These Lemon Blueberry Energy Bites are an easy, no bake snack that’s perfect for back to school or summer road trips! Just a few ingredients and they’re gluten free with paleo and vegan options, and you can press them into a pan to make granola bars!
Friends, this is my first foray into the world of energy bites.
Not just the first time I’ve developed my own energy bite recipe, but the first time I’ve ever made energy bites. And now I’m wondering why it took me so long.
I developed this recipe in the middle of summer, when the girls are outside pretty much 100% of the time they’re not in their beds sleeping. They’re hungry ravenous all the time, and I just don’t always feel like making them a snack on the go. I also know that you guys love lemon and blueberry so I was pretty sure this combo would be a hit!
I’m embarrassed that it took me this long to make some energy bites.
The girls love these homemade granola bars, so I knew these would be a hit. I love that I can make them into perfect little bite sized pieces for either the 1 year old or 4 year old. Throw them in a container and you’re good to go!
I can tell you that these will absolutely be a staple from here on out. Summer, Fall, Winter — it doesn’t matter! They love lemon and any dried fruit, and they just love snacking in general.
And plus, while I was trying to finish up my video and get some photos, my 18 month old had climbed onto a chair and was cleaning the food processor bowl out with her fingers. I take that as a good sign!
A few notes:
- You’ll want to make these in a food processor. I have a Cuisinart and it works perfectly for me! The food processor turns the almonds into more of a paste. If you don’t have a food processor, try starting with almond butter instead and mixing them up in a bowl.
- I love to buy a great big bag of almonds at once to keep on handy for snacks like this — it’s cheaper than buying a teeny little bag every time you need some! I keep my nuts fresh by storing them in the freezer.
- Be sure to store them in an air tight container in the fridge — they will stay fresher for much longer! I like to store them in these little snack containers so they’re ready to grab and go!
Lemon Blueberry Energy Bites
written by Ashley Fehr
Ingredients
- 1 cup sliced almonds
- zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 1/4 cups quick cooking oats or use large for more texture – gluten-free if necessary
- 1/2 cup dried blueberries
Instructions
- In a food processor, process almonds, lemon zest, juice and honey until smooth (this can take a few minutes).
- Add in half of the oats and process again until smooth.
- Move mixture to a bowl and stir in remaining oats and blueberries. Stir until combined — you may need to use your hands as they can be pretty sticky!
- Store in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks or freeze for up to 6 months.
- *To mix things up and add more protein, trying swapping ¼ cup of the oats for chia seeds, hemp seeds or ground flax.
Notes
Nutrition Information
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Mariam says
Sounds delicious! Can I use freeze-dried blueberries with no added sugar? Or do they blieberries need to be soft and sweetened?
Thanks!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Mariam! I’ve only tested the recipe as is, but it might work. If you decide to experiment, I’d love to know how it goes!
Julia Beehler says
If I use almond butter, do I still use the lemon and honey?
Ashley Fehr says
Sorry, I haven’t tried this recipe with almond butter so I can’t say for sure
Jean says
I realize I am way late to this posting, but I’m excited to try it! How sticky is the finished ball? Curious if it’s a good thing to send to school for snack or if better to limit to at home. Or, if they are very sticky, maybe I could dust them with something (protein powder🤔) to make them less so…?
Ashley Fehr says
Hi Jean! No worries 🙂 They are actually not too sticky, so I think they should be okay! If the mixture is too sticky, you can always add a bit more oats or something and mix it in.
Linda says
I loooooove these! Stuck to the original recipe. Made them for my grandkids. They both plow through fresh blueberries and like lemon, too. Win win! I rolled the balls a lot smaller than normal since they are only 2 years and one year old. But now that I’ve tasted them, I wish I would have made a double batch so I could eat them, too! Once the oats were incorporated, I took the mixture out of the food processor, used some coconut oil on my hands, mixed in the blueberries and then rolled them out. I will definitely be saving this recipe for future use.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Linda! I’m glad you all enjoyed them!
Vanessa says
Thanks for sharing! Do they keep long?
Ashley Fehr says
Yes! A week or so in the fridge or pop them in the freezer to store longer!
Pauline says
Ashley, the oats do not need cooking?
Ashley Fehr says
Nope! No cooking 🙂
Suzanne says
This looks so good! When spring time comes, all I want to eat is lemon and blueberry! It’s nice to have a healthy option!
Ashley Fehr says
We love them too!
Jaan Uhelszki says
Can you tell me how many portions these make? I’m thinking four, but maybe eight? Or do they make 24 balls in total? I want to keep mine as close as your measurement of calories.
Ashley Fehr says
The recipe makes 24 energy bites, so the nutrition information is for one bite
Manda says
If you use already prepared almond butter is the amount still the same as the 1C. almonds?
Ashley Fehr says
I would use about 1 cup, yes, if the almond butter is just almonds. If you need to thicken up the recipe you can also add in some extra oats at the end!
Paula Davis says
I do coffee hour for Church and always looking for gluten free vegan option; these are GREAT! I used dried cranberries. Yummy!!
Ashley Fehr says
So glad they turned out well!