No Bake Pecan Pie Energy Bites

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No Bake Energy Balls are a snack time staple in our house and our latest version is this No Bake Pecan Pie Energy Bite recipe – a healthy afternoon or lunch box snack with plenty of fibre and protein.

Pecan Energy Bites Recipe

For years, every afternoon without fail, I would hit a mid-afternoon slump.

I would go from feeling energized and productive to absolutely exhausted and in need of a nap. I got in the habit of having an afternoon cup of coffee – but often that still didn’t make much of a difference and I would sluggishly get through a couple tasks while actively fighting to keep my eyes open.

I also found myself reaching for convenience foods out of that exhaustion; I was looking for a quick pick-me-up, but often those options compounded the issue and would just lead to a sugar crash (or at the very least didn’t give my body anything it could use to fuel through the afternoon).

I’ve changed a lot about my eating habits since then – including intermittent fasting and meal prepping my lunches  – and now that kind of mid-day exhaustion is rare.

Before when I was feeling peckish, it was easy to reach for whatever was convenient and that often meant the store-bought treats that I let my daughter pick out at the store. Now, I make an active effort to either buy or make healthy snacks so that if I find myself with a sweet craving or feeling a bit snacky, I have healthy options available that won’t derail my healthy eating goals or give me that awful sugar crash.

Energy bites have become one of our family’s favorite easy snacks. I like to customize them each time to be inspired by whatever junk food I find myself craving, and this month I’m all about the pecan pie.

This sticky, sweet energy bite has a bit of warmth from the cinnamon and tastes incredibly similar to pecan pie filling while being a great source of protein and fibre.

For this recipe, I used Millican Pecan’s Pecan Pieces. I didn’t realize what a difference there could be between pecan brands, but these are so incredibly fresh and flavorful. They also have delicious snack options like the Sweet and Spicy Pecans which are perfect for the holidays. My next order, I’m trying their Pecan Butter and the Caramel Pecan Coffee! (And by the way, this is not sponsored – I just really love them.)

Pecans provide more than just protein in this recipe. They also are a great source of antioxidants, fibre, B-complex vitamins, magnesium, zinc, folate, vitamin A, vitamin E and amino acids – these provide a bevy of health benefits including aiding in digestion, feelings of satiety (keeping you fuller longer), as well as benefiting your brain, heart, skin and hair.

The natural sweetness in this recipe comes from the dates and maple syrup which also add their own health benefits. I love the sticky texture that the dates give these pecan pie energy balls – it’s just like sticky pecan pie filling for me. Personally, I do think you need the maple syrup for a more authentic “pecan pie” flavor, but you can taste your “dough” without it and see if you can do without it if you’d like to reduce the natural sugars in this recipe.

Can you freeze energy bites? YES! In fact, this is my favorite thing about this recipe. I make a batch and freeze at least half of it so that I can have a sweet treat whenever I’m craving one. Store in an airtight freeze container for up to three months. (This set of freezer containers is a crazy bargain.)

Are energy bites keto? It really depends on what kind of keto diet you are following. Each tablespoon-sized serving of these pecan pie energy bites contains 4.8g net carbs. You can replace the oats with hemp seeds or your preferred oat replacement – it serves as a binder in this recipe and doesn’t affect the flavor, and the maple syrup with a monkfruit syrup, if desired.

 

Check out our quick recipe video for how to make these super simple Pecan Pie Energy Bites – note that the video version is for our Chocolate Coconut version, but the process and textures that you’re looking for at each step of the recipe are the same – and then don’t forget to scroll down and grab your free printable recipe:

 

Pecan Pie Energy Balls Ingredients

Scroll down to the printable recipe card for full measurements.

Tip: swap the cinnamon for pumpkin spice for even more flavor.

Kitchen Tools You May Find Helpful

How to Make Pecan Energy Bites

Place all ingredients in a food processor.

Puree your ingredients until they form a cohesive ball of “dough” and no large pieces of the dates or pecans remain.

Tastes and adjust the cinnamon and maple syrup of the mixture.

Portion the dough into 1 Tablespoons sized balls and roll (or press into discs, if desired).

Your energy bites can be kept at room temperature but will last longer if stored in the fridge or freezer.

 

Pin this Pecan Energy Bite Recipe:

Grab your free printable for our pecan pie energy balls recipe:

Yield: 32 energy bites

No Bake Pecan Pie Energy Bites

No Bake Pecan Pie Energy Bites

These no-bake pecan pie energy bites are the perfect way to satisfy your pecan pie cravings while sticking to your healthy eating goals!

Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup dates
  • 3/4 cup pecans
  • 1/4 cup oats
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 Tablespoon maple syrup

Instructions

  1. Place all ingredients in a food processor.
  2. Puree your ingredients until they form a cohesive ball of "dough" and no large pieces of the dates or pecans remain.
  3. Tastes and adjust the cinnamon and maple syrup of the mixture.
  4. Portion the dough into 1 Tablespoons sized balls and roll (or press into discs, if desired).
  5. Your energy bites can be kept at room temperature but will last longer if stored in the fridge or freezer.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

32

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 34Total Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 0mgCarbohydrates: 5gFiber: 1gSugar: 3gProtein: 0g

Sugar, Spice and Glitter uses an auto-generate nutrition calculator. Nutrition information isn’t always accurate unless analyzed in a scientific lab, so these should be considered more of a guideline than medical information.

© Jennifer Tammy
Cuisine: dessert recipe / Category: No Bake Recipes

These no-bake pecan pie energy bites are the perfect way to satisfy your pecan pie cravings while sticking to your healthy eating goals!

For more delicious and sneaky-healthy desserts, check out our Healthy Carrot Muffins or our viral Black Bean Brownies (with video).

 

The post No Bake Pecan Pie Energy Bites appeared first on Sugar, Spice and Glitter.

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