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Home » Recipes » Breakfast » Energy Balls » Chocolate Chip Hemp Energy Bites

Mar 15, 2018(updated August 23, 2022)

Chocolate Chip Hemp Energy Bites

4.50 from 14 votes
By Dani Spies
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

This post may contain affiliate links.

No-bake, nutrient-rich Chocolate Chip Hemp Energy Bites that taste like cookie dough are loaded with wholesome ingredients like creamy almond butter, oats and hemp seeds. These healthy snack balls are gluten-free, easily made vegan and packed with healthy fats to keep you satisfied. The best on-the-go snack or treat!

energy bites rolled into balls

These little nutrient dense, energy bites are super delish and just perfect as a grab-and-go breakfast, packed in lunchboxes, or served with some coffee or tea and enjoyed as an afternoon snack.

The super seed you see along the outside, are hemp seeds. I love the creamy texture and mild, nutty flavor! And get this, just 3 tablespoons of hemp seeds offer 10 grams of plant-based protein. That’s pretty impressive for such a small seed. To learn more about hemp seeds, check out my Hemp Seed 101 Guide! 

energy bites on a cutting board

What are energy bites?

Energy bites or sometimes called energy balls are a combination of wholesome ingredients like oats, dried fruit, nut butter, seeds, and other ingredient mix-ins that offer a densely nutritious snack in a little ball. They taste like dessert, but are actually good for you!

Sometimes you’ll see these snack bites called protein balls, which are basically the same thing. However, a protein ball recipe typically means that the energy bite includes protein powder for extra protein.

Everything we love about energy balls:

There’s so much to love about energy balls! They are the perfect snack to make at the beginning of every week that is both healthy and delicious. Here’s some of the reasons they’re so great:

  • No baking required – There’s no need to turn on the oven to make this easy recipe!
  • Kid-friendly – These taste like cookie dough and even picky eaters love these snack bites.
  • Portable – If you have these meal prepped in your fridge, you’ve got a ready-to-go snack to grab anytime you need one. 
  • Healthy – These bites are filled with nutritious, all-natural ingredients with no refined sugar!
  • Customizable – Easy to change up the ingredients and experiment with different mix-ins.

Ingredients needed:

These energy bites are made with simple, nourishing ingredients, taste like cookie dough with plenty of crunchy, yet doughy texture and chocolate chips are added for a touch of indulgence. Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make these energy bites:

  • Rolled oats – The base of these energy bites is rolled oats. Feel free to use gluten free.
  • Almond butter – These bites use creamy, natural almond butter that’s just almonds or almonds and salt. Sub with peanut butter as desired.
  • Hemp seeds – Also known as hemp hearts — these little seeds are a great source of protein, healthy fats, iron and vitamin E.
  • Maple syrup – For a little natural sweetness we’re adding some pure maple syrup. Feel free to swap with honey, if preferred.
  • Mini chocolate chips – If you want to keep this snack as nutritious as possible, use dark chocolate miniature chocolate chips. (Dark chocolate has antioxidants and other healthful properties.)
  • Unsweetened coconut flakes – I love the coconut flavor and texture you get from adding coconut flakes to these bites. However, if you’re not a fan of coconut, feel free to omit.
  • Salt – Just a pinch of salt brings all of the flavors together.

ingredients divided into small bowls for making energy balls

How to Make Chocolate Chip Hemp Energy Bites:

In under 10 minutes, you can have these delicious energy bites ready to go for your weekly snack. Best part? There are no dates or food processors involved, so you can make these no bake energy balls in no time.

Here’s the simple process, but for full, printable instructions, reference the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

  1. Combine all ingredients in a medium to large bowl and mix well.
  2. Roll about 1 tablespoon per ball in your palms. If you’d like, you can roll each ball into some extra hemp seeds. Place on a plate or baking sheet.
  3. Transfer to the fridge for a couple of hours or freeze for about 1 hour to set and then enjoy!

steps for making energy bites

Variation Ideas

Feel free to get creative with different ingredients to truly make these energy bites your own!

  • Nut butter – instead of almond butter, feel free to use peanut butter or sunflower seed butter. You can also use a natural, crunchy nut or seed butter instead of creamy, if preferred. 
  • Vegan bites – to make these vegan, simply be sure to use pure maple syrup and not honey and also use dairy-free/vegan chocolate chips.
  • Gluten-free bites – if the oats you’re using are certified gluten free, these energy bites are naturally gluten free.
  • Add-ins – chocolate chips can be left out or subbed for another add-in like raisins, dried cranberries or blueberries.

How to Store Energy Bites

In the fridge – No-bake chocolate chip energy bites are great stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.

In the freezer – You can also store these energy balls in the freezer for up to 3 months. If they get too hard, let them sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes before eating.

energy bite with one bite taken out

Try adding this recipe to your weekend meal prep, so you have nutritious energy bites ready-to-go for a busy week. This recipe is also super easy to double (or triple), and freezes well, so keep that in mind when you are getting your meal prep done. Enjoy!

More Hemp Seed Recipes:

  • Very Berry Hemp Smoothie
  • Hemp Berry Smoothie (vegan)
  • How To Make Homemade Hemp Milk

More Energy Bites Recipes:

Do you love energy bites as much as me? Try one of these other C&D flavors!

  • Carrot Cake Energy Balls
  • No Bake Oatmeal Energy Balls
  • Pumpkin Spice Energy Balls
  • Matcha Pistachio Energy Bites
  • Matcha Protein Energy Bites

Thanks so much for reading! You can watch the video down below and if you make this recipe I would love for you to give it a ★ rating below.  And be sure to follow me on YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook for more healthy food inspiration.

energy bites rolled into balls
Print Recipe
4.50 from 14 votes

Chocolate Chip Hemp Energy Bites

No-bake, nutrient-rich Chocolate Chip Hemp Energy Bites that taste like cookie dough are loaded with wholesome ingredients like creamy almond butter, oats and hemp seeds. These healthy snack balls are gluten free, easily made vegan and packed with healthy fats to keep you satisfied. The best on-the-go snack or treat!
Course: BREAKFAST, DIET, energy balls
Cuisine: American, gluten free
Author: Dani Spies
Prep Time20 mins
Total Time20 mins
Servings: 15 servings
Calories: 123kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup almond butter
  • 1/4 cup hemp seeds
  • 3 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
  • 3 tablespoons mini chocolate chips
  • 3 tablespoons unsweetened coconut flakes
  • pinch of salt

Instructions

  • Combine all of the ingredients in a medium bowl and gently stir until everything is mixed together and looks like a thick dough.
    stirring ingredients together in a medium bowl
  • Grab about 1 tablespoon of the dough and shape into a ball. I like to roll the ball into a few extra hemp seeds, but that's totally optional. Place ball on a rimmed baking sheet and repeat until all 15 balls are rolled out.
    rolled energy bites on a baking sheet
  • Place in the fridge for a couple of hours or in the freezer for 1 hour to set up and then transfer to an airtight container.

Notes

STORING ENERGY BALLS:
In the fridge: No-bake energy bites are great stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.
In the freezer: You can also store these energy bites in the freezer for up to 3 months. If they get too hard, let them sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes before eating.

Nutrition

Serving: 1ball | Calories: 123kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 4mg | Potassium: 96mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 24IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 44mg | Iron: 1mg

Energy Balls, Gluten Free, Kid Friendly Lunches, Recipes

About Dani Spies

Dani Spies is the founder and host of Clean & Delicious; a weekly cooking show on YouTube and a healthy eating blog that celebrates real, whole foods! She takes a holistic approach to health and wellness and is loved for her approachable, down to earth style both in and out of the kitchen.

Learn MoreWork With Me

Reader Interactions

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    Comments

  1. Juliette Reiland says

    January 20, 2019 at 8:25 pm

    5 stars
    Can I use peanut butter with this recipe if I don’t have almond butter?

    Reply
    • Dani says

      January 27, 2019 at 11:44 am

      5 stars
      yes!! Any nut butter will work 🙂

      Reply
      • Ann Etheridge says

        August 31, 2019 at 9:19 pm

        5 stars
        Delish Dani!!
        I substituted raisins for the chocolate chips and added a little cinnamon. Soooooo good!! Thanks for the great and easy recipe.

        Reply
        • Dani says

          September 8, 2019 at 8:23 pm

          It’s my pleasure. So glad you enjoyed them Ann.

          Reply
  2. Lisa Brandi says

    March 17, 2019 at 5:56 pm

    5 stars
    Loved this recipe. Thank you. I eat this in lieu of dessert at night with a cup of tea. It’s nice to eat something that is satisfying and good for you too!

    Reply
    • Dani says

      March 21, 2019 at 1:33 pm

      5 stars
      Yay! So glad you enjoy these Lisa. They are perfect for a healthy sweet treat.

      Reply
  3. Suzanne says

    March 9, 2021 at 4:18 pm

    This looks so good! What a great blend of flavors and nutrition!

    Reply
  4. Vanessa says

    March 9, 2021 at 4:18 pm

    Thanks for sharing! Do they keep long?

    Reply
  5. KathleenF says

    August 26, 2021 at 4:38 pm

    5 stars
    Finished making a batch of these a few hours ago. They are very tasty. I had difficulty forming the balls as they kept breaking up on me. I put the mixture into the fridge for about 30 minutes and tried again. Still kept breaking apart. I ended up adding about another tablespoon of almond butter and that did the trick. Looking forward to snacking on these over the next few days. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Dani says

      October 11, 2021 at 9:36 am

      Sometimes it depends on the brand of the almond butter! Glad you found a way to make them work. Thanks for sharing 🙂

      Reply
  6. Suzanne says

    March 16, 2022 at 3:02 pm

    This looks so good! What a great way to include more variety of seeds in your life!

    Reply
  7. Vanessa says

    March 16, 2022 at 3:03 pm

    Thanks for sharing! Do they freeze well?

    Reply

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