Ground almonds and oats are combined with almond butter, honey, cocoa powder, and chia seeds in these wholesome, protein-packed Chocolate Almond Energy Bites, perfect for a quick snack or breakfast on-the-go!

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My kids are eating me out of house and home this summer, y'all. My boys are only 6 and 8, but geez does this feel like foreshadowing to their teen years. I try to feed them homemade breakfasts as often as possible, but I can barely keep the fridge and pantry stocked with their ready-made favorites. And at snacktime, they go through fresh fruit as fast as I can buy it. Even then, it doesn't seem to tide them over for very long.

So to stretch things a bit further, I started giving each kiddo an Oatmeal Cookie Energy Bite or two to accompany their fruit when snacktime rolls around each afternoon. Not only does my crew love energy bites, but the fiber and protein packed into these balls of wholesome goodness help ward off hunger pains until dinner. And after a few weeks of making my original version, I decided to tweak the recipe to create these Chocolate Almond Energy Bites!

I made these little babies entirely in the food processor which meant no hand chopping or mixing and only one bowl to clean...easy peasy! First I pulsed the almonds until finely minced. Then I added oats, cocoa powder for a chocolate kick, almond butter to hold everything together, and honey for natural sweetness. I also decided to sneak some nutrient-dense chia seeds into these energy bites as well, because why not? TRICK THEM INTO EATING AS MANY HEALTHY THINGS AS POSSIBLE, I SAY! My kids have been nary the wiser.

My boys would polish off the whole batch of these Chocolate Almond Energy Bites if I let them, but they'd have to ward off their sister to do so, because even Miss Picky McPickerson loves them (surprise of all surprises). So I'll continue to keep these wonder snacks stocked until their current growth spurts subside and my kitchen (and grocery bill) can breathe a (momentary) sigh of relief until the next round hits. I swear, it's like these kids are trying to grow bigger than me or something.

So whether you need a wholesome snack for your own energy boosting purposes or for your kids' insatiable appetites, I hope you'll give these Chocolate Almond Energy Bites a try! They're yummy, they're easy to make, and they're packed with good stuff. And best yet, they're guaranteed to buy you a few hours until dinnertime. 😉

More Wholesome Snack Ideas

Chocolate Almond Energy Bites

By Samantha Skaggs

Course: Snack

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 0

Total Time: 20

Servings: 1-inch balls

Calories: 124kcal

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Ingredients

1 cup almonds
1 cup old-fashioned, rolled oats
¾ cup almond butter
½ cup honey
¼ cup cocoa powder
2 tablespoons chia seeds
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
⅛ teaspoon almond extract

Instructions

In the bowl of a large food processor, pulse the almonds until finely ground (about 25 [1-second] pulses, but stop pulsing before the almonds turn to nut butter). Add the oats, almond butter, honey, cocoa powder, chia seeds, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Pulse until the mixture is well combined and starts to ball up.
Use a small cookie scoop or spoon to scoop the mixture and roll into 1-inch balls (or larger, if you prefer). Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Notes

You may substitute your favorite nut butter for the almond butter.
When forming the energy bites, firmly roll and press each one into a ball to get it to stick together. If the balls still crumble, you may put them back into the food processor, add a bit more almond butter and/or honey to the mixture, and pulse a few more times before trying again.