Apple Pie Energy Bites

 
In high school, our marching band climbed onto five charter buses and headed to competitions in various parts of Northern California nearly every Saturday during the fall. We left in the wee hours of the morning, before the sun even rose, to arrive at the host school with enough time for a parade before lunch, a field show at night, and sometimes a concert in between.  

As such a large band, with around 250 members, we usually performed towards the end of the field show competition, around 8 pm or 9 pm shortly before the awards ceremony, so we never felt overly warm in our thick uniforms of black pants and heavy dark blue button-up overcoats. Yet the late morning parades were an entirely different story!
 

 
We performed close to last in those as well, putting us on the asphalt city streets shortly before noon in the same thick and heavy field show uniforms. Even with our white hats perched on top of our heads, we still felt hot and stuffy most days!

The chaperones took pity on us and wove in and out of each row when we paused along the route. They carried spritz bottles to spray water into our mouths, and on extremely hot days, they popped lemon drops into our mouths as well. Since the lemon drops quickly dissolved on our tongues, they didn’t cause problems with our instruments, so our band directors didn’t mind.
 

 
But if our band directors would’ve allowed us to have something besides lemon drops, I definitely would’ve preferred these easy apple pie energy bites! Unlike those parade snacks, these are packed with protein to keep you happy and full for hours. They’re also incredibly quick and easy to make!

Besides… You probably know how much I love it when a healthy snack tastes like dessert by now! 😉
 

INGREDIENTS TO MAKE HEALTHY APPLE PIE ENERGY BITES

To make these healthy apple snack bites (also called energy bites or protein balls!), you’ll start with oats and protein powder. This recipe was specifically designed for this vegan plant-based protein powder. I buy it online here, and it just contains two ingredients: brown rice protein and natural vanilla flavor. Nothing artificial or overly processed here!

Note: Do NOT substitute whey-based protein powder! You’ll end up with a sticky, gooey mess. Check my Protein Powder FAQ Page for acceptable substitutes!
 

 
You’ll sweeten these healthy apple protein bites with one of my favorite ingredients: liquid stevia! Stevia is a plant-based, no-calorie sweetener that contains nothing refined or artificial (aka it’s clean-eating friendly!). It’s highly concentrated, so you just need ¼ teaspoon for this entire recipe!

Many stevia brands and products have different sweetness levels, so they’re not necessarily 1-for-1 substitutes for each other. For the best results, I highly recommend using the liquid stevia that I do! This is the kind I use because it tastes amazing and I don’t notice any strange aftertaste like with some other stevia products. I buy it online here because that’s the best price I’ve found. (And you’ll use it in all of these recipes of mine too!)

Tip: By using stevia, your cinnamon apple energy bites are low carb and sugar-free (aka no added sugar!). It also helps keep them low calorie and high protein!

Then for the “apple pie” flavor in these healthy protein balls, you’ll mix in cinnamon (this is my favorite one — it’s basically the only kind I use in my baking now!), unsweetened applesauce, and baked apple chips. These are the apple chips I used because they only contain apples — no added sugar or other ingredients! — and I found them at my local grocery store. I’ve also seen them at Target!

Tip: Regular dried apples or freeze-dried apples would also work!
 

HOW TO MAKE HEALTHY APPLE PIE ENERGY BITES

Here’s the super easy part… To make these protein balls, just mix your ingredients together in one bowl and then shape them into individual snack bites! The mixture doesn’t roll into spheres all that well, so I use my fingers to squish it into round shapes instead. Then simply pop those energy bites into an airtight container, and store them in the fridge until you’re hungry!

Tip: Make sure you chop the baked apple chips to be fairly small, around the same size as miniature chocolate chips. If they’re too big, your energy bites won’t stick together quite as well.
 

 
Snack time just got a whole lot sweeter! 😉 And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! 🙂 ) I’d love to see your healthy apple pie energy bites!

Healthy Apple Pie Energy Bites

© Amy's Healthy Baking

Yields: 30 energy bites (6 servings)

This healthy snack tastes like the classic dessert, and it’s so easy to make! The energy bites will keep for at least five days (if not longer!) if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

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Ingredients 

• ⅓ cup (110g) unsweetened applesauce (about 1 snack-sized cup)
• ¼ cup (60mL) unsweetened cashew milk
• ¼ tsp liquid stevia (or adjusted to taste – see Notes!)
• 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon (or adjusted to taste)
• 3 scoops (90g) NutriBiotic brown rice vanilla protein powder
• ½ cup (50g) instant oats (measured like this and gluten-free, if necessary)
• ¼ cup (15g) baked apple chips, finely diced

Instructions

• In a medium bowl, stir together the applesauce, milk, stevia, and cinnamon. Carefully pour in the protein powder and oats, and stir until completely incorporated. Gently fold in the baked apples.
• Line a baking sheet with wax paper or parchment paper.
• Working with a small amount of the mixture at a time, shape into a ball, and place on the prepared baking sheet. (The mixture doesn’t always roll very easily, so I recommend squishing it into a spherical shape instead!) Repeat with the remaining mixture. Transfer the energy bites to an airtight container, and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Notes

IMPORTANT PROTEIN POWDER NOTES – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: This recipe was specifically designed for the plant-based protein powder listed in the Ingredients list. I buy it here. Most protein powders behave differently, especially when it comes to absorbing moisture. If you substitute a different plant-based protein powder, you may need to add more protein powder if the dough is too wet OR more milk if the dough is too dry. (See my Protein Powder FAQ Page for more information.)

 

Do NOT substitute whey-based protein powder; the mixture will be too sticky to roll into balls.

 

IMPORTANT FLAVOR NOTES – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: For sweeter bites, increase the liquid stevia by an additional ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon. For a stronger apple flavor, increase the baked apple chips to 6 tablespoons (22g).

 

OAT ALTERNATIVES: Instant oats are also called "quick cooking" and "one-minute" oats. They're smaller and thinner than old-fashioned rolled oats, and they only contain one ingredient (oats!). I prefer instant oats because they’re smaller and hold together the mixture slightly better.

 

Old-fashioned rolled oats (gluten-free, if necessary) may be substituted for the instant oats. Do not substitute steel-cut oats.

 

MILK ALTERNATIVES: Any milk may be substituted for the unsweetened cashew milk.

 

LIQUID STEVIA NOTES + ALTERNATIVES: I highly recommend using the liquid stevia, if at all possible! I buy it here because that's the best price I've found. (You’ll use it in all of these recipes of mine too!) Many stevia brands and products have different sweetness levels, so they're not necessarily 1-for-1 substitutes for each other. If substituting a different stevia product, you may need to adjust the amount accordingly.

 

However, if you'd prefer not to use stevia, then you're welcome to try substituting your preferred sweetener instead. However, you will most likely need to adjust the amount of protein powder if the dough is too wet -OR- add more milk if the mixture is too dry. You’ll need the equivalent of 2-3 tablespoons of granulated sugar. 

 

APPLE NOTES: These are the baked apple chips that I used, and I found them at my local grocery store. Regular dried apples or freeze-dried apples may be substituted. Cut them to be no larger than miniature chocolate chips to ensure the bites hold together!

 

HOW TO STORE: Store energy bites in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They should keep for at least five days, if not longer!

 

For more tips and answers to all other questions, including substitutions, see my Protein Powder Recipes: Tips & FAQ Page.

 

{gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, vegan, clean eating, low fat, low sugar, lower carb, high protein}

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?I'd love to hear what you think of it in a comment below! If you take a picture, tag @amys.healthy.baking on Instagram or use the hashtag #amyshealthybaking.

View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
 
 
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♡  Snickerdoodle Energy Bites
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♡  Coffee Energy Bites
♡  Lemon Poppy Seed Energy Bites
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