HAZELNUT OATMEAL GOLDEN RAISIN ENERGY BITES

Lately I find myself craving simplicity in all areas of life, including what I fuel my body with. My no-bake Hazelnut Oatmeal Golden Raisin Energy Bites are reminiscent of your favourite cookie, elevated with a healthy, plant based, protein-packed, antioxidant-rich spin! This incredibly easy recipe comes together in just 10 minutes with 9 intensively nourishing ingredients — including fibre-rich quick oats, omega-packed flax meal, my new favourite vanilla protein powder, Bulk Barn’s decadent hazelnut butter (my most recent culinary obsession!), scrumptious golden raisins, pure Canadian maple syrup, creamy vanilla extract, Himalayan pink salt and a kiss of cinnamon. As always, they’re free free of dairy, gluten and refined sugar — and absolutely delish!

I’ve been really inspired in the kitchen lately and have so many recipes I’m excited to share this season, but these golden balls of energy have become a staple (if you follow along with my Stories, you’ll know how many times I’ve whipped these up recently!). I love to meal prep a batch on Sundays to ensure I have a quick snack or post-workout fuel whenever I need it. Sometimes I even make a double batch and freeze them! In fact, I’m headed out to finish photographing the second part of my Spring 2019 Lookbook this afternoon and have a few tucked away in my bag for a quick, nourishing snack on the run. Add the ingredients to your grocery list and whip these tasty little bites up today for a wholesome, nourishing, family-friendly snack you can enjoy all week! Join me today for my new favourite energy bite recipe and a chat about sustainability, zero-waste and the little changes I’ve been making to reduce my environmental impact.

HAZELNUT OATMEAL GOLDEN RAISIN ENERGY BITES

Sustainability is something that’s been on my mind often recently. I do my best to live as green as possible — whether it’s through my seasonal, plant-based diet, minimal plastic and paper use (I’m a stickler for re-usable bags and cups and have never purchased paper towels!) and little swaps I’ve been making to integrate more eco-friendly cleaning and personal / personal care products into our lives. I’m certainly not perfect, but I’m always looking for ways to improve, educate myself and make better choices about the products and practices I integrate into my life.

We’ve experienced the effects of climate change first-hand here in Calgary over the last 10 years and truly believe every little bit of action towards a greener lifestyle helps. I came across a quote earlier this spring that really put things into perspective for me:

“We don’t need a handful of people doing zero waste perfectly. We need millions of people doing it imperfectly.” ~ Anne Marie Bonneau, Zero Waste Chef

It’s so true, isn’t it? I’m here to encourage and celebrate the positive changes anyone makes in an effort transition to a more eco-friendly lifestyle. Although I’ve always been very conscious about food waste (if you frequent my FOOD section, you’ll know that a large portion of my recipes are a product of using up ingredients we have on hand — and I pretty much live on leftovers!), packaging is something I’ve taken a keen interest in lately.

Although I typically make our large grocery runs at Superstore (supplemented by trips to local farmers markets whenever possible), I’ve also started frequenting Bulk Barn and bringing my own containers along (I have tons of mason jars kicking around!) as I attempt to transition to a waste-free pantry. Until earlier this spring, I hadn’t been into a Bulk Barn in years — and let me tell you, I was like a kid in a candy store!

If you’re a from-scratch and / or plant-based cook, it’s heaven on earth. In addition to my usual bulk purchases, I discovered so many incredible, unique ingredients — including the hazelnut butter and golden raisins that inspired this recipe!

I’ve always loved the taste and convenience of Clif Oatmeal Raisin Walnut Bars, but don’t love the ingredient list. So earlier this spring, I set out to create a quick, easy, healthy snack inspired by that flavour profile — and my Hazelnut Oatmeal Golden Raisin Energy Bites are the result! Initially I wanted to test this recipe with almond butter, but didn’t have any on hand. But, I had fresh stash of Bulk Barn’s hazelnut butter in the fridge (who’s sole ingredient is dry roasted hazelnuts!) so I decided to try that instead — and the results were incredibly delicious! There’s something about the decedent essence of hazelnuts that really enhances the flavours of the other ingredients, taking these no-bake energy bites to the next level.

Hazelnuts are also little nutritional powerhouses, packed full of antioxidants and vitamins that contribute to heart health, increased brain function, cancer prevention, metabolism maintenance, plus healthy hair, skin and nails! Although you can substitute it for any nut butter you like, I highly encourage you to try this recipe with hazelnut butter. It’s a game changer!

Of course, you can also use regular raisins in this recipe, but much prefer the taste and texture of golden raisins. They’re more juicy than regular raisins and they add a lovely fruit-forward complexity to the traditional oatmeal raisin flavour profile. They also boast increased antioxidant properties compared to regular raisins — and this 30-something gal will take all the antioxidant support she can get!

Ingredients

Yield: Approximately 16 – 18, 1″ bites

• 1 cup gluten free quick oats
• 1/4 cup flax meal (make your own by grinding flax seeds!)
• 1/4 cup vanilla protein powder
• 1/2 cup hazelnut butter
• 3/4 cup golden raisins
• 3 tbsp pure Canadian maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp Himalayan pink salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix until thoroughly integrated.

2. Wet your hands, then take about 2 tbsp of the mixture and roll it in-between the palms of your hands until a ball is formed. Repeat until you’ve worked your way through the mixture.

3. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

• My Hazelnut Oatmeal Golden Raisin Energy Bites also freeze very well, so you can make them in bulk!

5 from 8 votes

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HAZELNUT OATMEAL GOLDEN RAISIN ENERGY BITES

Prep Time

10 mins

 

My no-bake Hazelnut Oatmeal Golden Raisin Energy Bites are reminiscent of your favourite cookie, elevated with a healthy, plant based, protein-packed, antioxidant-rich spin! This incredibly easy recipe comes together in just 10 minutes with 9 intensively nourishing ingredients -- including fibre-rich quick oats, omega-packed flax meal, my new favourite vanilla protein powder, decadent hazelnut butter, scrumptious golden raisins, pure Canadian maple syrup, creamy vanilla extract, Himalayan pink salt and a kiss of cinnamon. As always, they're free free of dairy, gluten and refined sugar -- and absolutely delish! Add the ingredients to your grocery list and whip these tasty little bites up today for a wholesome, nourishing, family-friendly snack you can enjoy all week.

Course: Breakfast, Snack

Author: Justine

Ingredients

• 1 cup gluten free quick oats
• 1/4 cup flax meal make your own by grinding flax seeds!
• 1/4 cup vanilla protein powder
• 1/2 cup hazelnut butter
• 3/4 cup golden raisins
• 3 tbsp pure Canadian maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp Himalayan pink salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Instructions

1. Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix until thoroughly integrated.

2. Wet your hands, then take about 2 tbsp of the mixture and roll it in-between the palms of your hands until a ball is formed. Repeat until you've worked your way through the mixture.
3. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

My Hazelnut Oatmeal Golden Raisin Energy Bites also freeze very well, so you can make them in bulk!

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Thanks for stopping by for my latest energy bite recipe, friends! I have a feeling these will be on weekly rotation for the foreseeable future — they’re incredibly addictive (in the best way possible!). Bulk Barn’s Hazelnut Butter is quite possibly my best culinary discovery of 2019!

Did you make my Hazelnut Oatmeal Golden Raisin Energy Bites? If you did, I’d love to hear from you! Leave me a comment, or tag me on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook. You can use the hashtag #justinecelinarecipes in your recreations so I can find them — I love scrolling through the feed and seeing what you guys make! I also have a Pinterest board for my recipes if you’re looking for more plant based culinary inspiration. Have a great week, everyone!

Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored and contains my genuine thoughts, ideas and recommendations. JustineCelina uses affiliate and referral links, which allow me to receive a small commission when you make a purchase through one of my links. Thank you for supporting the brands and businesses that support JustineCelina.com!