Chocolate & Caramel Energy Bites

Nicolette Stramara

by | Updated: December 4th, 2016

May
11

Are your children running around like balls of energy? Maybe they snuck a few bites of these chewy energy balls. Drizzled in rich dark chocolate, they could easily be mistaken for the kind of candy any kid would love. Therein lies the problem. In order to keep up with your little ones, you’ll need to hide a handful of these sweet-and-nutty treats in a safe location (possibly an actual safe) and out of their reach. You need the boost way more than they do.

Bonus: with an ideal, muscle-replenishing nutrient ratio, you can save your stash of energy bites for a reboot post-workout. This will especially come in handy after an exhausting morning sweat session, when you still have to pack lunches, comb tangly heads of hair and herd the kids to the bus stop. Let the day begin!

Chocolate & Cashew Protein Energy Balls

Chocolate & Caramel Energy Bites

Makes 12 energy bites
Macros per bite: 100 calories | 4 g protein | 17.4 g carbs | 2.2 g fat | 9.4 g sugar | 2.7 g fiber

Ingredients

1/3 cup medjool dates, pitted (about 6)
1/3 cup Vitacost Raw Unsalted Cashews
2 Tbsp. Vitacost Certified Organic Grade B Maple Syrup
2 Tbsp. unsweetened almond milk
1 cup Vitacost Rolled Oats
1 scoop ARO Chocolate Whey Protein Powder
¼ cup coconut flour (or 1/3 cup whole wheat flour)
1 Tbsp. dark cocoa powder

Toppings: melted dark chocolate and crushed cashews

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F and line a baking sheet with foil. Spray the foil with non-stick cooking spray.
  2. In a bowl of water, soak dates for 10 minutes and then drain.
  3. In a food processor, pulse cashews into a fine crumble.
  4. Add dates, syrup and almond milk and process until smooth.
  5. Pour mixture into a large bowl. Stir in oats, protein powder, flour and cocoa powder until well combined (Note: batter will be very thick).
  6. Using about 3 tablespoons of batter, roll into balls. Repeat until all batter is used up, making about 12 balls.
  7. Place balls on prepared baking sheet and bake 6-8 minutes.
  8. Remove from oven, dip in melted chocolate and roll in cashew pieces, if desired. Serve or stash for later.

Extra tips:

  • I wet my hands before rolling the batter into balls to help prevent the batter from sticking to my fingers and palms.
  • Create a low-sugar option by substituting the pure maple syrup with sugar-free pancake syrup.
  • Forget the oven! These are just as delicious as a no-bake treat.