As I prepared to teach my first REFIT dance fitness class here in Manila, I wanted to bring a simple snack to share with participants that would provide good, clean energy. So I went to one of our family’s favorite options: energy bites! These simple dried fruit and nut snacks are easy to make and offer endless flavor combinations.
For those trying different clean eating plans like Whole30 or Paleo, these beauties fit the bill and provide a great sweet option without any refined sugar. My kids prefer anything made with dried cherries, so that’s the route we went today, but truly the possibilities are endless. You start with the same basic combination of nuts and dried fruit with a pinch of sea salt. From there you can add other spices or ingredients to up the nutritional profile. Each time we make these energy bites I try to add one “extra” boost. Today we added chia seeds, which are known for their rich array of nutrients, antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids and fiber.
While I’ve made similar energy bites and granola bars for years, we saw Katie Kimball from Kids Cook Real Foods recently release a cooking class video on using a food processor that featured a similar recipe. My kids love doing cooking classes with her simple, easy-to-use format and were excited to make the energy bites with me. Typically for her classes I find it’s easiest to sit and watch the video together with the kids so we are all using the same terminology. Then we move to the kitchen where I’ve already prepared our work station and ingredients. It’s a much more seamless process when I’ve planned ahead and am not running around trying to pull out the ingredients we need when they are excited and just want to start cooking!
Thus far we’ve only tried the beginner level courses, but I’m excited to “level up” with Charlie in the next few months as he really has started to master some basic cooking skills, including using knives! It’s so fun to watch his face light up when he gets an idea for something he wants to cook and then can carry it out to completion on his own. I’m picturing breakfast in bed one of these days…hey, a mom can dream, right?!
Now to that energy bite recipe!
Cherry Chia Energy Bites
These delicious bite-sized treats carry a powerful nutritional punch and are great as a quick workout (or anytime!) snack.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup pecans
- 1/4 cup walnuts
- 1/4 cup dates pit removed
- 1/4 cup dried cherries
- 1 Tbsp chia seeds
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp vanilla
- 1 pinch sea salt
Instructions
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Pulse nuts in a food processor until finely ground (but before you puree it into nut butter)!
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Add dried fruit and chia seeds and pulse until combined.
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With the motor running add cinnamon, vanilla and sea salt to help it disburse more evenly.
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Process until mixture begins to clump together in food processor. You may need to add a little water or melted coconut oil to help it hold together, but start very small by adding a teaspoon at a time.
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Roll into bite-sized balls and store in the refrigerator in a sealed container.
