Are you a horrible cook? Great! Then this newsletter is for you.
Are you a terrific cook? Excellent! This newsletter is for you, also.
Because here’s something we all have in common: Saving time is generally seen as a benefit—and ease isn’t frowned upon, either, particularly during this time of year when the transition from summer to fall generally means a reintroduction to a stricter schedule and a faster pace.
Enter this recipe for “Make ‘em your way” No Bake Bites.
They’re great for a quick breakfast—or to snack on during the day.
This easy recipe packs a powerful punch: These bites are full of protein, fiber, and flavor. And by adding certain ingredients and omitting others, you can pretty much customize these bites specifically to your liking.
This recipe yields approximately 20 1-inch balls, takes roughly five minutes to throw together, and involves zero cook time.
And best of all you cannot screw this up if you tried:
Ingredients:
- 1½ cups old-fashioned oats
- ½ cup flax seed meal (Tip: See if the baking aisle of your grocery store carries flax seed meal—and it generally will—and you’ll find that it’ll cost than in the health food aisle).
- ½ cup mini chocolate chips (these are optional, feel free to pass; or add M&Ms or, say, shredded coconut instead)
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter (use almond or cashew butter, or for a nut-free alternative, try Wowbutter Creamy Peanut Free Toasted Soy Spread (Walmart) or Sneaky Chef™ Creamy No-Nut Butter (Target)
- ¼ cup honey (maple syrup works just fine, too. Another tip: Spray a little non-stick spray in the measuring cups before measuring the honey and peanut butter: it’ll make the ingredients slide out of the cup, and make cleaning up easier.)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup to one full cup of any kind of chopped nuts (skip this step, too, if you’re not a fan of nuts)
Directions:
Combine all ingredients and stir with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until thoroughly combined. The mixture will become very thick quickly, which will make it quite easy to form into small balls (approximately 1 to 1½ tablespoon-sized.) Then place the balls in a container in layers separated by wax paper or place them in rows on a cookie sheet. Lastly, cover the container or tray and store it in the fridge…or not: These bites don’t have to remain refrigerated; simply do so for about 15 minutes or so immediately upon making them to enable the balls to remain intact.)
So, whether you’re home-bound or on the go, keep a few of these bites to munch on during the day to keep your hunger at bay.
