‘Tis the season for holiday treats and I am here for it. Christmas cookies, candy, and other sweets abound at home, work, and holiday gatherings and while I definitely love indulging in the holiday foodie fun now and then, I do try and stay mindful of all the extra sugar creeping into my diet this time of year. I came up with the recipe for these Easy Gingerbread Energy Bites as way to enjoy a sweet holiday treat without all of the processed sugar. And bonus – they are gluten free and vegan, too!
Make Your Gingerbread Spice
The gingerbread energy bites start with a simple, homemade spice mix. You can absolutely buy gingerbread spice and use it here, but it is so easy (and less expensive) to grab what you likely have in your spice jar and mix it up yourself. Our mixture is a combination of classic gingerbread flavors with nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and allspice. I mixed up a generous batch to keep for all of my holiday baking. It smells SO good and is just so simple to make. It will keep for 6 months in a sealed jar.
Get Mixing
Once you’ve got your spice mixture ready, these gingerbread energy bites require only a few simple ingredients. I start with rolled oats (be sure to check that yours are gluten free if you’re celiac or staying away from gluten for other dietary reasons) and a vegan vanilla protein powder. I like Orgain, which I buy at Costco and use in all sorts of things. Any protein powder should work, though. Grab your food processor and give the oats and protein a little whirl until it resembles a coarse sand. Add in the spice mix and pulse just to combine.
Once the dry ingredients are combined, you will need to add in your nut butter (I used peanut butter here), a little maple syrup, and some chia seeds. Start up that food processor and pulse the mixture forms a rough dough.
Almost There!
I find that the easiest way to make these energy bites into balls is using a dough scoop. This one is my favorite and will make 16 one ounce balls from this recipe! Place the formed energy bites on a lined baking sheet. If you want, you can freeze them until ready to eat. However, I recommend going the extra mile and whipping up a little white chocolate drizzle to drip on top before freezing. It adds only a little sugar and so much holiday fun. The energy bites will keep in the freezer for up to two months in an airtight container.
Looking for More Healthy Snack Recipes? Check out these favorites from our archives:
Healthy Cookie Dough Balls
Greek “Nachos” with Tzatziki
Creamy Vanilla Fruit Dip
Easy Gingerbread Energy Bites
A simple recipe for a healthy holiday snack.
Ingredients
For the Gingerbread Spice Mix
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
For the Gingerbread Energy Bites
- 1½ cups rolled oats
- 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
- 2½ teaspoons gingerbread spice mix
- ¼ cup + 2 Tablespoons real maple syrup
- 1 Tablespoon chia seeds
- 1 cup natural peanut butter
For the White Chocolate drizzle
- 2 Tablespoons white chocolate chips
- ¼ teaspoon coconut oil
Instructions
For the Spice MIx
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Combine all ingredients in a small jar and stir to combine.
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Store spice mixture in an airtight jar.
For the Energy Bites
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In the bowl of food processor or high speed blender, combine the rolled oats, protein powder, and spice mixture. Pulse until the mix resembles a coarse sand.
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Add the maple syrup, chia seeds, and peanut butter to the dry ingredients and process until a rough dough forms.
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Using a dough scoop, divide the dough into 16 one ounce balls and place on a lined baking sheet. Set aside.
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In a small bowl, mix the white chocolate chips and coconut oil.
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Microwave the mixture at 50% power, stirring frequently, until just melted. (Will take about 30 seconds)
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Drizzle the white chocolate mixture lightly over the prepared energy bites.
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Freeze the bites until ready to eat! Allow to thaw briefly prior to eating.
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