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These 5-Ingredient Chocolatey Energy Bites Are Perfect For Busy Family Mornings

Eliza Sullivan
Author:
December 16, 2021
Eliza Sullivan
mbg Nutrition & Health Writer
By Eliza Sullivan
mbg Nutrition & Health Writer
Eliza Sullivan is a food writer and SEO editor at mindbodygreen. She writes about food, recipes, and nutrition—among other things. She studied journalism at Boston University.
Image by Milles Studio / Stocksy
December 16, 2021
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Honestly, we'll never get tired of energy bites. With just a few ingredients, you can make a nutrient-packed snack that can fuel even the busiest of mornings. One great example: These five-ingredient bites from Great British Baking Show winner David Atherton's newest book Bake, Make, and Learn To Cook.

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"These snacks are packed with natural energy—just like stars!" Atherton writes, "and are especially good to eat before you exercise." Leaning into the kid-friendly angle of his book, this snack calls for a playful star shape—but you can make the family-friendly recipe in any shape you wish.

Alongside the dates1 we often find in energy bite recipes, this version also calls for prunes2, which have a lower sugar content and slightly more fiber, according to the USDA. It's a clever swap that helps keep these chocolatey bites from going too sweet and saves the dates for dessert.

Energy Stars

Makes 8 to 10 stars

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Ingredients

  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • 2 oz dark chocolate
  • ½ cup pitted dates
  • ½ cup prunes
  • Sunflower seeds to decorate

Method

  1. Blend the oats in a food processor for 10 seconds and set aside.
  2. Melt the chocolate in a cup in the microwave, checking every 10 seconds, until just melted.
  3. Blend the dates and prunes until you have a smooth paste.
  4. Pour in the melted chocolate and blend again until very smooth and shiny.
  5. Transfer to a bowl and knead in the oats.
  6. Roll out to roughly ¼ inch thick and cut out with a star-shaped cookie cutter.
  7. Finally, add sunflower seeds on top for decoration.
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Excerpted with permission from Bake, Make, and Learn To Cook: Fun & Healthy Recipes for Young Cooks by David Atherton (Candlewick Press, December 7, 2021).

Eliza Sullivan author page.
Eliza Sullivan
mbg Nutrition & Health Writer

Eliza Sullivan is an SEO Editor at mindbodygreen, where she writes about food, recipes, and nutrition—among other things. She received a B.S. in journalism and B.A. in english literature with honors from Boston University, and she has previously written for Boston Magazine, TheTaste.ie, and SUITCASE magazine.