Peanut Butter Energy Bites
Packed with fiber, whole grains, and chia seeds, these Peanut Butter Energy Bites are sure to fuel you up and keep you going all day long!
*May 2017 Update!** This recipe was originally posted in May 2014. I decided that the photos desperately needed updating, so I reshot the recipe (but still kept the ingredient list and directions the same). I also kept the original post/story below that I wrote three summers ago!**
I wish I was a morning person. Rise with sun, be productive bright and early, and have the energy to last all day. Sounds great, right? Unfortunately, that’s not me. As much as I try, I will never get used to waking up early. My alarm clock goes off at 4:45am during the week for work and it never gets easier. You see, I love sleep too much. Way too much.
But I blame it on my body needing more than the average person, say for example, the hubster. He can go to bed at midnight and be up around 6:30am, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. Craziness, I tell ya! But lil ‘ole me, who likes to go to bed around 10pm, can easily sleep until 8 or 9am.
And in my younger days? I would stay up until 1 or 2am, and then sleep until noon! Go figure! And while I definitely can’t sleep that long anymore (or even stay up that late), I still love sleep. Are you the same?
Needless to say, I can be a bit of a grump in the mornings. Don’t talk to me. Don’t look at me. Forget you know my name. All I want is to talk to my pillow. Got it? Fortunately enough for the hubster, I’m usually not this grumpy on a daily basis. But growing up, that was me. My family got the brunt of it and I knew it. Nowadays, I’m a tad less monster-ish and just a little bit sleepy-ish, with a bit of a grump mixed in. Not too horrible, right? I think you non-morning people will agree with me, while you rise-with-the-sun-on-your-own folks are shaking your head in disgust.
But one thing I think we all can agree on are devouring these Peanut Butter Energy Bites. These little guys are a special treat that gets me going in the mornings and clears my head out of the fog just a little bit earlier than normal. Packed with fiber, whole grains, and chia seeds, these energy bites are sure to fuel you up and keep you going all morning (or afternoon) long!
And the best part, besides being healthy? You don’t have to bake them, simply refrigerate and that’s it. And like my Peanut Butter Granola and Vanilla Chia Seed Pudding, these energy bites contain simple ingredients. So you can whip up these Peanut Butter Energy Bites and have them ready to go so that you don’t feel sluggish later in the day.
So have I convinced you to try these yet? Creamy peanut butter, hearty oats, chia seeds, honey, vanilla, and chocolate chips…lots of chocolate chips! Combine all of the ingredients into a bowl, mix well, shape into balls, and they’re done! I keep my Peanut Butter Energy Bites in the fridge so that they stay nice and firm. But these babies don’t have to be refrigerated, so feel free to leave them in an air tight container on the counter.
Right after I tasted these energy bites, I knew I would be making these on a regular basis. Chock full of healthy ingredients, plus energy to get you moving, and what more could you ask for? And with the addition of chia seeds, these are sure to make you feel energized. I take a few to work in the mornings (along with sneaking a bite before I leave). It gets me going and out of my grumpy stage, much appreciated by the hubster!
So are you ready to make these?
Looking for more energy bite recipes? I’ve got you covered!
- Blueberry Almond Butter Energy Bites
- Peanut Butter Banana Energy Bites
- Cherry Chocolate Chip Energy Bites
Peanut Butter Energy Bites
Ingredients
- 1 cup old-fashioned oats
- ½ cup creamy peanut butter
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste, or vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons chia seeds
- ½ cup milk chocolate chips
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the oats, peanut butter, honey, vanilla, and chia seeds. Mix well until thoroughly combined. Add in chocolate chips and stir well.
- Shape into 18 small balls. Refrigerate until firm, if desired.
Mmm, those look awesome! Homemade energy bars are always better than store-bought. Especially when they have peanut butter and chocolate. 🙂
I’m totally like you when it comes to sleep. How I ever slept til noon as a teen still baffles me though. I love the addition of chia seeds! I make these little bites all the time I’ll try these out next time!
I know, I wish I could sleep till noon now, but my body says no! 🙂 Hope you like the addition of chia seeds, Danielle!
I don’t think I would be a morning person if I had to get up before five every day either! I love me my sleep but I am a morning person, mainly because my mom has always had a strict bedtime 😉 Food like this is very motivating, especially when it involves peanut butter! I like nut butter as much as I like sleep!
Peanut butter is the best! And I really envy you for being a morning person. I keep telling myself that it will happen eventually…:)
Seriously, I think I could live on these!! Awesome!
Thanks, Dorothy! Peanut butter makes everything better!
Gayle! Wait a MINUTE! You wake up at 4:45am?!? I’m the biggest morning person you’ll ever meet, and even I can’t deal with 4:45am! Do you work really early in the morning? I work from 6:30-3, but I only wake up at 5:50. Ha! Just brush me teeth, throw on some clothes, and I’m out! I do my makeup and eat breakfast at works, which saves me a ton of time.
These energy bites sound delicious! I love peanut butter and chocolate together. Best combination in the world.
Ha ha Natalie, yes 4:45 it is! I start work at 7am, but I like to give myself a little extra time in the morning to wake up. I probably could get up around 5 or 5:15, but that’s pushing it for me! 🙂 I wish I could do your routine, I will have to work on that. And peanut butter and chocolate are the BEST together!
Love the looks of these energy bites! Peanut butter and chia seeds and chocolate? Sign me up! haha I’m totally a morning person – but I still do love my sleep! : )
Thanks, Ashley! These bites make it just a tad easier for my non-morning self to get up in the mornings!
Getting up in the morning to these should make it much easier for you! Great snack! LOVE P-NUT BUTTER!
It does help, Tahny! Peanut butter is simply the best!
My son keeps asking for a snack with protein. This would be great!
I’m right with you on sleep. I need like 12 hrs just to feel good. If I stay up late, I have to sleep in. My husband is the total opposite. He’ll stay up until well after midnight and is ready to go at 7am. Makes me feel guilty for sleeping, but I say my body needs it 😀
I totally know what you mean, Cindy! Sounds like our husbands are very similar! But maybe this snack would help you out in the mornings, and your son would enjoy it, too!
Energy bites are one of my very favorite things right now. I love this peanut butter version – I’ll have to try making some with chia seeds. I love sleep, too, but lately I have turned into more and more of a morning person. I NEED that quiet time before my kids wake up! (And on my workdays I get up at 4:45 too – uggg! That’s too early.) I do look forward to my morning cup of coffee, so that helps get me out of bed!
4:45 is way too early to get up, what are we doing? 🙂 But I’m sure you need that quiet time before your kids wake up, peace and quiet, right? Hope you enjoy these energy bites, Kristine!
This made me laugh out loud “Don’t talk to me, don’t look at me” I am EXACTLY the same way. I just cannot deal with things in the morning. Give me my coffee, and just let me be! 🙂 These peanut butter bites sound fantastic! I am making them tonight!
I need coffee in the mornings, too! It definitely helps me wake up, along with these bites. I hope you enjoy these if you try it, Annie!
Holy cow you get up soooo early 🙁 I feel for you, because I am NOT a morning person…never have been and never will be! 4:45am sounds like pure torture to me! But your energy bites would make a great motivator to get out of bed!
I really need to try these as most morning I wake up feeling sluggish. Could do with bursts of energy. Looks delicious as well, mmmm choc chip
I think these would definitely help you get moving in the mornings. Thanks for stopping by!
Yup, I sure am ready to make these! I’m constantly looking for healthy raw snacks, and these definitely fit the bill. So easy to make as well. I definitely need my 8 hours’ sleep, too. My husband springs up at 5.30am and is tired by 9pm whereas I’m more of an 11 to 7 kind of girl. I can’t believe you have to get up at 4.45 … it makes me feel tired and grumpy just thinking about it!
Today was rough getting up, Helen! But it helps that it’s Friday! And I think you will really enjoy these energy bites! Quick, easy, and no baking required! 🙂