As a college freshman, I requested to live in the suite-style dorms. (Although farther from campus, the luxury of having two regular bathrooms—not shared shower stalls for the entire floor—was too good to pass by!) Throughout the year, my four roomies and I usually planned on eating a few dinners together each week. Despite the 3 other larger dinning commons, we often ended up at the small, cozy one closest to our suite.
But partway through the year, something went amok with their ventilation system, and our clothes started poignantly smelling like old grease and burnt oil after every meal. When we began digging through our dirty clothes hamper to put on “appropriate” dinner attire—aka shirts and pants we didn’t mind stinking before we even grabbed a plate—we realized it was time to transition to the better DC a quarter mile down the road.
If one of us had a mandatory discussion or extra midterm review session schedule during typical dinner hours, we waited for that roomie and attended the DC’s “Late Night” meal instead. The staff would clear away all of the more extravagant dinner options and only served typical midnight cravings: multiple platters of pizza, big subway sandwiches, and the ever-popular serve-yourself cereal and ice cream bars.
But the best part of the meal was always the warm, fresh-out-of-the-oven cookie tray, especially the oatmeal raisin section! It was basically a rule that we needed to eat two of every flavor—they were the best late-night study fuel and motivation imaginable!
Yet by the end of the quarter, that quickly added up to an extra pound or two on the scale… Thank goodness the university only ensured housing and food for freshman. I promptly moved into an apartment with less cookie temptations for the next three years!
Recently, I craved a sweet treat as fuel for writing blog posts and started longing for those Late Night cookies again, but I knew how quickly one would turn into two… then three… then four… So I decided to come up with a healthier snack that still tasted like our old-time favorite oatmeal raisin sweets.
These Oatmeal Raisin Energy Bites were the perfect match! With their soft texture and classic flavor, each little nibble tasted just like the cookies and brought a smile to my face, while my waistline sighed with happiness too. It can be our little secret that they’re 200% healthy—they’re clean-eating, gluten-free, and vegan too—and come together in less than 20 minutes!
Similar to my chocolate fig energy bites, we’ll hydrate the raisins and turn them into a paste to bind together the remaining ingredients. Depending on the size of your dried fruit, you may need more or less water to create the paste, but it’s better to err on the side of too little to start. It’s much easier to add more water to the energy bites than to take it away!
For the extra protein energy boost, I turned to Plant Fusion Vanilla Bean protein powder. No, this isn’t a sponsored post… I just really, really love their brand! I’m very picky about my protein powder, and Plant Fusion’s tastes incredible: pure vanilla flavor and no funky aftertaste. Plus it’s gluten-free, vegan, and clean-eating friendly too!
To assemble your energy bites, mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl, add in the raisin paste, and stir stir stir! If the mixture is still too dry to stick together, add in an extra teaspoon of water at a time until it comes together into a smooth ball. Then shape into little spheres, place on a sheet of wax paper, and transfer to an airtight container once they’ve set.
After their photo shoot, these Oatmeal Raisin Energy Bites barely lasted two days in my house! Dangerously accessible for easy snacking, the soft little guys practically called my name every time I passed through the kitchen, reminding me of their sweet fruity taste and satisfying chew. I actually reached for a couple of the bites after dinner instead of my favorite oatmeal cookies!
Better make a double batch next time…
These energy bites taste exactly like oatmeal raisin cookies—soft, chewy & completely irresistible! They’ll keep for up to 5 days if stored in an airtight container at room temperature, but they probably won’t last that long!
- Add the raisins and water to a microwave-safe bowl, and top with a lid or plastic wrap. Microwave on HIGH for 1 minute. Let the mixture cool for 5 minutes before adding the hydrated raisins and 1 tablespoon of the water to a food processor. Pulse until smooth.
- Add the oats, protein powder, and cinnamon to a medium bowl, and stir until thoroughly combined. Mix in the raisin paste until fully incorporated, adding an extra teaspoon of water at a time if the mixture is too dry.
- Lay a sheet of wax paper on a large plate. Shape the raisin mixture into 32 balls, placing each on the wax paper after rolling. Once set, store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Made this last night and just had one as a snack – so yummy!
Think I added a bit too much water though and they were a tad sticky so I think I’ll pop them in the freezer to firm up.
I’ll definitely be making these again!
Charlotte x
I’m so glad you enjoyed them Charlotte! That’s really smart to freeze them for a bit. 🙂
is the water that is microwaved with the raisins mixed into the food processor as well or just the hydrated raisins leaving the water behind?
Leave all but 1 tablespoon of water behind when blending the raisins in the food processor. I hope you enjoy the energy bites Winnie!
Made these just now. But they were so sticky and looked nothing like yours! But they did taste great. Next time I might add some oat flour to help with the stickiness.
I’m glad you enjoyed the flavor Amanda! This recipe was designed for plant-based protein powder, and if you used whey-based protein powder instead, the energy bites will be very sticky and refuse to hold their shape. Whey-based powders don’t absorb the same amount of liquid or behave the same as plant-based, so perhaps that was the issue!
How long will these last if refrigerated?
They’ll last at least a week, if not closer to two, if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. I can’t wait to hear what you think of the energy bites Stevara!
I made these this afternoon and they are so good!!! Thank you for the recipe!! ?
I’m so happy to hear that Ilana! It’s my pleasure! 🙂
Is there a substitution for the plant powder…like pure vanilla?
The protein powder provides texture and protein to this recipe, not just vanilla flavor. You’re welcome to substitute other plant-based protein powders, if you prefer, although you may need to slightly adjust the amounts of the other ingredients. I’d love to hear what you think of the energy bites if you try them Jolene!
Made these using the plexact same protein listed and they taste great! I am however a little disappointed in the number of servings. In order to come up with 32 bites, I would have had to make them less than a teaspoon each. I only came up with 14 normal size bites. This is disappointing to me bc I am following weight watchers and had calculated the smart points value as 1 per bite but since I only have 14 bites, smart points goes up to 3 per bite. Not quite as appealing once the points value jumped up.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the flavor of these energy bites Sam! 🙂
This is a good quick recipe! I made these during quarantine and used up a mixture of dried up raisins, apricots, and dates that had become too dry to eat plain. The recipe came together quickly and will give us a good alternative to the cookies that we keep eating!
I’m so glad you enjoyed these energy bites Stephanie! I really appreciate you taking the time to let me know — that truly means a lot to me! 🙂 I love your idea of using a mixture of dried fruit too. That must have created such a fun flavor combination!