Sweet and hearty little oat bites, with oats, filling peanut butter, and sweet cacao nibs, just like a healthy truffle!
Confession time: I almost ate all of these oat bites before I could even photograph them, maybe even ate 6 in one day? So I really don’t need to blather on about how good these are because that should tell you everything, right there. But I will tell you that I have this habit of getting home from work, needing a snack, and then falling in a spiral of ‘what do I eat that won’t make me feel sick when I’m at hot yoga in an hour?’. This usually results in downing a handful of peanuts and hoping I don’t get ravenous by the end of class, but since making these oat bites, that problem has been solved! These are the perfect blend of sweet and filling, but with a stick with you kind of thing that won’t be too filling. It’s also the perfect way to whittle away at the giant bag of cacao nibs I have in the cabinet, because I know I’ll be making these a few (more like 10) more times this summer.
The nice thing about this recipe is that it is totally flexible! Basically the formula is oats + nut butter +sweetener + some other crunchy thing. I think this would be amazing with a bit of cacao powder and replacing the cacao with chocolate chips, more of a oat truffle kind of thing! Basically what I’m saying is that you should keep some version of these oat bites in your freezer at all times, no exceptions. One more note about storage, I would 100% recommend keeping these in the freezer, they get a little sticky around the edges if they sit out for too long. Trust me, they are best popped directly from freezer to mouth!
Peanut Butter Cacao Nib Oat Bites
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 15 1x
- Category: Snacks
Description
Sweet and hearty little oat bites, with oats, filling peanut butter, and sweet cacao nibs, just like a healthy truffle!
Ingredients
- 2 cups rolled oats
- 1/4 cup ground flax seed
- 1/3 cup almond meal
- 1/3 cup peanut butter
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup cacao nibs
Instructions
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. In a blender, combine the rolled oats, flax seed, almond meal, peanut butter, maple syrup and vanilla extract and blend on low-medium for 30 seconds to a minute, until all ingredients are combined and starts to come together. The mixture should be sticky, but still have decent sized chunks of oats. Transfer to a large bowl and fold in the cacao nibs. Scoop out by the tablespoon, roll into balls and place onto the lined baking sheet. Freeze for 1 hour before eating. Best stored in the freezer.
Jan Thompson says
These will be in our freezer. They look like just the right snack without going crazy, especially if they are frozen!
Heart of a Baker says
You need to get dad to make them for you!
Sara @ Cake Over Steak says
Perfect little snack bites! This kind of thing IS a lifesaver for when you get home from work and you’re ravenous. I tend to resort to the nearest chocolate bar or some chicago mix popcorn …. aka not the best choices. I need to make something like this to keep on hand.
Heart of a Baker says
I’m just SO hungry when I get home and always resort to eating chips, eek!
Cindy says
How much cacao nibs?
Heart of a Baker says
Hi Cindy! Thanks for catching that, I updated the recipe to reflect the amount needed!
Cindy says
Thanks so much! I’m making these this weekend! Yay! 🙌
Julia says
YES this is exactly what I need! I’m so bad about figuring out what to fuel up on pre-run or hot yoga and I’m glad I now have the ultimate solutions. I can definitely see popping 6 of these in my mouth in a row, because: no consequences 😉
Heart of a Baker says
They are SO good for pre yoga, no barfing or feeling gross, ha!
Vicky says
Love the idea of freezer to mouth for these. So fun getting to hang out with you today!
Heart of a Baker says
Exactly how it should be! Lovely to see you!
Emilie @ Emilie Eats says
I definitely always have snacks on hand because, trust me, no one wants a hangry Emilie. 😉 I love protein-packed energy bites like these! They don’t overfill me, but keep me energized until my next meal. Yum!
Candice says
These look great I have everything except almond meal. Could I make it without it or what would be a replacement?
Heart of a Baker says
Hi Candice! I would say you can make them without or add a few more oats. Enjoy!
Jessica @ Citrus Blossom Bliss says
Yum! I love making these little protein packed bites – they’re perfect for when you want something sweet but don’t want to totally derail your diet. These look lovely!
Heart of a Baker says
These are totally what they are for! xo
Sarah | Snixy Kitchen says
These are like a fancy and even more delicious version of a treat my friend and I made as kids. I would most definitely eat 6 in one day! Or more…
Heart of a Baker says
I wouldn’t judge you at all, I would join you! xo
Traci | Vanilla And Bean says
I’m all about those snacks, Abby, so I completely appreciate these little bites of nourishment! Having these on the ready is how I survive those 3:00, eat whatever I can get my hands on, cravings… ! I love your combination of PB and AB! FTW! I can see why you’d devour them all in one setting… I would too! 😀
Heart of a Baker says
Glad I’m not the only one who gets totally ravenous at the thought of needing a snack! 🙂
amanda paa says
for the love of cacao nibs! one of my favorite things to add for crunch and a coffee like flavor. not sweet, but they bring out the best in everything else! sounds like my freezer needs a batch. 🙂
Heart of a Baker says
It does! I was wary of them at first, but now I can’t stop putting them in everything! xo
Levi Pearson says
I’m planning to substitute for the ground almonds either almond butter or ground up (in the blender) walnuts or acorns. What do you think?
Heart of a Baker says
Hi Levi, Almost any nut should do!