Peanut Butter Energy Bites the day before I left for Cuba, and I was so darn excited to have a homemade snack to bring along for when I inevitably got hungry and cranky on the trip…especially one filled with peanut butter + chocolate, two of my favorite things.
And then, of course, I forgot them in the refrigerator, and only remembered when I was en route to the airport. Tragic, I tell you. I thought of them longingly many times during our trip.
Thankfully, these little energy bites of deliciousness were waiting for me when I got home, and I promptly devoured a few. They were just as delicious as they were the week prior!
Of course, I then started Whole30, with no peanut butter and no oats allowed, so the rest of the batch is waiting in the freezer for me to devour in approximately 22 days.
But as long as you’re not Whole30-ing along with me, you can make these NOW! (And if you ARE Whole30ing with me, don’t worry – I’ve got a few compliant recipes coming your way soon!)
These chocolate peanut butter energy bites could not be any easier to make. They come together in about 10 minutes (depends how fast you can roll energy bites) and there’s only FIVE ingredients (I don’t count the hot water).
The sweetness and stickiness comes from Medjool dates: they’re a powerhouse of sweetness, and I’m loving them more and more these days. You can usually find them in the produce section of the grocery store – I got mine from Trader Joe’s!
The dates are blended into a smooth paste with some hot water, and then peanut butter, toasted peanuts, rolled oats, and cocoa powder are added to the mix and pulsed together until only little bits of the peanuts and oats remain. That’s all!
Then just roll into balls, or press into a small pan if you prefer bars, and get ready to snack. You can keep them in the fridge for about 2 weeks, or pop them in the freezer for longer term storage. I doubt they’ll last too long though, especially if you love chocolate and peanut butter as much as I do ;) enjoy!
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Chocolate Peanut Butter Energy Bites (Gluten Free + Vegan)
Ingredients
- ¾ cup pitted Medjool dates about 9
- 2 tablespoons hot water
- ½ cup peanut butter make sure it's made with just peanuts and maybe salt, if you prefer
- ½ cup toasted peanuts
- ½ cup gluten-free rolled oats
- 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
Instructions
- Add the dates and hot water to a food processor or high-powered blender and blend until a smooth paste or ball forms. Add the peanut butter, toasted peanuts, rolled oats, and cocoa powder.
- Pulse until combined - there should be small bits of peanuts and oats remaining, but not too big. Be careful not to over-process so it doesn’t get too sticky or greasy.
- Roll into balls, about 1-inch across each. You can also press the dough into a small pan and cut into bars if you prefer.
- Store in a sealed bag or small lidded container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, or in the freezer for longer term storage.
Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice says
January 18, 2017 at 3:24 amEnergy bites are my favorite, especially when chocolate and peanut butter is involved! These look perfect, Rachel! Such a great snack or breakfast. I’ve never made energy bites with dates before, so I will need to try that!
Rachel says
January 18, 2017 at 6:41 amThanks so much, Gayle! You’re got to try it with dates – they add the most perfect amount of sweetness and stickiness to the mixture :)
[email protected] says
January 18, 2017 at 8:17 amI love love energy bites but one with chocolate are extra special! These look really good Rachel!
Rachel says
January 18, 2017 at 8:58 amThanks so much, Ami!
annie says
January 18, 2017 at 10:21 amThese babies look so darn fudgey. I’m glad I’m not doing whole 30 so I can have some right now!
Rachel says
January 18, 2017 at 1:07 pmWish I could share some of the ones I have stocked up! Thanks Annie :)
Lorna says
January 18, 2017 at 1:36 pmI think this recipe will be one I will try, as I cannot have oats, even gluten free, I will adapt using almonds.
Rachel says
January 18, 2017 at 2:06 pmYou can definitely sub in more nuts for the oats. Enjoy!
Kayle (The Cooking Actress) says
January 18, 2017 at 5:50 pmok sooo I haven’t tried the dates as a natural sweetener yet…it kinda makes me concerned? I know so many people have done it so I need to get over my dumb reticence!
Rachel says
January 18, 2017 at 7:21 pmWhy are you concerned?! Haha – they’re so good! Little miracle bites :)
[email protected] says
January 18, 2017 at 6:30 pmI’m so excited! I just picked up a container of the Medjool dates tonight and have everything else I need! These sound wonderful! Pinned!
Rachel says
January 18, 2017 at 7:21 pmHope you give them a go, Annie!! Thanks :)
Kate says
January 19, 2017 at 1:45 amOats are not gluten free.
Rachel says
January 19, 2017 at 6:05 amHi Kate – oats are actually naturally gluten-free, but a lot of times they have been processed with wheat. That’s why I specified seeking out gluten-free oats for this recipe – Trader Joe’s has gluten-free oats, and Bob’s Red Mill also sells them. Hope this helps!
Bindia | Indisk Restaurant says
January 19, 2017 at 4:21 amI love chocolate these energy bites really special for me thanks for sharing. I love it and wanna try it soon.
Rachel says
January 19, 2017 at 6:06 amHope you love them! Thanks Bindia.
Jessica @ A Kitchen Addiction says
January 19, 2017 at 11:10 amI hate when I forget homemade snacks at home when leaving for a trip! These energy bites look like just what I need when late afternoon hunger strikes!
Laura | Tutti Dolci says
January 19, 2017 at 1:23 pmThese bites are perfection, just what I need for a post-workout snack!
Traci | Vanilla And Bean says
January 20, 2017 at 8:27 amOne of my favorite snacks… is dates, so including them in these little delectable bites is right up my snack ally! Dang it.. forgetting them in the fridge is the worst! Good thing they have a loooong storage life, right? Delicious work, Rachel!
Rachel says
January 20, 2017 at 1:07 pmYesss so glad they were still just as good when I got back! Or I would have been very sad that they were wasted :( aren’t dates the best?! Little miracle bites! Thanks Tracy!!
Mariah says
February 13, 2017 at 12:48 pmMy son is allergic to peanut butter, what would you substitute for that in the energy balls. These sound delicious!
Rachel says
February 13, 2017 at 2:19 pmHi Mariah, I’d recommend subbing almond butter and almonds for the peanut butter and peanuts. You could also use any other kind of nut butter or seed butter, like cashew butter or sunflower seed butter. Hope this helps!
Katrina says
August 26, 2018 at 9:11 pmI was looking for a quick & easy energy ball recipe. This looked great.
Then I realized… I can’t eat peanuts, therefore I can’t use peanut butter either, and I’m currently avoiding grains, so oats were out. I subbed almonds and almond butter. I wasn’t sure what to use instead of oats and ended up throwing in shredded coconut. This hilarious amount of substitutions ended up tasting like an almond joy. Clearly not the recipe you intended…but maybe one you’d like to try!
Rachel says
August 27, 2018 at 8:43 amThat sounds super delicious – love that combi, Katrina!! So glad you were able to make them work for you. I think I need to try that too :)
Elaine says
September 11, 2018 at 4:35 amDo you have a caloric value on these balls? They are delicious but would like nutritional information if possible. Thank you
Rachel says
September 11, 2018 at 8:47 amHi Elaine – I updated the post to include the nutritional info.