Apple Cinnamon Cookie Energy Bites
Filled with oats, almond butter, and fresh apple, these no-bake Apple Cinnamon Cookie Energy Bites are a healthy snack that’s perfect for all ages!
I have the hardest time packing Julia’s lunch for school. William is easy – he loves peanut butter and jelly sandwiches so that’s what he gets most days (and I’m a bit embarrassed to admit that’s what I bring to work most days too). Julia, though, has never liked peanut butter. She’s picky about quite a few foods, in fact. Thus the lunch-packing challenge.
My solution? Most days we pack her a variety of snack foods, including at least one fruit or vegetable, and a jelly sandwich. We have a hard time fitting in enough protein-rich foods in her lunch, so I’m continually brainstorming ideas.
While she won’t touch peanut butter (even baked in a cookie), Julia doesn’t mind the flavor of almond butter. She won’t eat it spread in a sandwich because of the texture, but if it’s in an almond butter muffins, chocolate protein shake, or almond butter blondies, she’s happy.
Which brings me to these Apple Cinnamon Cookie Energy Bites (made with almond butter). Julia LOVES these. And not just because I call them Apple Cinnamon Cookie Bites, either. 😉
When I was setting up to take these photos, Julia asked to be in one of my pictures. Then she told me she was going to pretend to grab one of the bites for my photo. 🙂
These energy bites really do taste like a no-bake cookie and are gluten-free. An apple cinnamon oatmeal cookie to be exact. I’ve added a little vanilla extract to the mixture to help bring out the cookie flavor. Almond butter and honey help these energy bites bind together, and they come together quickly and easily.
I use fresh grated apple in these bites, and at first I wondered if I should have used dried apples. But since I like to use fresh ingredients whenever possible, I went with the fresh apple and I’m so glad I did. Not only does it make these bites more nutritious, but it also gives them great flavor. If you’re worried about the fresh apple browning over time, don’t be. Our batch of these Apple Cinnamon Cookie Energy Bites lasted perfectly for three days, and on the third day when we finished these off they tasted just as delicious as on the day I made them. I’d recommend keeping them no longer than four days in your refrigerator, though.
Needless to say, I’ve been packing these Apple Cinnamon Cookie Energy Bites in Julia’s lunchbox. I’m happy that she has something nutritious to snack on, with a little protein from the almond butter. She’s happy because, well, Apple Cinnamon Cookie Bites. Enough said.
If you are looking for more healthy cookies to serve as snacks or for breakfast, try my Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies and Carrot Cake Breakfast Cookies.
I also highly recommend these other easy, healthy recipes:
Salted Cashew Energy Bites with Cranberries
Strawberry Chia Overnight Oats
Apple Cinnamon Cookie Energy Bites
Ingredients
- 2 cups old-fashioned oats
- ¼ cup ground flaxseed
- ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ cup almond butter
- ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- 1 cup not packed grated apple (about 1 medium)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, stir together the oats, flaxseed, and cinnamon. In another bowl or a liquid measuring cup, stir together the almond butter, honey, vanilla, and pinch of salt until well combined. Pour over the oat mixture and stir until everything is evenly coated. (I use my hands at the end to make sure everything is well mixed.) Stir in the grated apple.
- Scoop the mixture into tablespoon-sized portions (I use my small cookie scoop), and use your hands to squeeze it together into a ball. Slightly wet hands will help to keep the mixture from sticking.
- Store the energy bites in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They will keep for 3-4 days. Enjoy!
That’s great that you found a delicious and healthy snack like this for Julia! She’s just the cutest! I love the almond butter and shredded apples in these bites. Sounds like this makes the perfect snack, especially for the fall!
Thanks, Gayle! 🙂 I’m loving all things apple right now, and these little bites disappear all too quickly around here!
These look delicious- they remind me of nutrigrain bars in energy bite form! 🙂
Thank you, Medha! Yes, these do kind of have the same flavor profile as the apple nutrigrain bars!
I love that your daughter wanted to get in the photo! Too cute. These look delicious! Fresh apple sounds like a great way to keep them moist, too.
Thanks, Kelly! She was really cute wanting to pose like she was grabbing one of these bites. 😉
Love how healthy these are! The flavor sounds amazing : )
Thank you, Natalie! We love apples and cinnamon around here. 🙂
I love making energy bites to snack on, but I haven’t in quite a while. That needs to change though because these look so delicious! I love apple and cinnamon too!
Thanks, Danielle!
I agree with Julia, these look perfect for lunch! As a bonus, I love anything with almond butter 😉 Pinning to my Everything Apples board.
Thanks so much! I love almond butter, too. 🙂
Aww that’s so cute that she wanted to be in your photos 😉 These look delicious, loving all those fall flavors in there, and they look perfect for a study snack for me! I need to hide the Girl Guide cookies and make a batch of these 😉
I have such a weakness for cookies in the afternoons! I haven’t made a batch in a while, which is probably a good thing. 🙂
These look great!! Such a fun thing to pack for lunch or snack time 🙂
Thank you, Liz!
That’s so cute Julia wanted to be in a photo! She had it all figured out. 🙂 These energy bites are something I could easily make a meal out of! I think it’s great that the fresh apple turned out so well because there’s definitely less sugar than using dried fruit. I’m definitely giving these a try because I make almond butter weekly!
She did have it all figured out! She is too funny, sometimes. 🙂 I need to start making my own almond butter. We buy it at Costco, but even so I’m sure homemade is less expensive and much better!
This looks like the perfect healthy snack! I love the pictures. Your daughter looks adorable!
Thanks, Christin! 🙂
Ok, I kind of love how these pictures match your blog theme!! So pretty! The energy bites sound delish. So healthy and PERFECT for fall!
Thanks, Jess! I didn’t even notice that the pictures match my blog theme! I guess I do love the turquoise! 🙂
These look super delicious, and I’m definitely going to be making them sometime! Do you think I could use peanut butter instead of almond butter and still get the same results? Thanks, Kristine! 😀
Yes! I think peanut butter would work great. Sadly, my daughter doesn’t like peanut butter!
These look awesome! Pinning!
Thanks, Heidi!
Wouldn’t these be dog safe, too? As long as they don’t get more than a couple “cookies” a day, of course (:
I’ve never had a dog myself (I know!), so I actually have no idea! Sorry I can’t be of more help. 🙂
Would these freeze well?
I haven’t tried freezing these, but my guess is that they would. If you try it, come back and let us know how it worked! Enjoy! 🙂
Do you know the nutritional value like calories, fats, etc?
Hi Courtney, I just updated the recipe to include nutrition info at the bottom. 🙂 Enjoy!
The ads on this website are terrible! I can’t even get to the recipe. Not worth the time!
I appreciate the feedback! I’m hoping to make some changes soon to improve this issue!
Besides peanut butter, what could be used as a substitute for the Almond Butter? We are completely nut free…
Are you ok with sunflower seed butter? That would work. Or you could try soynut butter (or even cookie butter, although that’s more of a sweet treat). Thank you for asking!
Hi! Im 20 year old Europan woman and im a student. I have all that stuff but not just almond butter (and it’s so expensive) so if i make this is just normal butter okay?
Hi Jutta, regular butter will not work in this recipe, but peanut butter is a less expensive substitute for the almond butter. If you have peanut butter, I’d try that. 🙂
What could I substitute for the flax seed? Or can I just remove it all together?
Thanks!
You should be able to omit it without a problem. Enjoy!
Do I have to use flaxseeds? Is there something else I could use instead?
These should be fine without the flaxseed. If the mixture is too wet as you are rolling the balls, add a few more oats. Enjoy!
Those were really great! A lot of energy bites I find have chocolate chips in them – which I love…but I also try to avoid when possible!! =) These have a great sweet flavor and were easy to make – even for those of us who are “cooking challenged’!! Thanks for the recipe!
I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed these, Tiffany! I love chocolate chips, too, but sometimes it is nice to have something that’s naturally sweet. 😉
Haha I’m glad my kid isn’t the only one who requests jelly sandwiches! These look and sounds so delicious, such a perfect after school snack! I can’t wait to try these little bites when school starts!
I am looking forward to trying out this recipe! It sounds very tasty. I bought all the ingredients today, although I am trying almond hazelnut butter, because I absolutely love hazelnuts! Can these be stored in the freezer?
I’ve never tried storing these in the freezer, but I think that would work. Let me know if you try it!
My first attempt at these was a bit of a flop, perhaps because I used a fine grater that pretty much turned the apples to mush. But even before I added the apples, the mixture didn’t seem to hold together very well. I ended up adding more oats, and then more flax seed, and ended up with something that at first glance looks like it has chocolate in it. I think the next time I try this, I won’t use such a fine grater for the apples, and I’ll grind some of the oats into flour in case I need to add something to help them stick together if I need to. Even though I say my first attempt was a flop, I still really enjoy the taste of apple in these!
I’m sorry to hear these didn’t turn out just as you’d hoped, Fiona. Last time I made these, I was feeling lazy and pulsed the ingredients together (minus the apple) in my food processor, and then stirred in the grated apple. It worked great!
These energy balls are simply awesome, Kristine! Cannot wait to start the day off with these energy bites!
My toddler loves these! I did find my first batch tasted too much of honey so I am going to cut down on that with my next batch, but these are great! For those wondering, yes they freeze well! I freeze them spaced out on a cutting board for a few hours and then transfer them to a ziplock and take a few out every day for him to eat.
I’m so glad, Leah! Thank you for sharing the tip about how to freeze these. 🙂
Would these still turn out well if I grated the apple and then cooked it before mixing everything together? Like, would I need to adjust any of the components to balance out the texture? Just asking because I’m allergic to raw apples and these sound really good so I’d love to try them.
Hi Brnn, I’m really not sure how that would turn out as I haven’t tried it. If you give it a go, let use know how it works.
Has anyone tried chia seeds to substitute the flaxseed?
Hi Hillary, I haven’t tried it, but I think that would work. Enjoy!
Is there something I could substitute for the Almond butter? Our schools are 100% nut free, but these sounds delicious
Hi Kirsty, you could try sunbutter (sunflower seed butter) instead.
These are soooo good. I didn’t have almond butter so I used salted peanut butter and just omitted the salt. Thanks for the delicious recipe!
These came out so delicious! I’m bringing them to a birthday brunch tomorrow with kids and adults! We’ll see how long they last! LOL!
This looks so good! I don’t see many energy bites with fruit so I’m excited to try them!
Thanks for sharing! Does the apple turn brown after a few days?
I thought it might, but it didn’t for me.
These sound lovely and my 1 question is, how do you store them? Ideally id love to make enough to last the school week (5 days) but unsure how to store them.
I store mine in a sealed container with a lid in the refrigerator. They will between 3-4 days that way (the fresh apple will be the determining factor in how long they last).
Can something else be used instead of honey? These are an absolute hit with my family !!
You could try pure maple syrup. I am not sure if the energy bites will hold together as well though.
Can the apple cinnamon bites be stored in the freezer
Yes, they can. Enjoy!