Chocolate Strawberry Energy Bites

We had a little fun in the kitchen today testing a variety of energy bite recipes. This one was my personal favorite. It's loaded with good for you ingredients, tastes like an indulgent dessert and after rolling them in strawberry infused coconut - they're the perfect Valentine's Day treat for kids and adults!

Don't feel pressure to stick to the exact ingredients in this recipe. You can easily swap out the type of nut butter, the add ins like dark chocolate chips or chia seeds and you can also leave the coconut dusting off if you aren't a fan. Your main goal is to get a good consistency that will stick together when rolled into balls and, of course, taste great. There are endless variations, but here's how we made this batch.

Ingredients:

1 cup gluten-free oats
1/2 cup almond butter
1/3 cup raw honey
2 tablespoons cacao powder
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1/4 cup flax seeds
2 teaspoons of maca powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup of shredded coconut
2-3 large, organic strawberries

Directions:

In a large bowl, mix all of the ingredients except the shredded coconut and strawberries. Mix by hand until thoroughly combined, cover and refrigerate for about 30 minutes.

While your mix is chilling, combine the shredded coconut and strawberries in a small blender or food processor and pulse until the coconut turns pink and there are no strawberry chunks.

Remove the mix from your fridge and roll into 1 inch balls. Spread the pink coconut on a small plate and roll the balls to lightly coat. Store in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.