Oatmeal Cranberry Energy Bites

These little energy bites are as good as stolen bits of cookie dough, serepticiously swiped from the bowl. Made from gluten-free oats, cinnamon, cranberries, maple syrup and crunchy almond butter, there’s also a little ground flaxseed for Omega-3s and cinnamon to stabilize the metabolism. Oatmeal cranberry energy bites are a bitesize nutritional bomb.

Basically, you just throw everything in a mixing bowl and stir it up. Heat the almond butter to help thin it out and mix well with the dry ingredients. Use a cookie scoop or two teaspoons to portion out and then roll the energy bites between the palms of your hands. Place them on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and freeze for 30 minutes or refrigerate for 1-2 hours. Once they’re chilled, I transfer to a glass storage container with a tight fitting lid.

Variations

• Omit the honey if you’d like to keep these vegan, no need to add anything in its place.
• Use peanut butter, cashew butter or sunbutter instead of almond butter if you’d like.
• Add some freshly grated nutmeg for extra spice.
• Top with crunchy Maldon sea salt if you’d like.
• Roll these in shredded coconut or cacao nibs for an optional finishing touch.

Bite into one of these round morsels and you’ll realize why I’m addicted and try to keep them stocked in our freezer. They satisfy a cookie craving, but with a serious nutritional punch. When I’m about to have an energy crash in the afternoon, I’ll grab one of these for protein and a little healthy carb boost. The trick is to hold off after 1 or 2.

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Oatmeal Cranberry Energy Bites

Author Marcia W. Smart

I like to keep these bite size snacks in the freezer for a quick afternoon pick-me-up or afterschool treat. They are also perfect for a protein-packed breakfast on the go. If you have nut allergies, replace the almond butter with sunflower seed butter. My favorite gluten-free oats are made by Bob's Red Mill, but any type will work.

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups gluten-free old fashioned oats
• 1 cup unsweetened dried cranberries
• ¼ cup ground flaxseed
• ¼ cup raw honey
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ cup unsweetened almond butter

Instructions

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a medium size mixing bowl, stir together the oats, cranberries, flaxseeds, honey, maple syrup and cinnamon. Make sure the ingredients are mixed well.
3. Spoon the almond butter into a microwave safe bowl and heat for 30 seconds in the microwave to melt and soften, stopping once halfway through to stir.
4. Pour the almond butter over the oat mixture and stir until well combined.
5. Use a cookie scoop or two teaspoons to portion out the energy bites, rolling them between the palms of your hands to form a ball. Repeat with the remaining dough to fill the baking sheet, you should have about 30-35 energy bites.
6. Cover the baking sheet with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-2 hours. Once they are chilled and firm, transfer them to a freezer bag or storage container with a tight fitting lid. Store them in the freezer for up to a month.

Notes

Recipe adapted from the Happy Family Organic Superfoods Cookbook, by Shazi Visram.

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