No bake healthy energy snacks 4 ways, are packed with nutrients made from superfoods and whole foods, high in protein, vitamins, fiber and healthy fats.
The no-bake energy bite recipes I want to share with you are gluten-free, protein rich, fiber rich, great for pre-workouts, snacks to-go or pretty enough to serve with afternoon tea!
What Are No Bake Healthy Energy Snacks?
Imagine your favorite cookie, but without the butter. Or your favorite muffin, but without the flour.
Can you imagine your favorite sweet treat, but without the sugar, and imagine a quick energy pick-me-up but without the guilt!
That, is what these no bake energy balls are, and I’m giving you 4 Ways to make them, all fabulously delicious!
Healthy Dates and Walnuts
Dates have long been the fruit of choice throughout the Middle East, and coming from a Syrian heritage, dates were often used in place of sugar, as the healthier option.
Rich in disease-fighting antioxidants, dates are particularly beneficial in controlling diabetes, while also aiding in healthy digestion.
Most often, walnuts have been my nut of choice, both English Walnuts and Black Walnuts, as they are nutrient rich, and loaded with gut healthy bacteria and microbes.
Healthy Energy Habits
Getting healthy and staying healthy is often just a matter of changing health habits.
Geez, look how clean our hands, shopping carts and doorknobs have become since 2020, so why not our inner body too!
I have often wondered, during the pandemic year, as we all became mega-germaphobes, if we would ever revert back to the careless way we once did things. Somehow, I think not.
Healthy Snacks That Taste Like Dessert
If you thought prunes were just for ‘old folks’ it’s time to think again, prunes are a crazy healthy fruit, dried from its original plum.
Health benefits of prunes include blood sugar management, iron, digestive aid as well as natural elements that can help the body produce melatonin for better sleep.
Toss in some cholesterol-lowering, heart healthy pecans, and iron rich molasses and you’ve got the perfect sweet snack to offer many health benefits.
No Bake Energy Snacks Are A Healthy Habit
If we can be forced to change simple things we do each day, why not dig a little deeper and add a few new habits in our daily food consumption?
I gave a lot of thought as to which foods I wanted to share with you here and why.
I think you will not only find them helpful for your immune support, but I believe you will actually look forward to eating them.
They are almost too scrumptious to be healthy!
Dried Fruits and Nuts Make The Best Snacks
How often do you think to pick up a bag of dried apricots at the store? Exactly, we often forget these beta-carotene, vitamin A and C rich dried fruit for others.
Sure apricots have a tart bite to them, but with a little honey and orange zest, you’ve got a healthy snack that tastes like a decadent dessert.
Add to that mix, some crushed almonds, known for their health properties, and you could almost skip a meal and just eat these, and don’t forget to nibble with a glass of my homemade almond milk!
Energy Snacks To-Go For The Health Of It
Busy lives often require ‘think ahead’ foods to-go with that busy lifestyle and these are the perfect do ahead snack.
Making these energy bites in advance means there is always something healthy to put in your purse, briefcase or lunch bag.
I never leave home without a zip bag of a few energy snacks in my purse or carry on suitcase when traveling, cause for sure I am not interested in the unhealthy snacks the airlines passes out these days.
Mediterranean Cuisine Is Loaded With Healthy Snacks
In this way I am never tempted to grab a fast, unhealthy snack while out and about, when that hunger pang hits.
Since these are power packed with only healthy ingredients, I know I am giving my body the best possible energy boost when I need it most.
Having developed a mindset for healthy foods (desserts included), vs just foods, you will find this theme throughout many of my recipes, a mindset that is derived from the Mediterranean cooking I grew up with.
No Bake Means Energy Spent On Flavor Not Baking
Just look at all the amazing options that can go into these powerhouse energy snacks;
- nuts of all kinds, raw is best since they are still filled with natural oils
- dried fruits of all kinds for both their sweetness and fiber
- oats, hemp seeds add a little bulk to the energy snacks
- ginger adds a definite zing to the flavor as well of its medicinal properties
- carrots offer loads of health properties, sweetness and even a little juice
- matcha green tea for its antioxidant properties and a bit of caffeine
- raw cacao powder for that chocolate treat and a hint of caffeine for a boost of energy
What Makes Energy Snacks Sweet?
Each of these energy bites are sweetened with molasses, agave, honey or just dates, which are way sweeter than all the other sweeteners, only healthy.
Zest from citrus, spices of your choice and the fiber, protein, antioxidants and immune boosters in these no bake energy snacks are off the charts!
I promise, these will make you swap out your usual desserts for these, instead, or perhaps use them to stuff your favorite cookie. as you will find in my Maamoul cookies.
How To Make No Bake Energy Snacks
A food processor or blender is needed to make these, since they will quickly pulverize the ingredients into a shapeable form.
You could pound the heck out of the ingredients with a mortar and pestle, but electronics make it fast, easy and a one time purchase of a food processor has become affordable.
The ingredients are placed into the processor and whirled until everything is ground and the mix begins to form a ball inside the processor.
Easy tablespoon sizes are scooped out and rolled into small balls and placed in the fridge, to firm up, until ready to grab and go.
If adding ingredients such as carrots or apples, simply peel and chop into small pieces before putting in the processor.
The trick to creating a sticky paste-like texture for the energy balls, is the combination of dried fruits and nuts, pulsed until they form a paste.
Spices, seeds, fresh fruits can be added to layer the dimension of flavors.
Equipment Needed
- Food processor – For a small and affordable option I have purchased this one for my kids apartment life, however for myself, I like this larger more multipurpose one.
- Knife
- Cutting board
- Measuring spoon
- Measuring cup
- Closed container for storage
Ingredients Needed
- Dried fruits of choice
- Nuts of choice
- Spices of choice
- Honey, molasses or agave
- Seeds – such as hemp or sesame
- Carrots
- Orange
No Bake Healthy Energy Snacks 4 Ways
Equipment
- Food processor
Ingredients
Black Energy Snacks
- 1 cup Prunes pitted
- 1 cup Pecans
- 1 tbsp Molasses
- 1/4 tsp Clove powder
- 1/2 ts[ Mace
- 1 tbsp Freeze-Dried Raspberries crushed separate to roll balls in
Green Energy Snacks
- 1 cup Golden raisins
- 1 cup Oats
- 2 tbsp Hemp seeds
- 1 tsp Matcha green tea powder
- 2 tsp Agave
Brown Energy Snacks
- 1 cup Dried dates pitted
- 1 cup Walnuts
- 2 tbsp Raw cacao
Orange Energy Snacks
- 1 cup Dried apricots
- 1 cup Almonds
- 1 Large Carrot peeled and rough chopped
- 1 tbsp Fresh ginger peeled and rough chopped
- 1 tsp Fresh Orange zest
- 1 tbsp Honey
Instructions
- These are 4 different recipes, so depending on which you are making, each is prepared the same. Ingredients goes into a food processor. Processed until everything is crushed together and begins to form a ball.
- Tablespoon size scoops rolled into small balls and placed on a tray, chilled in the fridge until ready to serve.
- If freeze-dried raspberries (which also come in blueberry and strawberry), are being used to both garnish and flavor, crush to a powder and sprinkle on after balls are formed. The same applies if rolling the balls in crushed nuts.
Video
Notes
- Some of the nuts will produce quite a lot of natural oil when being crushed. 1 tablespoon of oat flour can be added to absorb some of the oil or simply place on a paper towel when balls are formed to absorb, or leave as is. I like the natural oil.
- Storage: All of the energy bites that do not have perishable ingredients (such as the orange bites), will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for about 1 month, otherwise 10 days.
I believe the table... that place that draws people to gather, is the most powerful symbol of togetherness. All that happens before the table is set, the planning, the gathering, the preparing, are all an intricate part of the dance that create the mood of celebration to share with friends and loved ones.