Brownie Batter Energy Bites

I like to celebrate the blog birthday every year by making a chocolate peanut butter dessert.  Is there really a better culinary combination? 

The first year it was marshmallow filled molten chocolate cakes with peanut butter fudge sauce. Last year it was four-ingredient chocolate pretzel peanut butter cups. 

This year, I've made brownie batter energy bites--a healthier chocolate peanut butter dessert--made with dates, peanut butter, cocoa powder, chia seeds, oatmeal, and chocolate chips. 

But, don't let the healthy ingredients fool you--these bites are rich and packed with intense chocolate flavor.   

And, there's no baking involved. You'll combine all the ingredients in the food processor, make the balls, and then pop them in the fridge to set.

It's hard to believe that I've been blogging for three years. THREE YEARS.

I started this blog during my third year of teaching and I've continued blogging though almost three years of law school.  In a lot of ways, I think it's helped keep me same.

Throughout everything, this blog has been a space where I've come to play, experiment, and connect with you.

Thank you for reading, and thank you for loving chocolate and peanut butter as much as I do.

Brownie Batter Energy Bites

Ingredients:

10 dates, pitted and soaked in warm water for 10 minutes

3 tablespoons salted peanut butter or almond butter

1 tablespoon cocoa powder

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon chia seeds

2/3 cup old fashioned oats

Splash of milk (optional)

1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions: 

Add pitted dates to the food processor and pulse until they form a ball. (As in the photo above)

Add peanut butter, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, chia seeds, and oats. Pulse until combined. (You may need to stop and scrape down the sides of the food processor if you have a regular model like mine.) If the mixture is not coming together, add a splash of milk and pulse again. 

Add chocolate chips and pulse for another few seconds. 

Use your hands to roll the dough into 1 inch balls. (Should make between 12-13, depending on the size)

You can eat these immediately, but to firm them up a bit, stick them in the fridge for 15 minutes or so. These will stay fresh in an air-tight container or in the fridge for up to a week. They can also be frozen!

Adapted from Minimalist Baker