Cranberry Almond Energy Bites

No baking required to make these nutrient-packed Cranberry Almond Energy Bites! 

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If you’re looking for an easy snack to make and have on hand throughout the week, look no further! These Cranberry Almond Energy Bites fit the bill. Grab your mixing bowl, measuring spoons and cups, and you can whip these up in less than 10 minutes.

With all the extra time being spent at home over the past several weeks, I’ve been snacking a little more than usual. Anyone else in the same boat? There’s absolutely nothing wrong with snacking but I’m all for having some balanced snack options around so that I’m not constantly grabbing for the bag of chips in my pantry.

Cranberry Almond Energy Bites make for a great post-workout snack to help refuel since they’re a combination of quality carbohydrates and provide some protein. I also enjoy them as an after-dinner snack sometimes to satisfy a sweet tooth.

Cranberries are one of my favorite dried fruits. They naturally contain the flavonoid, proanthocyanidins, which may help prevent harmful bacteria from adhering to tissue. This is why cranberry juice and other forms of cranberries are often recommended in the prevention of urinary tract infections. The proanthocyanidins may also help inhibit the bad bacteria that causes stomach ulcers and gum disease.

Making Energy Bites

There are endless ingredient combination options when making energy bites but I follow a “basic formula” when creating oatmeal-based energy bites. Here are the main components:

• Oats: rolled oats are what I keep on hand but quick-oats work also
• Dried fruit: cranberries, cherries, and figs are great options for energy bites
• Nut butter: whatever creamy nut butter you prefer or have on hand will work!
• Nuts: almonds, walnuts, pecans, pistachios, or macadamia nuts work well for making energy bites
• Seeds: seeds are optional but chia seeds or hemp seeds are good options. If using pumpkin seeds or sunflower seed kernels, you may have to increase the amount of nut butter and/or sweetener to get everything to stick together
• Source of sweet: maple syrup and honey tend to work best for energy bites. I’ve also used brown rice syrup in recipes like this but it’s often more expensive than maple syrup or honey
• Possible add-ins: shredded coconut, spices like cinnamon or ground ginger, mini chocolate chips, vanilla extract

Kitchen Tip: Keep nuts stored in the refrigerator or freezer to extend shelf-life

All of the ingredients that I used to make these Cranberry Almond Energy Bites are pantry staples in my house. This recipe comes together easily by combining all of the ingredients in a large bowl and then using a cookie dough scoop to form 1-inch balls. It’s best to keep the energy bites stored in the refrigerator, and they’ll last up to 5 days (if they aren’t all eaten before then!).

Equipment you’ll need: 

Cranberry Almond Energy Bites

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Prep Time: 25 minutes minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes minutes

Servings: 12 pieces

Author: Karman Meyer, Dietitian at The Nutrition Adventure

Ingredients

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries chopped
• 1/2 cup almond butter
• 1/4 cup raw almonds chopped
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 1/2 tablespoon chia seeds

Instructions

• 1. In a large mixing bowl, mix all ingredients until thoroughly combined.
• 2. Form a 1-inch balls with the mixture using your hands, and place them onto a small baking sheet. Place baking sheet in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes to allow energy bites to harden.
• 3. Keep energy bites stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 2g

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Looking for more recipes using dried cranberries? Try one of these!

• Cauliflower Cranberry Superfood Salad
• Green Beans with Pecans, Cranberries, and Parmesan
• Holiday Popcorn

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