When I first made these energy bites, I wasn’t sure if the dark chocolate and cherry would pair well with the flavor of a nut butter… It does! And, I’ve made these with both peanut butter and almond butter so I can confirm that both of those taste awesome. They have a different taste, for obvious reasons, but are equally tasty.

These dark chocolate and cherry energy bites are naturally gluten-free, and can be dairy-free, vegan, and paleo depending on the brand of choc chips you buy, whether you use oats vs sunflower seeds, and the nut butter you choose. Super convenient since they are suitable for a wide variety of diets. Personally, I just avoid gluten most of the time and refined sugar, so Trader Joe’s nut butter and chocolate chunks were a-ok for me.

As you can see, they are suuuuuper easy to make. So yeah, that’s why they are my new go-to snack when I’m craving something sweet but still want to get some good stuff too. It’s totally a win-win.

Hope you enjoy!

H

Dark Chocolate & Cherry Energy Bites

Recipe makes 20-24 bites
Easily adapted for gluten-free, vegan, paleo, and dairy-free diets

Ingredients:
1 cup rolled oats (sub w sunflower seeds for grain-free)
2 Tbsp chia seeds
1/4 cup dried cherries
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
1/4 cup maple syrup
3/4 cup nut butter of choice
tiny pinch of fine sea salt

Directions:
Combine ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
Scoop out about 1 Tablespoon per bite and roll by hand into a ball.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge.
Enjoy!