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Apple Pie Energy Bites

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An easy, raw, bite-sized, naturally sweetened snack that's perfect for fall! The flavor of apple pie without all the hard work and sugar!

Apple Pie Energy Bites: An easy, raw, bite-sized, naturally sweetened snack that's perfect for fall! The flavor of apple pie without all the hard work and sugar! | stressbaking.com

I have this thing about apple pie.

I freaking love it, and every time I see it somewhere I HAVE to have at least one piece. Have to. I don't even need it warmed up, or with ice cream (although it's of course even better with both of those things) – I just need to have it.

There's something about the combination of apples and gooey cinnamon sugar goodness that I can't possibly resist. It's impossible. It's not a skill I possess.

Apple Pie Energy Bites: An easy, raw, bite-sized, naturally sweetened snack that's perfect for fall! The flavor of apple pie without all the hard work and sugar! | stressbaking.com

But making apple pie is a pain

However, when it comes to MAKING apple pie… I almost never do it. I always have these grand plans to make pie dough from scratch and then pick a gazillion apples to pile it up nice and high so that it's overflowing with awesomeness and it's going to make my house smell freaking amazing.

And then I remember how much flour, butter, shortening, and sugar I need and my stomach goes, “Stop right there, young lady”. 

Apple pie isn't usually diet friendly

I have PCOS, and PCOS doesn't agree with… well, basically all of those things in apple pie. I just shouldn't be eating it. And I KNOW I shouldn't be eating it, so because I know how much work goes into it, how much of each of those ingredients goes into it, and how long it will take… it's much easier to turn it down.

But if you show up at my door with a hot apple pie I'm going to yank it from your hands and shove it in my face – consequences be damned. If I'm feeling nice, I might even invite you in to watch me demolish it.

Apple Pie Energy Bites: An easy, raw, bite-sized, naturally sweetened snack that's perfect for fall! The flavor of apple pie without all the hard work and sugar! | stressbaking.com

All the apple pie flavor, but easy and healthy!

That's why I've set myself on a mission to find others ways to enjoy the flavor of apple pie, without all the hassle and detrimental amounts of butter. My first foray (well, first successful foray) into the realm of healthier options led me to these apple pie energy bites.

I contemplated calling them “apple pie energy balls” but I didn't love that, so then it was going to be “apple pie bites”, but then people might think I'm telling them that an apple pie is going to bite them and that's just misleading and terrible. 

Apple Pie Energy Bites: An easy, raw, bite-sized, naturally sweetened snack that's perfect for fall! The flavor of apple pie without all the hard work and sugar! | stressbaking.com

These are not going to bite you. I promise. If you make these small enough, you don't even need to bite them!

Well, that's not true. I guess I could say you won't need to bite into them because you can just pop them in your mouth, but eventually you do need to bite down with your teeth and chew them because otherwise you might choke and then I'll be very sad that my apple pie energy bites killed you.

Don't make me sad – chew your food.

Apple Pie Energy Bites: An easy, raw, bite-sized, naturally sweetened snack that's perfect for fall! The flavor of apple pie without all the hard work and sugar! | stressbaking.com

Ingredients for apple pie energy bites

  • 1 cup dried apple slices – You're going to need dried apples for this recipe, not fresh. You can certainly dehydrate fresh apple slices yourself, but they definitely need to be dried for the sake of this recipe.

    Otherwise it'll be like you're making applesauce with some chunky nut pieces in it and… yeah, no, that's not what we're going for here. Most of your ingredients are actually going to be dry, with the exception of the dates and vanilla extract.
  • 12 dates, or about 1 cup, pitted – You want those dates to be pitted and moist, so if you take them out of their package and they feel on the drier side, just soak them in hot water for 10 minutes or so. That's where all the moisture you need for these is going to come from, along with the sweetness!
  • ½ cup almonds
  • ½ cup walnuts, shelled
  • 1 tablespoon chia seeds
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Pinch of salt
  • Honey, maple syrup or agave (optional and as needed)
  • White chocolate, optional
Apple Pie Energy Bites: An easy, raw, bite-sized, naturally sweetened snack that's perfect for fall! The flavor of apple pie without all the hard work and sugar! | stressbaking.com

Dates are naturally sweet, and have an almost caramel flavor to them – so if you think about it, these are almost like healthy little balls of caramel apple pie. I mean, how do you say no to that? You don't, that's how. 

If you want to jazz them up a little bit and turn them into more of a dessert, drizzle them with some white chocolate. You won't regret it, I swear. For me, it's the perfect amount of sweetness and indulgence.

Do these taste just like apple pie? No, of course not. That's some Willy Wonka magic that I do not (yet) possess. But the flavor is reminiscent of it, and just the lightly cinnamon apple scent gives me the warm fuzzies.

Storing apple pie energy bites

Make a batch of these, toss them in the fridge in an airtight container, and pop one or two when you need a snack and avoid the temptation of those carb-heavy treats that start to fill your office and home around the holidays.

Feel the satisfaction of making a good food choice instead of shoving your face into a bucket of cheesy poofs.

Of course I've never done that before. Why do you ask?

Apple Pie Energy Bites: An easy, raw, bite-sized, naturally sweetened snack that's perfect for fall! The flavor of apple pie without all the hard work and sugar! | stressbaking.com

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Apple Pie Energy Bites

5 from 1 vote
An easy, raw, bite-sized, naturally sweetened snack that's perfect for fall! The flavor of apple pie without all the hard work and sugar!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 18 to 24 (depending on size)

Ingredients
 

Instructions

  • Place parchment paper or a non-stick silicon mat on a baking sheet. Set aside.
  • Make sure your dates are pitted and moist. If needed, soak them in hot water for about 10 minutes to soften them, and then drain them before adding them in the next step.
    12 pitted dates
  • Combine apple slices and dates in a food processor, pulsing until chopped and combined and forming sticky crumbs. Place in a bowl and set aside.
    1 cup (125 g) dried apple slices
  • Combine almonds, walnuts, chia seeds, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and salt in food processor, pulsing until you have a relatively fine crumb, free of big chunks.
    1/2 cup (71 ½ g) almonds
    1/2 cup (58 ½ g) walnuts
    1 tablespoon chia seeds
    1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    1/4 teaspoon (¼ teaspoon) ground nutmeg
    1/4 teaspoon (¼ teaspoon) pure vanilla extract
    Pinch salt
  • Add the date/apple mixture back to the food processor and pulse until it forms a dough-like consistency. If it seems too dry, add water (1 tablespoon at a time) or honey (1 teaspoon at a time) and pulse again to combine. You should be able to squeeze the mixture in your fingers and have it all stick together.
    Honey
  • Use a small cookie scoop (aff link) or tablespoon (or smaller, depending on your personal preference) to scoop out the mixture and roll them into balls. Place the balls on the prepared baking sheet.
  • If desired, melt white chocolate and drizzle over the top of the balls – making sure to let it set completely before storing.
  • Store in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to eat. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

These can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Nutrition Facts

Calories: 73kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 4mg | Potassium: 98mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 2IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition Disclaimer

The provided nutrition information is generated by an automatic API and does not take variations across specific brands into account. This information is provided as a general guideline and should not be treated as official calculations. Learn more here.

Recipe created by Leslie Kiszka

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24 Comments

  1. Energy bites are perfect for snacking. These are like mini apple pies in raw form. I love it! Spice combo is amazing. Sounds delicious!

  2. This is a clever way to enjoy apple pie with dietary restrictions. I know there was a time when I had severe IBS and I could not eat anything, this would have been perfect. I am sure I will still enjoy this as a snack with some peppermint tea

  3. Those are great snacks! Plus it’s healthy and I’m sure it pass the “kid test”! Lovely recipe

  4. This is just what I need before and after hikes these days. What a great and healthy way to celebrate the flavours of fall. Perfect snack for the kiddos too.

  5. I just love making pie dough from scratch and baking pies, but sometimes all I want is to recreate those flavors without all the hustle. That’s when your recipe comes handy! Pinning it for later use. I have millions of apples and some are going to become apple chips so I can use them for your recipe! :-)