no-bake peanut butter date bites
Published: January 2024
A delicious no-bake snack with simple and minimal ingredients!
My no-bake peanut butter date bites are a true gem in our homemade snack rotation. Our whole family loves them, they’re packed with simple & nutritious ingredients, and they’re the perfect little energy-boosting snack that my little one loves. Medjool dates are what add some natural sweetness to this recipe and they have some fantastic nutritional benefits. The texture of these (even after chilling) is still fairly soft - you can break them up for your littles if you don’t feel that they can hold these and take bites just yet. I started serving them as pictured above to my toddler when he was a little over 2 and could comfortably hold and take bites out of them.
Overall, these are wonderful for at-home snacking or taking on-the-go making it one of my favorite homemade snack recipes. I hope you love them as much as we do!
INGREDIENTS
Pitted medjool dates: if the dates come with the pit inside, gently open and remove the pits. You’ll soak them in warm water for 10-15 minutes to start this recipe (I talk more about this in the directions below).
Peanut butter: in this recipe, I use creamy organic peanut butter (with only peanuts as the ingredients), which tends to be a little runnier. If you’re using a thicker peanut butter, you’ll find that the texture may hold together a little more firmly. Other nut butters like almond butter, sunflower butter, etc. should work in this recipe also - I find that peanut butter gives them one of the best tastes though!
Quick oats: I like quick oats in this recipe because the texture is already pretty fine and combines well into the mixture. You can use old fashioned/rolled oats instead, but pulse them a handful of times in the food processor first to get a finer texture first.
Cashews: you can really use any nuts here (almonds, walnuts, peanuts, etc.) or omit the nuts altogether - I like to add a little for extra nutrition.
Vanilla extract: I just add a small dash of this in the recipe for added flavor. If you don’t have any on-hand, this could be omitted.
Chocolate chips: I feel like these give the bites great flavor and pair well with the peanut butter and dates!
Sea salt: Just a pinch is all you need in this recipe as it enhances the taste a little. If you don’t have any on-hand, this is another one that can be omitted.
Superseed boosters like milled chia seeds (optional): The superseed boosters from Tiny Sprouts are a perfect add-in for this recipe! Hemp seeds, flax seeds, or chia seeds add some extra nutrition and can easily be sprinkled in (I’d do about 1/2 tbsp). Code MYTODDLERSKITCHEN gets you 10% off your purchase on their site.
Morning toddler snack plate with peanut butter date bites, strawberries, and blueberries.
DIRECTIONS
Soak dates in warm water for 10-15 minutes, then drain and pat them dry.
While dates are soaking, chop chocolate chips and cashews in a food processor until texture is very fine (this will make it easier for them to form into the bite mixture).
Add dates, peanut butter, oats, cashews, chocolate chips, vanilla, and sea salt to food processor and puree until texture is well-combined. The texture should look a little like a crumble here.
Next, we'll form the mixture into ~1 inch "bites" or "balls". You won't be rolling them like a typical cookie dough mixture here. Instead, grab a small handful of the mixture, and press in one hand, then transfer to another hand, and keep doing this until you start forming a ball-like shape. You'll basically be pressing the mixture together into a ball instead of rolling it to avoid it crumbling. If you feel that the balls still aren't holding together well, add a little bit more peanut butter to the mixture; if you feel that the mixture is too sticky, you can add a little more of the oats.
Once you've formed all the bites (recipe yields about 12) place them into a sealed container to chill and set in the fridge.
PRODUCTS USED IN THIS RECIPE
Food processor: I use this KitchenAid one in SO many recipes. It’s small (great for storage) but holds a lot and purees/chops so well. Can’t recommend this one enough!
Magnetic measuring spoons: one of my favorite kitchen tools that stack together so nicely in a drawer! Use them for the cinnamon and vanilla extract here.
Measuring cups: I used these here in measuring the oats, carrots, and raisins.
Reusable freezer bags: I like sealing in these to freeze! Takes up minimal space and I can re-use them.
Glass Food Storage Containers Set with Leakproof Lids: These are one of my absolute favorite kitchen items for food storage and store these bars wonderfully. Lots of sizes and they seal so well.
NOTES
Store in fridge for about one week in sealed container.
Freeze for up to 3 months.
You can use old fashioned/rolled oats in this recipe, but I recommend pulsing them 4-5 times in a food processor alone first. This will get the texture a little finer, which will make it easier to roll into the bites.
If your food processor is on the smaller side, puree the dates before adding the other ingredients to the mixture.
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No-bake Peanut Butter Date Bites
Ingredients
Instructions
Notes
- Store in fridge for about one week in sealed container.
- Freeze for up to 3 months.
- You can use old fashioned/rolled oats in this recipe, but I recommend pulsing them 4-5 times in a food processor alone first. This will get the texture a little finer, which will make it easier to roll into the bites.
- If your food processor is on the smaller side, puree the dates before adding the other ingredients to the mixture.
