Superfood Snacks | Mocha Energy Bites
Since I’ve been motivated in the kitchen recently, I decided to try out a recipe from my go-to superfood gal, Julie Morris’ new cookbook, Superfood Snacks. I’ve had it on my must-have cookbook list for a while now and finally got around to cooking up something! And let me just say … any recipe from Julie has some SERIOUS yum factor.
It’s a fact: most energy bars out there are LOADED with sugar. I’ve wanted to make a batch of my own and I came across Julie’s recipe for Mocha Energy Bites. I always feel like around 3pm, I find myself dragging. These bites are full of flavor and give me that energy boost that I need. It doesn’t hurt that they are jam-packed with superfoods so there’s no guilt involved in having one (or two or three!) I’m serious. These little bites are addicting! The best part? No baking is involved whatsoever.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup raw hazelnuts
- 1 teaspoon instant coffee granules (if you are avoiding caffeine, use decaffeinated instant coffee!)
- 2 tablespoons vanilla protein powder
- A pinch of sea salt
- ½ cup of Medjool dates (about 11-12), pitted
- 3 tablespoons cacao nibs
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds
Directions:
Makes 24 bites | 8 servings
- Place the hazelnuts, coffee granules, protein powder, and sea salt in a food processor and grind into a coarse flour.
- Add the dates and process into a “dough.” Add the cacao nibs and chia seeds, and process once more very briefly, leaving a little bit of texture.
- Stop the machine and check the consistency. Depending on the natural moisture of the dates, you may need to add a touch of water (1/2 teaspoon at a time) to get the crumbs to stick together when pinched. If the dough is too wet, mix in a little extra protein powder.
- Place the dough on a large sheet of plastic wrap on a cutting board. Press the dough into a compact square, then tightly wrap it in the plastic to further compress the dough into 24 small round squares. Alternately, simply use your hands to form the dough into bites.
- Bites may be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for several weeks, or in the freezer for several months.
