These 5-Ingredient Chocolatey Energy Bites Are Perfect For Busy Mornings

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December 16, 2021 — 0:06 AM

Honestly, we’ll never get tired of energy bites. With just a few ingredients, you can make a nutrient-packed snack that can fuel even the busiest of mornings. One great example: These five-ingredient bites from Great British Baking Show winner David Atherton’s newest book Bake, Make, and Learn to Cook.

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“These snacks are packed with natural energy—just like stars!” Atherton writes, “and are especially good to eat before you exercise.” Leaning into the kid-friendly angle of his book, this snack calls for a playful star shape—but you can make the family-friendly recipe in any shape you wish.

Alongside the dates we often find in energy bite recipes, this version also calls for prunes, which have a lower sugar content and slightly more fiber, according to the USDA. It’s a clever swap that helps keep these chocolatey bites from going too sweet, and saves the dates for dessert.

1 cup rolled oats
2 oz dark chocolate
½ cup pitted dates
½ cup prunes
Sunflower seeds to decorate

Blend the oats in a food processor for 10 seconds and set aside.
Melt the chocolate in a cup in the microwave, checking every 10 seconds, until just melted.
Blend the dates and prunes until you have a smooth paste.
Pour in the melted chocolate and blend again until very smooth and shiny.
Transfer to a bowl and knead in the oats.
Roll out to roughly ¼ inch thick and cut out with a star-shaped cookie cutter.
Finally, add sunflower seeds on top for decoration.

Excerpted with permission from Bake, Make, and Learn to Cook: Fun & Healthy Recipes for Young Cooks by David Atherton. (Candlewick Press, December 7, 2021).