Energy Snacks

The day of Ryan's first family Christmas was also the last day of my 3 week clean eating challenge. Talk about a conundrum! I did my best to plan ahead and know what food groups I needed to eat and in what amounts, and I tried to make smart choices about what I would allow myself in the realm of treats without going overboard.

I was pleasantly surprised when Ryan's sister showed up with these little no-bake energy snacks, which were the healthiest snack option on the table - and delicious, too! She made them again for the second family Christmas, and then I made a batch at New Year's Eve and for the last Christmas celebration we had. And then I made a batch for our first small group meeting. Ryan and I both love these and I'm pretty sure he could eat an entire tray of them by himself without even worrying about it.

They are VERY simple to make, they take very little time, and they are so very good. And filling! A good dessert or snack if you're trying to watch the health factor. {And frankly, stuff like this makes it easy to be healthier because it is so stinkin' good.}

The original recipe I found online is here, but I've made a few modifications. {And Pinterest has several different versions of this so you can hunt around if you want to switch it up a bit!}

Energy Snacks

* 1 cup oats 
* 2/3 cup coconut flakes
* 1/2 cup flaxseed or chia seeds
* 1/2 cup chocolate chips
* 1/2 cup peanut butter
* 1/3 cup honey
* 1 teaspoon vanilla


Combine dry ingredients first and then add peanut butter, honey, and vanilla. Mix well and refrigerate for a half hour. Roll into 1 inch balls and serve. No refrigeration required.  Makes about 25 balls. 

A Few Tips:

* I used quick oats. The recipe I used called for old fashioned. Guess either one works!

* I found unsweetened coconut flakes in the store and got those so there wouldn't be added sugar. I will say that this recipe doesn't have a strong coconut flavor to it at all - so if you're not a big fan of coconut, I think you would still like this.

* You could toast the coconut flakes if you like, but that was a whole extra step I didn't want to take time to do. :) {LAZY!!!}

* So I'm new to flaxseed. Never bought any before in my life. The original recipe called for ground seed, and you can buy it that way - or you can buy it whole and grind it yourself. I sort of missed the part of the recipe where you were supposed to grind it and I just used whole seeds. Worked fine for me, but if tiny sesame-seed-sized seeds bug you, you might want to grind them. Ryan's sister used chia seeds in hers, so if you prefer {or have on hand} those instead, that works too. The flaxseed bag I bought had a LOT of seed in it for about 5 bucks. I've made 3 batches now and pretty much haven't made a dent. LOL.

* I used mini chocolate chips so I could distribute them more evenly among the balls. Ryan's sister used full size chips and that worked fine, but 1/2 cup isn't a ton for a chocoholic like me, so the mini-chips made them distribute farther. I used dark chocolate so it would be healthier.

* I used regular creamy peanut butter, but if you use crunchy, you'll get an extra crunch in the snack, which is fun. And if you want to make it EVEN healthier, you can use a more natural nut butter. {And the recipe I pulled this from said if you're allergic to peanuts, you can substitute a kind of butter you can have.}

* I found that using a spoon to start rolling the ball worked well and then I rolled with my hands. When my hands got gunky from peanut butter and honey, I rinsed them off and then the rolling went more smoothly again. I usually rinsed twice per batch. 

* These really do taste kind of like no-bake cookies, without as much of a chocolate presence. Delicious and easy to grab on the go if you're traveling a lot or packing lunches or any such thing.