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S'mores Energy Bites
These simple-to-make S'mores Energy Bites are packed with protein and loaded with graham crackers, chocolate chips, and marshmallows! The perfect way to channel those s'mores cravings into something a little more nutritious! No baking required.
Servings 29 Energy Bites (1 tablespoon in size)
Calories 111kcal
Cost $5.62
Ingredients
- 5 whole honey graham crackers, divided use OR use protein powder -- see Note 1
- 2 cups old-fashioned oats
- 1 cup salted cashew butter Note 2
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt Note 3
- 1/3 cup miniature chocolate chips
- 1/3 cup dehydrated marshmallows Note 4
Instructions
- GRAHAM CRACKERS: Coarsely break the graham crackers into a large food processor (I use a 12-cup) fitted with the blade. Pulse to coarsely chop the crackers -- we want some slightly larger pieces. Transfer all of the crushed graham crackers into a shallow bowl or container. From that container, measure out 1/3 cup (30g) of the graham crackers and place back into the food processor with the 2 cups old-fashioned oats. Or use 1/3 cup protein powder instead of graham cracker crumbs. (See Note 1.)
- ADD REMAINING INGREDIENTS: To the food processor with the oats and crumbs, add in the 1 cup cashew butter, 1/2 cup honey (if you spray the measuring cup with nonstick spray before adding the honey in, it will slide out nicely!), 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Pulse mixture until ingredients are finely chopped and well incorporated into a thick dough. If the mixture is too dry and crumbly, add a touch more cashew butter and/or honey. If it is too wet (keep in mind that oats continue to absorb liquid and thicken), add a bit more oats and re-pulse.
- ADD CHOCOLATE CHIPS AND MARSHMALLOWS: Use a spatula to scrape all the mixture from the food processor into a large bowl. Add the chocolate chips and dehydrated marshmallows. Mix or knead with hands to incorporate these add-ins.
- ROLL: Use a 1-tablespoon measuring spoon or 1-1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop to portion out the balls and then tightly roll into balls. Right after rolling into a ball, roll in the reserved graham cracker crumbs. (If you wait too long before rolling, the crumbs won't adhere nicely.) Once rolled, place in the fridge to firm up and then transfer to an airtight container. Store in the fridge for 1-2 weeks or freeze (see next step).
- FREEZE: To freeze, space the energy balls on a lined plate or tray in the freezer. Once firm (about 1-2 hours), transfer to an airtight bag or freezer container. They'll last up to 6 months in the freezer. To thaw: Simply pull one out and let it stand for about 15-30 minutes. You could also pop them in the microwave for 10-15 seconds. When these bites are completely frozen, they are very hard to eat, but don't feel like you need to completely thaw them before eating -- we enjoy them still a bit frozen. They're delicious that way!
Video
Notes
Note 1: Graham crackers: If you'd prefer to keep these energy bites more nutritious and protein packed, replace the 1/3 cup of crushed graham crackers with a vanilla protein powder. Some brands even sell S'mores flavored protein powders you could use here! You can also entirely leave out the graham crackers and not even roll the balls in the crumbs -- of course, these will obviously taste less "s'mores-like" without them.
In this recipe, we use whole graham crackers. Just to be clear, that means 1 large rectangular sheet or 2 squares or 4 small rectangular pieces. One whole graham cracker weighs about 1 ounce, if you have a scale handy.
Note 2: Cashew butter: Cashew butter varies quite a bit from jar to jar. I like to get a cashew butter that is salted and tasty straight out of the jar. Make sure you enjoy the flavor of the cashew butter by itself -- this will be a major flavor in these s'mores energy bites. If using a no-stir/natural cashew butter, give it a good stir before measuring out a cup. We've tested these with peanut butter as well; while tasty, they taste more peanut butter-focused than s'mores flavored.
Note 3: Depending on the cashew butter used, you may want to adjust how much salt you add. If you're using cashew butter with no salt added, you may want to add a touch more salt to the mixture. On the flip side, if you're using salty cashew butter or are sensitive to salt, cut back on the salt.
Note 4: Dehydrated marshmallows are dried marshmallows (sometimes called “mallow bits“). They are hard, crunchy, dried marshmallows (think the marshmallow bits in Lucky Charms cereal). Find them near hot chocolate mixes in the grocery store or purchased online. We love the crunch of these! Unfortunately, regular miniature marshmallows won't work the same -- they'll be too big and will harden too quickly in these s'mores energy bites. If you can't get the dehydrated marshmallows, leave out marshmallows altogether or replace with more chocolate chips.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 111kcal | Carbohydrates: 13.2g | Protein: 2.8g | Fat: 5.6g | Sodium: 18.9mg | Fiber: 1.7g | Sugar: 7.3g