Description
These no-bake Lemon Poppy Seed Energy Bites are made with oats, cashews, fresh lemon, and maple syrup. Ready in just 15 minutes, they’re naturally sweetened, packed with wholesome ingredients, and taste like a fluffy lemon donut hole. Perfect for snacking, meal prep, or a healthy dessert!
Ingredients
For the Energy Bites:
- 1½ cups quick-cooking oats
- ½ cup raw cashews
- 2 tablespoons cashew butter
- ¼ cup real maple syrup
- Juice and zest of 1 medium lemon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons poppy seeds
- Pinch of salt
Optional:
- Additional 1 tablespoon maple syrup (for sweeter bites)
- Coconut shavings for rolling
Instructions
Add the oats to your blender or food processor and process until a fine flour forms. It should look like a powdery meal – this usually takes about 30-45 seconds in a high-speed blender. Don’t skip this step! Processing the oats first ensures they break down evenly and creates that smooth, fluffy texture.
Toss in the raw cashews and pulse until they’re finely ground as well. You want them broken down into small pieces, almost like a coarse flour, but they don’t need to be as fine as the oats. Pulse about 10-15 times until you reach the right consistency.
Now for the magic! Add the cashew butter, maple syrup, fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla extract, and pinch of salt to the blender. Process or pulse until everything comes together into a thick, uniform dough. This usually takes about 30-60 seconds. The mixture should pull away from the sides and form a ball. If it seems too wet, add a tablespoon of oats at a time. If it’s too dry, add a teaspoon of maple syrup or lemon juice.
Pulse in the poppy seeds just until they’re well combined throughout the dough – about 5-6 pulses should do it. You can also transfer the mixture to a bowl and fold them in by hand if you prefer. I actually like doing it by hand because I can see that they’re evenly distributed!
Here’s where that cookie scoop comes in handy! Use a 2-tablespoon scoop to measure out each portion, then roll each ball between your hands until it forms a smooth, even circle. If the mixture is sticky, wearing disposable gloves makes this SO much easier. You should get about 12 energy bites from this recipe.
The best part? These don’t need to chill before eating! You can pop one in your mouth right away. But for the best texture and to keep them fresh, store them in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer. They firm up slightly when cold, which I actually prefer.
Notes
- Fresh lemon juice is non-negotiable. The bottled stuff is pasteurized and tastes flat. Fresh, unpasteurized lemon juice has a sweeter, more floral note that makes these bites sing.
- Blender vs. food processor matters. A high-speed blender creates a lighter, fluffier texture that’s almost cloud-like. A food processor works perfectly fine, but it gives you more texture and bite. Both are delicious – just different!
- Wear gloves when rolling. The mixture can be slightly sticky, and gloves make the rolling process much faster and neater.
- Don’t over-process. Once everything comes together into a dough, stop! Over-processing can make the mixture warm and oily.
- Taste as you go. Before rolling all the balls, taste the dough and adjust the sweetness or lemon flavor to your liking.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Snack
- Method: No-bake
- Cuisine: American