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. You can even press them into a pan to make granola bars!
The Bites That Started It All
Friends, this is my first foray into the world of energy bites.
I developed this recipe in the middle of summer when the girls are outside pretty much 100% of the time, and needed something I could throw together quick, toss in a container, and hand off on the go. Since my girls love these homemade granola bars and I know you all love lemon and blueberry, these lemon blueberry energy bites were a no-brainer.
They’re bursting with the bright, zesty flavor of lemon, balanced by the sweet pop of blueberries. The texture is soft and chewy, making them an irresistible treat for everyone.
Safe to say, when my 18 month old climbed onto a chair and started cleaning out the food processor bowl with her fingers, I took that as a good sign!
Reader Rating
“Absolutely love these! Definitely will make them again! Just the right amount of lemon to make them zippy.” – Renee
Ingredients for Lemon Blueberry Energy Bites
- Almonds: Make sure you use sliced almonds, otherwise it will be difficult to blend them into a fine meal.
- Lemon juice: Freshly squeezed is great, but bottled works just as well.
- Honey: Feel free to swap this for maple syrup or another liquid sweetener!
- Quick cooking oats: Use large-flake oats if you’d like your energy balls to have a bit more texture. If you need them to be gluten-free, make sure to grab a certified gluten-free version.
- Dried blueberries: Any dried berry will do if you don’t have blueberries on hand.
Can I make these vegan or paleo?
For sure! Just substitute the honey with a vegan liquid sweetener, such as maple syrup or agave nectar. I chose honey because we always have it and it has a neutral flavor, unlike maple syrup.
Tips for Making Delicious Lemon Blueberry Energy Bites
- You’ll want to make these in a food processor, as it 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!
How to Store Your Lemon Blueberry Energy Bites
To keep your energy bites fresh and tasty, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. This will prevent them from becoming mushy and help maintain their texture. If you want to make a large batch, you can also freeze them for longer-term storage.
Lemon Blueberry Energy Bites
written by Ashley Fehr
Ingredients
- 1 cup sliced almonds
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 ¼ cups quick cooking oats, or use large for more texture – gluten-free if necessary
- ½ 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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Renee says
Absolutely love these! Definitely will make them again! Just the right amount of lemon to make them zippy.
Renee says
I forgot to say that we used 1 c almond butter, the lemon and honey. It turned out awesome!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Renee! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
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!