Energy Bites

I'm always on the lookout for something to eat when I do my long runs. Occasionally I'll eat energy gels or energy bars. My favorite brand of gels/bars is Clif, because in addition to tasting good they are made with organic ingredients. However, most of the time I usually prefer to stick with "real food" such as fruit, trail mixes, peanut butter sandwiches or pretzels.

One day, Maren came across this recipe on Pinterest for something called energy bites. They provide a great pick-me-up when I'm in the middle of a long run. We also like to eat them as a filling snack or for dessert. I like them so much I thought I'd share it here with you.

Feel free to change the "mix-ins" however you like. I tweaked the recipe a little bit to fit my needs for when I'm out running. I like to mix in chopped nuts or chopped up dried fruit. When I ran the Des Plaines 50 mile ultramarathon I added crushed espresso beans to give me a much needed caffeine surge! If you come up with a cool flavor combination, please share it with comment below.

Energy Bites
(makes 18-20 bites)

1 cup oatmeal
1/2 cup peanut butter (or other nut butter)
1/3 honey
1/2 cup ground flaxseed
1 tsp vanilla
Mix-ins:
1 cup coconut flakes
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Mix everything above in a medium bowl until thoroughly incorporated. Let chill in the fridge for 1/2 an hour. Once chilled, roll into balls and enjoy! Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.


***I like this recipe so much that I also saved it as a permanent page on the blog so in the future you can link to it anytime you want.