Are you ready for a simple snack that takes only 15 minutes to make? Say “hello” to these no-bake Banana + Almond bites. There are so many variations of these energy bites on the internet that it seems like more of a suggestion than a recipe!
Jump to RecipeChoose Your Favorite Fruits and Nuts
The combo of bananas and almonds is one of my favorites and has been “grandkid-approved.” But you can easily swap out different nuts and fruits to suit your personal preference or whatever you have in your pantry.
Feel free to add in protein powder or seeds like chia, hemp or sesame. And if you prefer not to roll them into bite-sized balls, you can press the mixture into a pan and cut them into bars. I give more details about that in the recipe below.
Inspired by a Raw Food Recipe: What is Raw Anyway?
These energy bites were inspired by a recipe in Amber Shea Crawley’s Practically Raw cookbook, which I highly recommend. If you’re not familiar with raw eating, it’s the practice of preparing your food without cooking it in an oven, microwave or on the stovetop.
The idea behind it is that high heat (above 118 degrees F/ 48 C) can destroy many of the nutrients in your food — so when you skip cooking, you preserve more of the vitamins, minerals, fiber, plant proteins, antioxidants and more.
I don’t follow a raw diet, but I do like a lot of the recipes in Amber’s book — because she gives a ton of ingredient substitutions AND also cooking instructions, when that’s an option. She has a very flexible approach to eating raw!
Add Cacao Powder to Energy Bites for Antioxidants
For these Banana + Almond energy bites, I added some raw cacao powder because I had some in the pantry AND I love the antioxidants it provides. Raw Cacao also contains iron, magnesium and dietary fiber. But I’m most focused on the antioxidants because they can reduce oxidative stress in our bodies. [This healthline article explains the benefits of antioxidants in simple terms.] Feel free to skip the cacao powder or add another “superfood” powder. Flexibility is the name of the game here. You really can’t go wrong!
These are easy and fun to make with kids. And they won’t even know they’re more nutritious than most store-bought granola bars!
Banana + Almond Energy Bites
Cuisine: SnacksDifficulty: Easy15
minutesThese yummy energy bites (or bars) are quick to make and simple for a “grab and go” snack.
Ingredients
3/4 cup almonds or other nuts
1 cup pitted dates
1/2 cup dried bananas or other dried fruit
1-2 tsp. cacao powder (optional)
Pinch of sea salt
Directions
- Combine the nuts and dates in a food processor and pulse until the nuts are finely ground and dates are mixed in well.
- Add dried fruit and any powders of your choice along with the salt and pulse until combined, chopping the fruit to the size you prefer.
- Roll the mixture into bite-sized balls. Expect it to be a bit sticky. Or skip the rolling and press the mixture into a wax paper lined 8-inch square pan. Freeze for at least one hour before cutting into bars. Store in the refrigerator or freezer. NOTE: I found the recipe as written made for very thin bars when spread into an 8-inch pan. If you prefer more substantial bars, I recommend increasing quantities to 1.5 times.
Notes
- You can get creative with the fruit and nut combos here, using your family favorites. Here are a couple of combinations to add to the dates: Apple Cobbler: Walnuts + dried apples + 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Island Paradise: Macadamia nuts + dried bananas + 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut. Simple + Sweet: Almonds + raisins + 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
Looking forward to these yummy energy bites…
Hi Lise,
They’re easy to make and I think you’ll like them. Enjoy!
Lucie
These look super yummy! Can’t wait to make them! What other dried fruit have you tried besides banana? Do you think cranberries would be good?
Hi Erin,
I think you’ll like these! The only other fruit I’ve tried so far is dried apples, which were good, too, but banana was my favorite. Let me know if you try cranberries.
Thanks for stopping by and commenting!
Lucie