Peanut Butter Banana Energy Bites

Quick, Easy, no-bake, gluten-free, dairy-free, no-sugar added snack

I'm always looking an easy snack to make that I can prep at the beginning of the week and then enjoy when I need a quick-bite. I had some over-ripe bananas just sitting on my counter and decided to make my own no-bake energy bite recipe.

My family loves all things peanut butter and we've made triple batches of different energy bites before. Most recipes call for at least a 1/2 cup of added sweetener, such as honey or maple syrup which can be a lot of extra unneeded sugar. Usually when I end up making them, I cut the sweetener in half because I find them too sweet. So, I came up with this recipe that has no added sweetener or sugars. The only thing providing sweetness in these is the banana and dark chocolate.

These energy bites are subtly sweet and extra chewy with the abundance of quick-oats added to the mix. The chocolate chips add a great crunch and contrasting texture to these bite-sized snacks. If you like peanut butter, bananas, and chocolate; you'll love them!

Now for the recipe:

Peanut Butter Banana Energy Bites

Yield 16 servings

Ingredients:

1 over-ripe banana, mashed

1/2 cup peanut butter (no salt, sugar, or oil added), melted*

1/3 cup ground flaxseed

1 tablespoon chia seeds (optional)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

pinch of salt

2 cups quick oats

1/3-1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (I like to roughly chop mine to make them smaller)

Directions:

In a medium-large bowl, combine all ingredients in a bowl and combine with a spoon. Form 16 bite size balls, they should be about the size two tablespoons. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before eating. Store in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to a week. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes:

*Microwave peanut butter in a microwave safe bowl for 30 seconds or until it becomes runny.