Satisfy your sweet tooth cravings the healthy way with these Salted Caramel Chia Energy Bites. They’re sweet, all-natural, gluten and dairy free snacks made with oats and chia seeds!
That sounds almost wrong, doesn’t it? Salted Caramel Chia Energy Bites – it’s like healthy and deliciously naughty all joined together in some train wreck of a ball when you don’t know if the oats cancel out the caramel? Do I have news for you…!
These are totally natural (if you skip the chocolate) and made purely with dates, 100% organic peanut butter (and only peanuts – I see them get crushed into butter before my very little eyes at the health food shop), vanilla extract (I make my own – yell out of you want the recipe) and a few other goodies.
People have been passing around this saying on good ol’ Facebook about the time around Christmas and New Years and not knowing what day it is… My biggest battle is giving up the ‘oh, but it’s Christmas…’ and eating copious amounts of food that I wouldn’t normally eat… because chocolate and Mum’s shortbread is TOTALLY a breakfast food… yeah?!
I am trying to take a swing and a hit at changing my diet (until Easter that is), but the sweet tooth wants what the sweet tooth wants… and mine – they’re loud! So these Salted Caramel Chia and Oat Bites sit in my happy place – I can have one or two knowing they are all natural and they give me that sweet kick I am after too.
Is it just me that completely let’s go of old habits around Christmas? I use to be so good and leave my splurging for Christmas Eve & day, and then get back on track… but this year I started ‘oh but it’s Christmas…’ in November… could have even been October.
Do you find it hard to get back on the food track after Christmas? What’s the one thing you really don’t want to give up?
Salted Caramel Chia Energy Bites (Dairy Free)
Gluten free, vegan; Free of: dairy, eggs, soy
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup dates firmly packed, chopped
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- ⅓ cup boiling water
- 1½ Tablespoon (heaping) peanut butter (use SunButter for peanut-free)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup gluten free old fashioned oats
- 1½ tablespoons chia seeds
- ¼ cup dairy free dark chocolate chips, I use 85% cocoa with minimal sugar
Instructions
- Place the dates and coconut oil in a bowl and cover with the boiling water. Let them sit and soften for 5 or so minutes.
- Once soaked, place the dates (with soaking water), peanut butter, salt and vanilla essence in a blender and blend until smooth.
- In a bowl, mix the oats, chia seeds, and peanut butter/date mixture and stir until well combined. You might find it easier to use your hands. If too soft, place in the freezer for 5 minutes, then roll.
- With wet hands, take Tablespoons of the mixture and roll into balls. Place in on a parchment-lined baking sheet and place in the fridge to set.
- If desired, melt chocolate and drizzle on top of the balls and place back in the fridge.
- Store in an air tight container in the fridge.
Nutrition
Kirsten Burrows is the former co-owner and photographer behind the recipe website Treat Yourself Sweeter. She lives in Melbourne, Australia, and works as a school teacher.
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