These Cocoa Dusted Honey Roasted Peanut Energy Bites are our family’s version of energy bars.  Energy bars have become American’s favorite snack. Take a tour down the energy bar aisle and you’ll find over 35 different brands and 150 individual products. Some of our family favorites are Clif, Larabar, and the RX bar. Tasty, yes. Convenient, yes. Pricey, yes. For me, as an adult “eater,” the price point is worth it. But, when my kids hijack my bars, it’s a different story. I bet they’re batting 20% for actually finishing one, and I don’t have the stomach to polish off their leftovers. So, I toss half the bar along with half the price I paid for it.

Watch us make the recipe on Show Me St. Louis, KSDK.

DIY Cocoa Dusted Honey Roasted Peanut Energy Bites

Enter the “bite.” DIY energy bites are smaller and can be tailored to the tastebuds of your eaters. Wrapper-free, they’re better for the environment as well. While the title of this recipe is long: Cocoa Dusted Honey Roasted Peanut Energy Bites; the ingredient list is short. Just six ingredients including: Medjool dates, honey roasted peanuts, rolled oats, peanut butter, unsweetened cocoa powder and powdered sugar.

Dates: Nature’s Candy

Medjool Dates are often the primary ingredient in sweet, whole-food based energy bars. They’re nature’s version of candy and add a healthier dose of sweetness compared to other sweeteners. Plus, they’re super sticky, helping to hold all the ingredients together. Dates are a rich source of blood pressure lowering potassium, contain calcium and phosphorus to support bone health and just two dates provide 3 grams of fiber.

picture of woman holding energy bite so you can see the inside

Sweet Short-Cuts for Energy Bites

If you don’t have a food processor, you can certainly make these bites by hand with a knife and cutting board. It will take longer, but you’ll get a better workout with similar results. Or, if you really want a quick sweet short-cut, just slice up a date, fill it with some peanut butter & top it with chocolate chips! Either recipe serves as a perfect snack or after meal treat. And, as I was rolling up these bites, my children kept snagging them making it difficult to count how many the recipe made. So, if your kiddos like chocolate & peanut butter, you might double the recipe. These Cocoa Dusted Honey Roasted Peanut Energy Bites will go fast!

Check out our other Energy Bite Recipes:
No Bake Cocoa & Hemp Seed Energy Bites
No Bake Gingerbread Energy Bites

Print

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Cocoa Dusted Honey Roasted Peanut Energy Bites

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  • Author: Jennifer McDaniel
  • Prep Time: 15
  • Cook Time: 15
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 12-15 bites 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 c. Natural Delights Pitted Dates
  • 1/4 c. honey roasted peanuts
  • 1/3 c. Old Fashioned rolled oats (rolled or instant)
  • 4 T. unsweetened cocoa powder (divided)
  • 1/2 c. peanut butter
  • 1 T. powdered sugar (optional, but included in the nutrition analysis)

Instructions

  1. Add dates, peanuts, oats and 2 T. unsweetened cocoa powder to a food processor.
  2. Process until ingredients for 3-5 minutes until the mixture is completely blended into a medium-sized crumb.
  3. Transfer to a mixing bowl and add peanut butter. Mix until peanut butter is evenly distributed.
  4. Form into 12-15 bites. My bites were slightly smaller than a golf ball.
  5. In a small bowl, whisk 2 T. unsweetened cocoa powder and 1 T. powdered sugar. Pour onto a plate.
  6. Roll each energy bite in the cocoa dust until completely covered.
  7. Enjoy now or place in the fridge.  Energy bites will last up to 2 weeks in the fridge.

Notes

To make these peanut-free, you can replace 1/3 cup sunflower seeds for the honey roasted peanuts and 1/2 cup sunflower seed butter for the peanut butter.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 bite
  • Calories: 79
  • Sugar: 1.5 g
  • Sodium: 44 mg
  • Fat: 5.6 g
  • Carbohydrates: 4.5 g
  • Protein: 3.8 g
  • Cholesterol: 0.2 mg