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These 10-minute Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Energy Bites taste just like chocolate chip cookie dough… while still being made with good-for-you ingredients and no raw eggs! Prep them at the beginning of the week so you one as an afternoon pick-me-up or post-gym treat.
See recipe card below for full list of measurements, ingredients, and instructions.
Why These Energy Bites Are My New Favorite Snack
- They’re basically bites of raw chocolate chip cookie dough, but healthy. You’ll get energy and good fats from the cashews, good carbs from the oats, and a bit of natural sugar and sweetness from the maple syrup. With added chocolate chips and a hit of vanilla they’ve been curing my cooking dough cravings, with the added bonus there is absolutly no risk from salmonella!
- With just 6-ingredients you’ve probably got everything you need to make them in the pantry, and as they only take 10 minutes to make (plus a little chilling time) they’re also great if you’re after a sweet healthy treat when cravings strike but you have nothing on hand.
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What Learnt Testing This Recipe
- The batch of 12 is about right if you’re keeping them in the fridge for a week, but I’ve found that if I’m freezing them it is barely any more effort making a double batch.
- If you’re freezing the energy balls just to firm up before transferring in the fridge this doesn’t matter so much, but if you’re freezing them solid for storage freeze them first on a parchment lined baking sheet, then transfer them to a zip-top bag once they’re completely solid for easy storage.
- As I have a high-powered food processor, I found there was no need to soak the cashews. But, if your processor struggles with nuts, soaking them for a few hours and drying them well should help you get smoother results.
- I liked how regular chocolate chips added bit bites of chocolate to the dough, but you could use mini ones for more even distribution.
- Wet hands are best for rolling the energy balls without things getting sticky!
Ingredients
Raw cashews – Make sure the cashews are raw not toasted, as they’ll blitz differently and become super oily. Trust me, you don’t make this mistake twice!
Raw oats – Blitzed these will help the energy balls hold together without becoming a sticky mess!
Agave syrup – This will add sweetness alongside the maple syrup to stop the cookie dough flavors being completely overwhelmed by the maple.
Maple syrup – The stickiness helps hold the energy balls together as well as the flavor of the maple helps compliment the vanilla for that true cookie dough flavor.
Vanilla extract – Not only does this add the smell and flavor of proper chocolate chip cookie dough to these energy balls, but vanilla also helps sweeten the mixture without being an additional source of (natural) sugar.
Chocolate chips – Make sure these are vegan dark chocolate chips if this matters to you! Or, if you’re more into the cookie dough part of chocolate chip cookie dough, raisins would also make a good add-in swapping the exact volume in the recipe.
Storage Tips
These should keep well in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to a week, making them great for meal prep.
You can also freeze them in a freezer-safe container or zip-top bag for up to 3 months. Let them sit at room temperature for 5–10 minutes before eating them to let them soften a little bit!
Frequently Asked Questions
If things are too wet, you’ve likely over-processed the cashews into nut butter. You’ll likely need to start again, but you might be able to fix the situation by stirring in more oats or stirring in a little almond meal. If they’re not holding together because they’re too dry, adding a little more maple syrup, or even a splash of nut milk should help the mixture come together. This might happen if your cashews are a little old!
A #24 cookie scoop is the perfect size to scoop these energy balls. Or, without having to invest in any extra kit each ball should be about 3 tablespoons.
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions or variations listed are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Balls
Equipment
- high powdered blender
Ingredients
- â…” cup raw cashews
- â…“ cup raw oats
- 2 tablespoon agave syrup
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- In a blender, preferably a high-speed blender like a Vitamix, blend cashews and oats until they become a fine powder. Don't overblend; this mixture will become cashew butter quickly.
- Add the agave, maple, vanilla and blend until incorporated. Be careful to just blend in short bursts and only until combined; don’t over-process.
- Stir in chocolate chips by hand.
- Form into small balls by rolling between your palms. If dough becomes too sticky to work with, chill in the fridge or freezer until a bit firmer. Keep in the fridge or freezer.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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Why can’t I find this recipe anymore? Please send it to me or repost! I love it and can’t remember exact proportions. Please! I’ve be en waiting!
Argh! Sorry. When I merged blogs, about half the recipes stayed behind! I’ve been going through each one to make sure they’re right, but hadn’t gotten to this one yet 🙂 It’s updated now!
I tried these dipped in chocolate, and they were AWESOME! Thanks for the recipe Cheryl. Think I might try adding a bit of cinnamon and less agave next time. Just a little too sweet for me.
Whoa, yum! They are definitely sweet, especially dipped in chocolate. They’re super versatile though so I bet those tweaks would be killer!
Um… YUM! How do you think this would fare with honey instead of the agave/maple syrup? (I like the flavor better. :))
I’m sure that would be just fine! They’re pretty equivalent on the sweetness scale
Going to dip these in chocolate to make cookie dough truffles for my boyfriend for valentines day!
Oh my gosh.. that sounds AMAZING. He will love them.. and you!!
ooooooooh I cant wait to try these! yippee! yahoo! cowabunga! thank you!
Hahaha, thanks Kate! They’re super yummy