Guest Post: No Bake Chocolate Energy Bites

Hey there my blog peeps.  Guess who's totally been spoiled this week by some awesome Guest Posters?  Me!  I'm going out of town and have a ton to do so I asked one of my blog friends, Jovana over at Taste of August if she'd share one of her delicious yummy recipes with you. Yeah, she's pretty amazing and a total lifesaver!  You should definitely show her blog some love and visit if you haven't already :)

Hi! I'm Jovana and I blog over at Taste of August. I am super excited to be guest posting here at The Best Blog Recipes. I absolutely love all of the posts by Shauna - she really has some amazing and yummy recipes, doesn't she?

I am a recently married gal who loves to cook, bake and decorate. I love trying out new recipes, especially desserts and snacks. I am a chocolate lover at heart, and so I always try to find healthier options to my sweet cravings. These chocolate energy bites are absolutely my favourite. Packed with all things good for you, both you and your kids will just love eating these when a boost of energy is needed. I take them to work for a little mid-afternoon "pick me up" snack. You can add and/or omit whatever you would like. With the ingredients below, these balls work out to about 100 calories per ball. I also added some ideas for variations, just to get you inspired to make some today! Enjoy!

No Bake Chocolate Energy Bites
Prep time: 5 min        Chill Time: 30 min           Yield: 15-20 balls

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Ingredients
- 2/3 cup peanut butter
- 1/2 cup honey or maple syrup
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 cup quick rolled oats (you can also use dry oatmeal)
- 1 cup coconut flakes
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup ground flax seed (or wheat germ)
- 40 toasted hazelnuts, chopped


Directions
1. In a medium bowl, combine peanut butter, honey and vanilla. Stir to combine well. Add dry ingredients and mix thoroughly. Refrigerate for half an hour to allow mixture to chill and harden a bit. Form mixture into 1" balls. Refridgerate in an air-tight container for up to one week.


Variations:
Add 1/2 cup ground wheat germ instead of flax seed, or do 1/4 cup of each
Add 1/2 cup chocolate or peanut butter chips
Add 1 Tbsp. chia seeds or hulled hemp seeds for more of a healthy kick
Add 2 Tbsp. Nutella for a more chocolatey experience
Add 1/2 cup of your favourite dried fruit, such as cherries, cranberries or blueberries
Add 1/2 cup chopped pecans, walnuts or almonds instead of hazelnuts

Thanks Jovana for taking the time to Guest Post with me today!