Archives for July 2019

These peanut butter energy bites are delicious, satisfying and so easy to make. Homemade, they cost about 20¢ each—and might cost you about $1.79 each to buy (no joke).

If your family is always hungry, like mine seems to be, these bites are the perfect snack to have around. They’re even great for breakfast on the go.

A simple recipe we cherish

I’d been making these peanut butter energy bites for months and months (and bringing them everywhere with me) before I even thought about sharing the recipe with anyone.  They’re so dead simple that when people asked for the recipe, I just recited it from memory as best I could.

I mostly make them using hemp seeds, which are so protein-packed it’s ridiculous. But since when I first started making them, no one could reasonably be expected to find hemp seeds, I figured the recipe wasn’t really worth sharing.

But then, as often happens, I spied with my little eye a package of hulled hemp seeds at my local Trader Joe’s. And just like that, it was time to share! 

What’s special about this snack?

I’m not exaggerating them I tell you that I make these energy bites every month of the year. The large glass jar you see in the photo above (and in the video) is one that I keep stocked with snacks (okay, sometimes cookies) as often as I can. And my whole family really misses these energy bites when the last one in the jar is eaten!

There really aren’t many ingredients in these bites, but even though they do have sugar (honey is sugar, after all), the oats, coconut, and seeds are pure health food. Just one bite is super satisfying, enough to get me through the afternoon slump. 

For my kids, who are still hitting growth spurts that empty out the cupboards regularly, 3 bites are usually enough to tide them over. And they beat a handful of GF Oreos any day!

As an alternative to the bite-sized energy snack situation, I also have the perfect recipe for homemade protein bars. They’re made with oats and protein powder, and there are lots of different flavor variations. Somehow, they have the texture of a brownie.

This recipe is no-bake (if you want it to be)

This really is a no-bake recipe when you make it as written. But I cannot tell a lie: I almost always toast the oats, coconut, and seeds in a 300°F oven for about 15 minutes at the start.

You may not want to put on the oven for something that should be no-bake. But I have my oven on every single day of the year (occupational hazard) anyway, summertime included.

Toasting the oats, coconut, and seeds really does intensify and deepen the flavors. But if the oven simply isn’t an option, you could also try toasting them on the stovetop in a cast-iron skillet just until they smell fragrant.

How to make these peanut butter energy bites

Whether you choose to toast the bulky ingredients (oats, coconut, seeds) or not, all this recipe requires is that you place those ingredients, along with some salt and oat flour (just oats ground in a food processor or blender—I never buy oat flour!) in a large bowl. Then, add the peanut butter and honey, and mix.

The mixture will be quite thick. Just keep mixing and pressing down the mixture with the back of a spoon to moisten the bulky ingredients with the peanut butter and honey. You want everything to be thick and not soft so that the energy bites hold together well and hold their shape after you portion and roll them tightly. 

Then, allow everything to cool down to room temperature (especially if you’ve toasted the oats, etc. first) before adding the few miniature chocolate chips. Otherwise, the chips will melt right into the bites when you mix them in, and won’t hold their shape.

I like using miniature chocolate chips, since just a few ounces of them go a long, long way. Every single bite will have plenty of chips, but not too many that we took something healthy and made it into candy.

Then, portion them with an ice cream scoop or your fingers, and roll tightly between your palms. Place them in the refrigerator to chill, then pile them into a container with a lid. They’re ready whenever you or your always hungry family is!

Ingredients and substitutions

Peanut butter: If you can’t have peanut butter, most any other nut butter will do. Almond butter is the perfect substitute, and cashew butter will make a more neutral-flavored energy bite.

The drippy, natural kind is really too soft and won’t hold the bites together very well. Go for the “no stir” kind, in which the oil doesn’t separate at room temperature. 

Honey: If you want to make these vegan or just don’t like honey, you can use a combination of half maple syrup, half unsulphured molasses (like Grandma’s brand). Maple syrup alone is too thin and not sticky enough to replace honey. 

Oats: I also have a grain-free version, if the oats are a no-no for you. They’re full of protein, too, just without the grains. 

Certified gluten free oats are appropriate on a gluten free diet in the United States. If you’d prefer to make this recipe and would like to replace the oats because you can’t have them or don’t feel comfortable eating them, try replacing the old fashioned rolled oats with beaten rice and the oat flour with quinoa flakes.

We’ve already had a complete discussion of substitutions for oats in baking. Have a look if you’re curious!

Seeds: I buy shelled hemp seeds at my local Trader Joe’s market. If you don’t live near a Trader Joe’s or just don’t shop there and you can’t find hemp seeds, try chia seeds, hulled sunflower seeds, flax seeds, or pumpkin seeds.

Pumpkin seeds are much larger, so they’d need to be chopped before adding them to the mixture. Flax seeds do tend to have a very strong flavor, so make sure your family is on board before using them in this recipe. There are plenty of other possibilities. 

Smooth and creamy, naturally gluten free strawberry yogurt popsicles are perfect for a refreshing breakfast on the go, or an afternoon snack. Make them with fresh or frozen berries.

How to make homemade popsicles

Like smoothies, it’s tempting to think that you can make a great popsicle with literally any mixture at all, from simple fruit juice to plain, melted ice cream. But that just isn’t the way it works. When you’re making popsicles, it’s important to keep in mind that the same rules that apply to homemade ice cream apply to homemade popsicles.

Any water in your popsicles will become icy when frozen, as water freezes solid.  Sugar and fat don’t freeze solid.

But with popsicles, you can get away with an icier product since it’s meant to be eaten very cold and is licked, rather than eaten with a spoon. These popsicles are made with half plain yogurt and half strawberry puree. 

The strawberry puree is super simple but really special and versatile. In fact, we’ve used something similar many times before…

How to make the strawberry mixture?

The strawberry puree that makes up half of the recipe for these popsicles is a really simple mixture of hulled strawberries, sugar, a pinch of salt, and water. The mixture is cooked over medium-high heat for about 10 minutes or until the strawberries are very soft and everything has been reduced by about one-quarter.

When the mixture thickens, all of the added sugar is fully dissolved and the moisture is reduced. You’ll notice that it pours slowly, because of the reduced liquid and the natural pectin in the strawberries.

Pass it through pretty much any fine mesh strainer to remove the seeds. But a larger strainer will make it easier to stir the mixture to help it strain more quickly. Be sure to press down firmly on the puree as you strain to separate all of the liquid from the seeds.

If you do use frozen strawberries, use 1 pound of strawberries in place of 1 1/2 pounds of fresh strawberries. And reduce the water by at least half, since the frozen strawberries will be a bit icy. 

How else to use this strawberry mixture?

The strawberry puree is little more than slightly sweetened strawberries that have been cooked, pureed, and strained of seeds. You can also use it in our no bake strawberry cheesecake, which is one of my favorite recipes of all time.

The mixture is also perfect for making naturally flavored strawberry cupcakes with a rich strawberry frosting. You could probably also use the strawberry puree in place of the roasted strawberry mixture in our homemade roasted strawberry 3-ingredient no churn ice cream.

What’s the best popsicle mold?

I’ve purchased so many awful popsicle molds over the years. Not wanting to be wasteful, I tried and tried to find ways to use them successfully before throwing in the towel.

But good news! I’ve wasted time and money, so now you don’t have to!

My favorite silicone popsicle mold (affiliate link, please shop around!) is the same one that I used for our homemade fudgesicles. It’s a lay-flat mold that makes a really fancy-looking popsicle and holds the stick comfortably in place. 

When I used the silicone popsicle mold for these strawberry yogurt popsicles, I also added some miniature chocolate chips to the top right after pouring in the mixture. Chocolate and strawberry are a great combination, and it just looked pretty. ?

My favorite standard popsicle mold (again, an affiliate link but shop around!) is the one you see pictured here and in this recipe video. It’s made by Prepworks, and I like it because it has a lid that holds each of the popsicle sticks in the center of each pop. 

How to remove the pops from the traditional mold

The easiest way to remove the pops from the standard mold (the one you see in the photos here) is by running it under hot water briefly. The idea is to melt the outermost layer of the pops just enough so that they slip right out of the mold when you pull on the stick. 

Be sure to freeze the pops completely before you attempt to remove them from the mold. Otherwise, the stick will slip out of the pop when you pull on it. 

If you’re using a silicone mold, it couldn’t be easier to remove the pops. Just peel the silicone mold away from the pop!

Ingredients and substitutions

Dairy-free: It’s so easy to make this recipe dairy-free, just by using your favorite nondairy plain yogurt. My favorite nondairy yogurt is coconut-based since I find that the soy-based ones have a strange texture and flavor. 

Berries: I think that this recipe would work perfectly with any sort of berry (especially blueberries). Since you can quickly and easily strain out the seeds, even blackberries or raspberries should work just fine. 

You can also use frozen berries, whether strawberries are in season or not. During peak strawberry season, though, I like to use fresh berries since I can select just the right container of berries from the grocery store—and they’re reasonably priced.

Sugar: In place of granulated sugar, you can use a similar amount of honey or Lyle’s Golden syrup. I’d avoid using any sugar with a stronger flavor, like coconut palm sugar, since it will compete with the flavor of the berries. 

If you’d like to try making this refined sugar-free, you can try using granulated erythritol or Swerve granulated sugar replacement. Stevia drops might even work fine. The sugar is there only for sweetness.