We are officially on week two of absolutely gorgeous weather in Vancouver, and I can’t even try to hide my excitement about it! I am such a happy girl when the sun comes out in Vancouver! Pretty sure I have a mild case of SAD, but we will just bypass that conversation for now, and keep on rolllllling with the happy train because this weather is making me positively giddy!
Last week I was discussing with you how this weather seriously motivates me to get exercising more and makes me crave foods that are light and healthy. So given that the weather has remained beautiful, I am staying strong, and continuing on my path towards getting my body summer and beach ready! I cannot wait for beach weather! So here I am again, sharing yet another recipe for energizing granola bars of some sort! Woot woot! I hope you find these recipes as fun as I do…
As the weather continues to get nicer and nicer, Cole and I are starting to day dream about all the fun outdoor activities we want to get out and do this Spring/Summer. So naturally, (because food is always on my mind) one of my primary concerns is what new and exciting recipes can I try out now, so that we have a bunch of great on the go snack ideas when we set out for our weekend/vacation adventures this summer.
First up, I just had to make a batch of these energy bites – because really, what could be more perfect (and adorable) for an on the trail hiking snack than a bite sized granola ball that was homemade with all natural, healthy, protein rich and yummy ingredients to give you that much needed energy boost to boot? I don’t think that question requires further explanation :p
This recipe turned out so great – meaning both Cole and I loved them!
Naturally Cole was just ecstatic about the combination of peanut butter and chocolate chips – basically anything with peanut butter and chocolate is enough to make him happy… (little did he know this was actually a healthy snack… muahaha!) I on the other hand was so happy with the subtle sweetness that was coming through from the coconut and maple syrup and the combination of just a hint of flavouring from my two best friends vanilla and cinnamon that made these granola bites seriously delicious and totally addicting… I petty much wanted to inhale them all immediately. Somehow I managed restrain myself, which ended up working out great, because it meant that Cole had the perfect snack item to pack along in his lunches this week. Yay homemade lunches!
So if you are looking for a new snack to try that is super easy to pack along with you and is also incredibly healthy and of course delicious – give the recipe below a try!
Oaty Chocolate Chip Energy Bites
Makes: 12-16 energy bites (depending on size)
Prep time: 5 minutes (all in – not including set time)
Things you need…
1 1/2 cups rolled oats (can substitute certified GF oats)
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut
2 tbsp flax seeds (or ground flax)
2 tbsp chia seeds
2 tbsp hemp hearts
1/3 cup mini chocolate chips
1/2 cup almond or peanut butter
1/3 cup maple syrup (or honey)
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
How to make…
In a large mixing bowl, combine the oats, coconut, flax seeds, chia seeds, and hemp hearts and mini chocolate chips until well mixed and all ingredients are evenly distributed; Set aside.
In a small mixing bowl, mix the almond butter, maple syrup, vanilla and cinnamon and stir to combine. Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredient mixture and stir to combine using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. Mixture should be thick and a bit sticky.
Now for the fun part! Using your hands, roll the granola mixture into 1 inch bite sized balls and place on a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper. Once you have rolled all of the balls, cover them with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes to set. Remove from the fridge and store in an air tight container and enjoy for up to two weeks.
Yay! You just made a super healthy snack for you and your family to enjoy! Give yourself a nice pat on the back 😀 Seriously – This is such a fun recipe to whip up with your kids on the weekend as part of your weekly lunch box prep!
Not only are these little energy bites such an amazing snack to pack along with your kids for their school days because they are so healthy, but I can guarantee they will have a blast mixing up the granola and getting their hands dirty as they roll out these little bite sized balls of energy bliss!
I am such a big believer that if you involve your kids in their daily meal prep you can not only teach them about the benefits of preparing and eating healthy snacks, but I also really believe they are more likely to actually enjoy eating something that they made with their own two hands. These energy bites are the perfect way to get into the habit of preparing food with your kids, because they are so easy to whip up, they take hardly any time at all, they are delicious, and you can customize them to suite your families taste buds and daily cravings each time you make them!
There are so many granola energy bite recipe variations to try and I hope this weekend you give this one a try and mix it up with your little ones at home! As always, I would love to hear how they turned out and how much fun you had during the process!!!
Happy Baking!
KP xoxo
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