For a quick, on the go snack, try these chocolate cherry energy bites! These gluten free, nut free balls are a perfect for a post workout snack or after school treat.
It can be so hard to find a great, tasty, filling snack that’s allergy friendly.
There are some wonderful brands of nut free, gluten free, allergy friendly granola bars and bites, but not every store carries them. And sometimes you might want to make your own fun snack.
That’s where these chocolate cherry energy bites come in. With just a few simple, tasty ingredients, you can make this chocolatey snack that’s free of the top 9 allergens.
It’s no bake, no fuss, and all delicious!
If you’re looking for another easy snack to prepare at home, try these homemade nut free Lara bars.
Ingredient Notes
- Dried Fruit – A great place to order dried fruit online is Gerbs Allergy Friendly Foods. Another brand that is made in a nut free facility is Newman’s Own Organics dried fruits. Of course you should always call and make sure that any ingredient is safe for your particular needs, as companies do change their procedures from time to time.
- Pumpkin Seeds – For allergy friendly pumpkin seeds, the brand SuperSeedz is great! You can order these on Amazon or Vitacost.
- Certified Gluten Free Oats – If you’re gluten free, make sure you use certified gluten free oats. There are many brands that are certified gluten free. Our two favorite brands are GF Harvest and One Degree Organics.
Substitutions
- You can use a different dried fruit if you like. I have made these with dried cranberries before, and you can easily do prunes, dates, or even dried apricots.
- If pumpkin seeds don’t work for you, you can use hemp seeds or sunflower seeds instead.
Special Equipment
You will need a food processor to make these. Simply throw all the ingredients into your food processor, and pulse until a chocolatey dough forms. It just takes a few minutes to make a batch of these bites.
Storage
Store leftover energy bites in an airtight container in the fridge. They should stay fresh for up to a week.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.
Recipe
Chocolate Cherry Energy Bites (Nut Free).
Ingredients
- ¾ cup pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds
- ¾ cup certified gluten free oats
- ¾ cup dried cherries or cranberries
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ cup dairy free chocolate chips optional, leave out if Paleo
- ½ cup maple syrup
Instructions
- Place the pumpkin seeds, gluten free oats, dried cherries, cocoa powder, chocolate chips, and maple syrup in a food processor.
- Process until the mixture is fairly smooth – it will be quite thick,
- Take a tablespoon of the mixture and use your hands to roll it into a ball. If you want to roll each ball in more mini chocolate chips, you can do so. Place the balls on a plate or tray.
- Store energy bites in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They will get firmer once they are chilled.
Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally published in July 2015. It has been updated.
Katie
Delicious recipe!
Julia
YUUUUUUM! I love how nutritious these delish bites of joy are! Cherry and chocolate are such a marvelous pair – I must make these using the rest of my cherries ASAP!
Kelly
Thank you so much!
Sarah @Whole and Heavenly Oven
I make energy bites like this ALL the time for my mom! She absolutely cannot get enough of ’em. Good thing they’re so healthy and good for you because geez, are they addicting!
rikkii54
TY Kelly for a fresh idea. Especially as the lowly pumpkin seed gets left out a lot. I’ve been adding it to things also,like my raw vegan cream of celery soup instead of the over used cashews. Plus I reasoned, it’s even green ;-) I make energy balls from my left over almond pulp from making milk and add dried cranberries and some maca powder for an additional mid day boost.
Kelly
That’s a great way to use up the almond pulp! I hope you enjoy this recipe!
whiskandshout
These are adorable! Love these bites, pinning!
Joanne
Chocolate and cherry is one of my favorite fruity flavor combos! These bites sound delicious. Wish I had some for some midday fuel!
Kelly
Thank you, Joanne!
Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice
Energy bites are the best! The flavor combinations are endless and I love the protein and healthy ingredients too. Love these chocolate cherry bites, Kelly! Sounds perfect!
Deanna Segrave-Daly (@tspbasil)
I made them a few year back – was really into a PB, honey cocoa combo but it’s been awhile. I love chocolate and cherry so I should give this a whirl