Complete Energy Bites
When the hunger catches you off guard, you no longer have to fall victim of sugar loaded vending machine snacks, or dig in your pantry for chips. Try one of these healthy, delicious, and nutritious recipes for the snack like no other! And I promise you, these Energy Bites will satisfy both: your hunger, and the craving for a treat! With no further ado, let's dig in!
Angel Food Complete Energy Bites
These babies are my absolute favorite! When I first tried them after mixing this magic concoction in a food processor, I swear I've heard harps and angels singing. You may not have such a dramatic experience, but if you like coconut, you will love the Angel Food Energy Bites!
Ingredients:
Serves 45 bites
Nutritional Value per bite: Calories 55
Fat 3g, carbohydrates 5g, fiber 3g, protein 7g.
Almond Meal - 1/2 cup
Coconut flour - 1 cup Coconut Shredded - 1/2 cup
Tahini, or Almond butter - 6 tbs
Almond/Coconut Milk - 1/2 cup (adjust for desired consistency)
Semi-sweet mini chocolate chips - 1/4
Topping:
Coconut flour - 1/2 cup
Those are the ingredients I used. You can experiment with the dry ingredients, and substitute a 1/4 cup of Coconut flour for a scoop of Complete Shake Mix to add more protein. My favorite non-dairy milk is Almond Breeze, Almond Coconut by Blue Diamond. I always buy the Unsweetened kind to avoid added sugar. This brand has other great nut milks, so try for yourself to find the one you like best. They are also great with cereal, oatmeal, and coffee!
I found the Coconut and Almond meal at Walmart, and both of those large containers were under $10! Always go for the natural ingredients in their raw, or lightly processed state, such as blenched, or dry roasted. The rule of thumb is: if the list of ingredients is hard to pronounce - leave the product on the shelf. Also stay away from things like added sugar, high fructose corn syrup, partially hydrogenated oils, artificial sweeteners, colors and preservatives. I will include more information on that in a separate post.
Tahini is a staple in Mediterranean cuisine, which is mostly known for being used in hummus. It is essentially a paste made with ground sesame seeds. It is rich in protein and healthy fats, and a great source of thiamine, along with essential minerals, including magnesium, copper, phosphorus, manganese, iron and zinc. Tahini boosts nutrient absorption, helps regulate blood pressure, and cholesterol, and supports skin health. It has a mild nutty flavor, and a silky smooth texture, which makes it perfect for this recipe. You can substitute it with Almond butter, but do not use Peanut butter in this particular recipe. PB has a very strong flavor, which will take over the rest of the ingredients. If you are a peanut butter lover, don't despair - read on! There are other Energy Bites recipes in this article, which include peanut butter!
Instructions:
1. Mix the dry ingredients in a food processor using a mixing blade (usually plastic without sharp metal blades);
2. Add chocolate chips and tahini. Pulse a few times to mix.
3. With the food processor on, slowly pour the Almond Milk into the mixture and keep blending until a thick paste forms. It should be moist enough to stick together, and which enough to hold together.
4. Using a small cookie scoop, scoop or pinch a small chunk of the dough off, and form it into a ball with your hands.
5. Roll the ball in the remaining coconut flour.
Extreme Chocolate Complete Energy Bites
Come to the Dark Side! We've got a snack which is so delicious - you won't believe that it's guilt free!
Ingredients:
Almond meal - 1 cup
Semi-sweet mini chocolate chips - 1/4
Almond/Coconut Milk - 1/2 cup (adjust for desired consistency)
Pinch of salt
Topping:
Unsweetened Cocoa Powder - 1/2 cup
Instructions:
1. Mix the dry ingredients in a food processor using a mixing blade (usually plastic without sharp metal blades);
2. Add chocolate chips and Hazelnut Buter. Pulse until mixed.
3. With the food processor on, slowly pour the Almond Milk into the mixture and keep blending until a thick paste forms. It should be moist enough to stick together, and which enough to hold together.
4. Using a small cookie scoop, or pinch a small chink of the formed dough off, and form it into a ball with your hands.
5. Roll the ball in the cocoa powder (use a small bowl, or a deep plate).
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Complete Energy Bites
This classic cookie flavor will hit home with everyone. So nutrition and delicious, and so irresistible!
Ingredients:
Juice Plus+ COMPLETE Shake Mix Chocolate - 1 cup
Quick oats - 1 cup
All natural peanut butter - 1 cup
Ground flaxseed - 1 tbsp.
Raw honey - 1/3 cup
Vanilla extract - 1/2 tsp.
Cinnamon - 1/2 tsp.
Handful chocolate chips (I prefer dark!)
Instructions:
1. Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl.
2. Form into balls with your hands.
3. Store in refrigerator or freezer!
Snickerdoodle Complete Energy Bites
When you need a little spice in your life, these yummy Snickerdoodle Bites will make you rethink your love affair with cookies!
Ingredients:
Juice Plus+ COMPLETE Shake Mix Vanilla - 1 cup
Cashew Butter - 1/2 cup
Maple Syrup - 1/4 cup (or to taste)
Quick Oats (ground) - 1/2 cup
Coconut, or Almond meal - 1/4 cup
Ground cinnamon - 1 heaping tbsp.
Vanilla Extract - 1 tsp.
Topping:
Ground cinnamon - 1 Tbsp
Coconut, or Almond flour - 1/4 cup
Instructions:
1. Grind the oats in a food processor, or blender into slammer flakes, (or powder them for smoother texture).
2. Add the rest of the ingredients into the food processor, or mix together in a small bowl.
2. Form into balls with your hands.
3. Roll the balls in the mixture of cinnamon and coconut flour (meal)
4. Store in refrigerator!
Mix and match the ingredients to explore more flavors! Dry fruit works great for Energy Bites' recipes, and with it's binding quality, you will need to use less nut butter. Adjust the mixture to the preferred consistency by balancing the dry and wet ingredients, or add your favorite non-dairy milk to make the mixture more light and moist. Comment below with your ideas, and questions. Enjoy!