I knew I hit a home run with this No-Bake Hazelnut Cranberry Energy Bites recipe when my daughter proclaimed, “They taste like Christmas!” That was exactly what I was aiming for.
I wanted to create an energy bite recipe that reminded me of my granny’s Christmas cookies. My grandmother made amazing cookies. We didn’t have a television in my childhood home, but my friends were still willing to come for sleepovers. I suspect it had more to do with my granny’s cookies than the pleasure of my company.
We had a steady supply of cookies all year long, but Granny kicked it into high gear around the holidays. Of course her recipes were loaded with shortening, white flour and sugar. But they also had ingredients like cranberries, nuts and chocolate.
No-Bake Hazelnut Cranberry Energy Bites
Energy bites are a wonderful substitute for traditional Christmas cookies. They are quick and easy to make and loaded with healthy ingredients. These No-Bake Hazelnut Cranberry Energy Bites combine:
- Hazelnuts
- Dried cranberries
- Oats
- Shredded coconut
- Almond butter
- Ground flax seeds
- Mini chocolate chips
- Maple syrup
- Vanilla
If you are going to indulge in holiday cookies you might as well get a burst of energy that sticks with you instead of leading to a sugar crash. Plus, they also taste delicious – just like Christmas!
No-Bake Hazelnut Cranberry Energy Bites
Ingredients
- 1 cup hazelnuts
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats dry, gluten-free
- 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1/2 cup almond butter
- 1/2 cup ground flax seeds
- 1/2 cup mini dairy-free chocolate chips
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1-2 Tbsp. water if needed
Instructions
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Add hazelnuts to a food processor fitted with the S blade and pulse to coarsely chop.
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Add cranberries, oats, coconut, almond butter, ground flax seeds, chocolate chips, maple syrup and vanilla extract and pulse until ingredients are well mixed and begin to clump.
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If mixture appears too dry, add 1-2 tbsp. of water and pulse until mixture begins to clump.
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Scrape ingredients into a mixing bowl and then form into walnut sized balls by scooping dough with a spoon and rolling it between your hands. (I find it helpful to squeeze the dough first to make it clump together then roll it into a ball.) You may need to wash your hands every so often for easier rolling – your hands tend to get sticky after rolling 4-6 balls.
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Enjoy immediately or store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to a week.
Recipe Notes
Recipe makes approximately 2 dozen energy bites.
I use pre-ground flax seed. If you grind your own flax seed you may wish to reduce the quantity. I’m told freshly ground flax seed may have a stronger flavor. You could try swapping out ½ of the ground flax seeds with some chia seeds.
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Note: I do not include nutrition information with my recipes because I subscribe to the theories presented in the book Whole and believe we should focus on eating a variety of whole foods instead of counting calories or keeping track of individual nutrients.
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