Easy No Bake Energy Bites

Every day about 3:30 in the afternoon, my children turn into ravenous wolves.

No, this isn’t an episode of Once Upon a Time. Instead, it’s simply a sign of mid-afternoon hunger, demonstrated in bad attitudes and crazy behavior by the four little people that live in my house!

I was talking to a friend about this several weeks ago and she said that when her children act that way, she gives them protein, like meat or eggs. She said it really helps their behavior because hunger can trigger an emotional response. Why didn’t I think about that?

I remembered a recipe I’d seen in a Parents magazine several years ago and sought to recreate it, partially from memory. I tweaked it a little and found a way to make these delicious, five ingredient No Bake Energy Bites! They provide protein to fill the kids’ stomachs and good carbs to give them some extra energy. Plus they taste delicious!

Five Ingredient No-Bake Energy Bites

3 cups dry old-fashioned oatmeal

1 cup peanut butter (or other nut butter if there are allergies)

1 cup ground flaxseed

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup raisins (can do either/or/both chocolate chips and raisins, so this might be a six ingredient recipe!)

2/3 cup honey (we use local raw unprocessed that we get from some friends, but you can use any kind)

Directions:

Stir all ingredients gently together. You may have to use your hands.

Cover and let chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

Roll into balls and place in an airtight container.

We prefer to store ours in the fridge. I’ve made them twice now and they haven’t lasted more than a couple of days, but they should keep well for up to a week in the fridge!

Makes between 25-40 balls, depending on the size you want them!

If You Need Alternative Ingredients

You can make these with alternative ingredients, just make sure that the dry ingredients and wet ingredients are of similar proportions as the recipe. For instance, you might like to substitute chocolate chips with nuts or some of the flax with coconut instead. As long as the amounts are balanced, they will stick together properly!

Enjoy! And if you have a favorite way to make a treat like this, please share in the comments!