Sunflower Seed Energy Bites

I have a running document going of my favourite blogs and recipes to make and keep adding whole foods blogs that have really wonderful recipes – I’ll share a handful of my favourites below for anyone looking for some great blogs that focus on healthy, plant based foods. I subscribe to over a hundred WFPB blogs but I can’t share all of them here, unfortunately! This is clearly not an exhaustive list, just a few sites that share great vegetarian recipes or have extensive archives as some of them don’t have very many new posts.

Green Kitchen Stories
The Simple Green
The First Mess
Faring Well
Good Eatings
Dishing Up The Dirt
Dolly & Oatmeal
The Green Life
Happy Hearted Kitchen
Vanilla & Bean
Kraut Kopf
Vegetarian Ventures
My Darling Lemon Thyme
Naturally Ella
With Food & Love
The Full Helping
Earthsprout
Oh She Glows

Working with more clients recently has also brought me to the realization that it’s okay to write posts that are just great, everyday recipes and not necessarily fancy or for special occasions. So for the past couple of weeks, I’ve been photographing the things that I make on a weekly basis and that we eat as part of our daily fare. I’ll be sharing more of these simple, go-to recipes in the future alongside some of the special recipes that I also like to make sometimes.

These raw sunflower seed energy bites have become a staple in our home since moving to Germany. We’ve been eating only organic food since we moved here, which is great, but it’s also meant that we can’t buy as many grocery items that are pricier, like nuts or medjool dates. I’ve been using more seeds, basic flours like spelt, and less expensive fruits.

Despite what other blogs tell you, regular dates work perfectly well to make energy bites, and you’ll save a lot of money by using them. If they’re a little hard, just soak them in hot water for half an hour. Any longer, and your bites will probably be a little too soft when thawed and too hard when frozen from the extra water content.

These sunflower seed energy bites can be easily adapted to your tastes by changing the spices or type of oil used. If I have hazelnut or walnut oil (which make great gifts for food-lovers) then I use them – hazelnut particularly makes a nutella-like bite that’s absolutely delicious without having to splurge on hazelnuts. If you’re not fond of lots of spice, then you can just add vanilla or cinnamon, and you can mix up the seeds used too. Sesame, hemp, and chia are all great in these.

I’ve posted several other easy recipes for energy balls, from simpler ones like these sunflower seed balls, to raw almond date truffles. If you want something a little more truffle-like, or decadent, head over there – these are more of an everyday snack.

Adding bee pollen to energy bites is my favourite way to eat pollen, but you don’t have to use it. Obviously they’re very healthy, with high protein, fibre,  and healthy fats, but you are getting quite a lot of fruit sugar from the dates, so just have one or two per day. I rarely use a recipe for energy bites but this is how I generally make them, so I wrote the measurements down for you!

Let’s connect! If you liked this recipe, make sure to leave a comment below, I love hearing from you! Tag me on instagram @occasionallyeggs and #occasionallyeggs so I can see what you’re making, and stay in touch via facebook, pinterest, and bloglovin.

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Yield: 20 bites

Sunflower Seed Energy Bites

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Nut free sunflower seed energy bites with dates and raw cacao make a great quick snack for whenever you need an energy boost. These budget friendly bites are a whole food staple and ideal for very busy or active people.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 125 grams / 3/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
• 130 grams 1/2 cup, packed dates*
• 3 tablespoons cacao
• 2 tablespoons bee pollen, optional
• 1 tablespoon coconut, hazelnut, or walnut oil**
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 pod cardamom, crushed
• Pinch nutmeg
• Pinch salt

Instructions

1. In the bowl of a food processor, add the sunflower seeds and blend until a coarse meal forms. If you blend too long, oils will release and you'll make sunflower butter.
2. Add the dates, cacao, bee pollen, oil, and spices. Blend until the dates have broken down and a ball of dough has formed in the processor.
3. Form the dough into small balls, about half the size of a golf ball, using your hands. You can roll the bites in cacao if you'd like. Place the bites onto a plate or board and freeze for 30 minutes before removing and placing in a jar or container. Store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Notes

* I used deglet noor dates, but of course medjool will work in this recipe. Remove the stones before blending.

** The oil is not absolutely necessary, but it does add a nice element of flavour, will help keep your energy levels up for longer, and makes the bites easier to roll. Of course to keep them nut free use an oil that isn't made from nuts.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

20

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 48Total Fat: 4gUnsaturated Fat: 3gSodium: 296mgCarbohydrates: 2gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 1g

This data is provided by a calculator and is a rough estimation of the nutritional information in this recipe.