peanut butter-chocolate-oat bites
September 17, 2012 § 18 Comments
Friends, please meet my new favorite snack. And the best part is I don’t have to feel too bad about eating one (or two) of these little peanut butter/oat/chocolate/honey/flax/almond bites. The minute I saw them posted, I knew I needed to make them immediately, so I did; and, in the words of their creator, “OMG. I am so obsessed with this.” No, seriously, in my own words now: OMG. I am so obsessed with this.
They’re brilliant. They’re just a bunch of good, tasty stuff rolled up into little balls and they almost taste like cookies. Only there’s no flour or butter or added sugar or any of the other stuff in cookies that I love but can’t eat on a regular basis. But these? These I can have when it’s 4pm and I’m hungry and dinner is still two hours away. These I can have when I’m hungry after a workout and I want something not too heavy that I can grab and eat right away. And the best part? It only takes one to be satisfied. Even Beau, king of the anti-sweets, took a bite (though honestly, I didn’t want to share – I thought he would say no when I offered just to be polite) and liked it. That’s saying something right there.
I’d imagine these can be adapted all sorts of various ways to individual taste. This time around, I made them pretty much as the recipe stated, just slightly reducing the honey, upping the vanilla, and swapping out the mini chocolate chips for chopped dark chocolate. The original post mentions coconut, which I think would be really good. Dried fruit might also bring a nice layer of flavor and chewiness. Also, for any other almond freaks like me, I’m thinking next time I will use almond butter and add a tiny splash of almond extract; you can never go wrong with more almonds (if you ask me). But, of course, this original version is amazing as it is; there’s really no need to get too crazy. As Mark Darcy said to Bridget Jones: “I like you very much, just as you are.”
Peanut Butter Chocolate Oat Bites
Makes exactly fourteen (one-and-a-half tablespoon sized) bites.
Ingredients
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/4 cup flax meal
1/4 cup sliced almonds, chopped
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter, melted and slightly cooled
1/4 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3-4 tablespoons chopped dark chocolate
1/4 cup almond meal, for rolling
Directions
In a medium bowl, mix together the oats, flax meal, almonds, cinnamon and salt.
Place the peanut butter in a small, microwaveable bowl. Microwave 20-25 seconds, until warm and melted. Let cool a few minutes, then add the honey and vanilla, stirring until well combined.
Add the peanut butter mixture to the oat mixture and stir together until mostly combined. Add the chocolate and stir until all ingredients are evenly incorporated.
Place almond meal in a small bowl. Scoop peanut butter/oat mixture into 1½ tablespoon-sized balls (I used my cookie batter scoop). Roll balls between your palms to make perfect circles. Roll each ball in the almond meal and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.
Place baking sheet in the fridge for about an hour, until the bites have firmed up a bit, before placing in a sealed container. Store in the fridge.
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Recipe adapted, with many thanks to Jessica for producing such an awesome snack, from How Sweet It Is.
This looks absolutely delicious! My fav foods-pb and chocolate! Too bad I can’t snack because of Invisalign, but I will eat these at breakfast or lunch!
These are great at breakfast or lunch; I had one with a cup of tea yesterday morning, and one after lunch isn’t bad, either. But, these may be worth briefly removing the trays for a snack!!
SO I’m not the only one struggling at 4 p.m., hungry, and anxiously awaiting dinner. Good to know! These look waaaay awesome.
No, you’re not! I have a MAD craving for carbs around four, and I have to work hard to control it or I will ruin my dinner because once I start I can’t stop (pita chips are the worst). I think I may have to start eating dinner earlier…
OH yum yum yum! That looks like a perfect snack. Although I do doubt I could limit myself to one.
Let me just keep it honest here: most of the time I just have one. But there have been a few times where I’ve had two or even three. That may not sound too bad, but if you make them you’ll see how rich and filling they are. One really is enough, but they’re just so good!
I think I may have to try these. Although I am not a big fan of peanut butter so I may substitute with almond butter. For some reason these seem like a perfect treat for the start of Fall.
I think almond butter would be amazing in these, and I’m going to try that next too (though, I will say, these aren’t TOO peanut buttery; the other stuff in them tone it down). I think almond butter is the perfect compromise.
I made these and were a great hit! Definitely one of my fav “no-bake” recipes.
Amazing! I’ve been looking for a snack just like this – tasty and energy-boosting without the guilt. Making them ASAP. Beautiful photos, too!
Thanks! I hope you like them!
These look fantastic! I saved your receipt and can’t wait to try it. What kind of peanut butter did you use? Have you ever tried the recipe with natural peanut butter?
I used Skippy’s natural peanut butter, which was what I had on hand. Next time I think I’ll use something different; probably almond butter. Hope you enjoy them as much as I do!
Oh, these look so super delicious! I am making them this weekend!
I’m making (another) batch, too! :)
Reblogged this on This is me. and commented:
Oh em gee. Must bake.
Hi Janae, these look AMAZING. Gonna bake these for my boyfriend ;) Also, they are a really good reason for removing my Invisalign trays. Could you perhaps do some update about your Invisalign experience if you’re free? Thanks dear xx
Yes! I’ve been meaning to for quite a few weeks now, and I actually have an appointment today for new trays, so it is a good time to do one. I should have an update shortly!