blissful eats with tina jeffers: Nutty quinoa energy bites
Thursday, September 13, 2012 at 2:44PM 
I am trying to eat a little better these days and I have come to the realization that I really fall down when it comes to snacks. For the most part I eat fairly well but when I am stressed out or away from home I have a bad habit of reaching for a bag of chips or a candy bar. Since I’m trying to drop a few pounds I decided to try to find an easy snack to put together that I can grab after a workout or whenever I need a little energy boost.
These energy bites come together in a few minutes, especially if you have some leftover cooked quinoa and they store well in the fridge or freezer. The quinoa and chia seeds offer a great dose of omega 3’s as well as a good source of protein that will fill you up without weighing you down.
This recipe can be super flexible as well, replace the quinoa with oats or puffed rice, use any kind of nut butter you’d like and for a little extra sweetness consider the addition of dried fruit such as cherries or dates. I would love to hear any ideas or variations you come up with!
Nutty quinoa energy bites
Makes about a dozen bites
Ingredients:
1 cup cooked quinoa
¼ cup ground flaxseed
¼ cup chopped roasted cashews
2 tablespoons chia seeds
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
a pinch of salt
¼ cup creamy almond butter
¼ cup honey
¼ cup toasted sesame seeds
Method:
Combine quinoa, flaxseed, cashews, chia seeds, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl and stir together. Heat the almond butter and honey in a small saucepan, stir and cook until the mixture is melted and smooth. Let the mixture cool slightly and then add to the quinoa mixture and mix until all the ingredients are well incorporated. Roll the dough into 1-inch balls, the mixture will be soft and slightly sticky. Roll the bites in the sesame seeds to coat. Place the finished bites on a plate or cookie sheet and freeze for 20 minutes then they are ready to eat! Keep them stored in the fridge for up to 5 days.
blissful eats, tina jeffers
Reader Comments (7)
I am in love with this recipe. Looks so rich & decadent while at the same time uber, health-nut healthy. What a great recipe. (& love the pics.)
these look great! i'm training for a half marathon and have been looking for some "energy snacks" - so this came at a perfect time. thanks for sharing!
-ale
YUM! I too am on my way to a thinner waistline, and these little bites look like the perfect snack (since I'm trying to eat more often in smaller quantities). Thanks again for sharing another great recipe Tina, and your styling here is pure perfection. I love the second photo with all the ingredients!
Exactly the recipe I was looking for!!
these look delicious. I've found from experiences that the single most effective way to drop some pounds is cutting calories. Plain and simple.
These sound wonderful. I've been looking for a new snack... these would be perfect!
These are tasty but If found they never really hardened up. Also very hard to make true balls and not piece together mounds