Energy Bites have been a staple in my: breakfast on the go/snack/nourishing dessert sort of way. They’re so darn delicious and pretty easy to throw together. They also have a million different combinations so depending on the season or on your mood you can have anything from a strawberry shortcake powerball to a carrot cake powerball to a snickerdoodle flavor!

Recently I did an instagram live cooking class with a really incredible camp, Camp Blue Spruce, located in Oregon. They are the only camp in the country that is completely free from the Top-9 food allergens plus all gluten! What a special place for for allergic kids to be able to enjoy life, not have to worry about being defined by their food allergies and also enjoy things many take for granted. Things like going through a lunch line and not having to ask where it was produced, what kind of factory, ask for the ingredient list. Things like being able to make smores and not worry if your friend washed their hands before you play a card game together (cross contamination of the cards with allergens). Things like feeling the same as everyone else there rather than the outsider. It’s a fantastic place!!!

Circling back to the class, I wanted to make recipes that were easy enough for everyone to prepare together but also darn delicious. And let me tell you, these Double Chocolate Energy Bites are the best! I have listed the base recipe below but also included a couple different optional add-ins to jazz them up! Make them your own! Add your favorite ingredients. Don’t like sunflower seed butter? Use pumpkin seed butter! Can you eat peanut butter? Use that instead of the sunflower seed butter! Want to add a bit of crunch? Throw in some toasted pumpkin seeds or maybe some toasted coconut! The options are really pretty much endless….so get ready for this to be the first in many posts of different delicious flavors!

xo, Kendra

The Best Double Chocolate Energy Bites

Free From the Top-9 Food Allergens, Vegan

Makes: approximately 16 power balls

Prep Time: 15 minutes

• 1 c. Gluten Free Oats (I prefer to use Zego Purity Protocol Oats)
• 1/3 c. mini chocolate chips or shaved chocolate
• 1/2 c. 88 Acres Chocolate Sunflower Seed Butter  (or your favorite seed or nut butter)
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• pinch flaky sea salt
• Optional ingredients: 2 Tbs. toasted coconut plus more for rolling, 2 scoops unflavored collagen powder, sprinkle cinnamon, 1 Tbsp. flax seeds, 3 Tbsp. toasted pumpkin seeds

Directions

1. Add the oats and the chocolate to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the oats are chopped up.
2. Add the remaining ingredients and let the food processor run until it’s all blended and has started to form a ball.
3. Scrape out of the food processor bowl and, using a tablespoon or a scooper, scoop out about 16 balls. Roll between your hands and chill until firm (if you are rolling in the toasted coconut roll in that before chilling).
4. Store in the refrigerator up to one week, if they last that long!!

Happy Foods are the Best Foods!