With every new year comes the desire and urge to eat a more balanced diet. These Almond Joy Energy Bites are a little bit healthier way to have dessert while watching the calories you eat.
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Happy 2015!!! I hope you had a great time ending out the past year and starting the new year off. Every January everyone (me included) gets this huge desire to start the year off eating right and exercising more. I totally get it because I am right there with you.
The past month I slacked on my workouts and totally ate whatever was in front of me (I’m looking at you Hot Chocolate Fudge) and now I’m paying for it. Those jeans that used to feel good or even feel slightly loose have become snug again. Those pushups and box jumps that used to feel easy were not so easy this past week. My muscles were crying after just going to the gym 2 days.
My goal is to really watch what I am eating this year. No, not just watch it go from my plate to my mouth, but really be more mindful of what I am feeding my body.
Last year my husband and I joined the Advocare team. Over the years I have tried many different weight loss plans. Want to know what? Those never really worked for me. Then we tried an Advocare 24 Day Challenge and joined a gym. Using these supplements and working out regularly was just what our bodies needed. We honestly felt great and had so much more energy. It’s amazing what eating healthier, taking the best vitamins and supplements, and staying active will do for you. If you are looking to lose weight, gain energy, or earn additional income, feel free to contact us. We would love to walk you through how you can achieve those goals.
Now I still like to eat something sweet even when I’m working out. These little Almond Joy Energy Bites were the perfect little bar to give me my sweet in a healthier way. I melted together some almond butter and honey and then mixed in some oats, coconut, chocolate protein powder, and cocoa powder. Can I just say these were “Aaaammmmaaaazzziiinnnggg!!!” Yes, I totally just said that in a sing songy voice!!!
We are ready for everything that 2015 has for us starting with getting back on the workout wagon and watching what we eat. Bring on that chicken and veggies! I can do it knowing I have a healthy little snack waiting for me to indulge in. And by indulge I really mean just nibble on one a day. It’s really all about moderation,right?
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Almond Joy Energy Bites
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup almond butter
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3/4 cup old fashioned rolled oats
- 2/3 cup unsweetened coconut, divided
- 1/3 cup chocolate protein powder
- 1/3 cup dark cocoa powder
Instructions
- Combine the almond butter and honey in a large pan over low heat. Stir until melted and creamy. Add the vanilla and stir in.
- Mix in the oats, 1/3 cup coconut, protein powder, and cocoa powder and mix until everything is mixed completely. Press into an 8x8 pan that has been lined with foil. Sprinkle with the remaining coconut and press into the top.
- Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to an hour. Cut into 16 bars. Store in a sealed container on the counter.
Here are a few more healthy recipes that our family enjoys eating:
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Medha+@+Whisk+&+Shout says
Yum! These delicious bites could not have come at a better time, I’m definitely trying to get back on the healthy track. Almond Joys are my favorite chocolate bar, and it’s awesome to enjoy them in a healthier fashion 🙂
Marcie says
And 2015 starts with an Almond Joy bang! I love this healthier take on Almond Joys, which happen to be a favorite of mine! Pinned.
Emily @ Life on Food says
I am all for healthy treats that remind me of dessert. These bars look fantastic.
Dorothy @ Crazy for Crust says
I know the feeling. The jeans I loved last winter now? Not so much. You and me are on the same page – eat healthier but still eat chocolate! Love these!!
Julie @ Julie's Eats & Treats says
I totally need to try these to curb my sweet tooth and not get off the game plan with the diet!!
Cyndi @ My Kitchen Craze says
These energy bites look amazing! I want to grab one right now. I need to get back on that treadmill but I hate saying good bye to the sweets. We are food bloggers here and need to try everything right? 🙂 These look like the perfect happy medium. PS Happy New Year Jocelyn. Hope this year rocks for you! 🙂
Emily says
these look delicious and can’t wait to try them. I like most of you have determined to eat healthier and lose weight. But I am new this type of eating. I have pinned several recipes and tried a few.. One was terrible but the others were great. I have a question if you don’t mind helping a newbie…. Where do I purchase almond butter? Yours is the second recipe calling for it and I could not find it in my local grocery store. I would also love to know about the protein powders…. Are they all equal, is one better or healthier or are they filled with stuff that eliminates the “healthy”? Just a couple of questions. I enjoyed your blog and thought you might be able to give some simple practical advice.
Happy New Year and Thank You,
Emily
Renee@Two in the Kitchen says
These look fabulous Jocelyn!! I need to watch my eating this year too! I ate WAY too many cookies this holiday season! Happy 2015!! 🙂
Amy @ Amy's Healthy Baking says
I am TOTALLY impressed that you’re able to do pushups and box jumps, let alone do them well! I feel like I’m about to collapse nearly every time I try pushups, and I’ve never had the courage to do box jumps… With how klutzy I am, I’d just jump straight into the box and fall on my rear end! 😉 But I’m loving these healthy bites! Pinned!
Keri says
Do you know what the nutritional content is for this recipe? Such as the fat and calories?
Jocelyn Brubaker says
Hi, Keri. I haven’t calculated that info. There are different online counters that you can copy and paste the ingredients into if you like.
Paulette says
Thanks for the recipe. Going to make them today. Any idea hiw many calories in a serving?
Jocelyn Brubaker says
Hi, Paulette. I am not sure of the calorie count in this recipe as I do not usually calculate them. There are some different online counters that you can input the recipe into if you like.
Paulette says
Thanks I will plug it into a counter. They are delicious but mine came out crumbly.
Paulette says
117 calorues per serving
Amber Joy says
Would Steel Oats work you think? These sound so good but all I have on hand is steel oats!
Jocelyn says
Yes, I think those would work just fine too!! I hope you enjoy them!
Deana says
Am I missing something? The instructions include cocoa powder, but it’s not in the ingredients list. How much should I use?
Jocelyn says
Oh, my goodness. Yes, the cocoa powder is missing from the ingredient list. Thank you so much for letting me know. The recipe has been fixed. I hope you enjoy the bars!
Tara says
Did any of the commenters actually make these? I can only see one that did and she said they were crumbly. I second that. Are we missing something? They were so crumbly they are more like granola and I need to eat them with a spoon! And I even added extra Almond butter (upping the fat substantially) and they were still sooooo crumbly. Embarrassingly so. I can’t imagine how these were bars for you with these ingredient ratios. I never even added the divided amount of coconut to the top as it seemed pointless. And I really pressed them down hard in the pan with a fork. Super Yummy recipe for Almond joy granola perhaps, but not bars.
Jocelyn says
Hi, Tara. I actually just went to my kitchen and made another batch just to be sure. The recipe is fine as written. The mixture should actually look and feel like mud after you stir the dry ingredients into the melted peanut butter and honey. Mine was definitely not crumbly at all. Did you let it cool before pressing it into the pan? Are you sure you only used 3/4 cup oats?
Tara says
Wow thanks for making them to check! I feel confident I didn’t measure anything wrong (apart from only adding 1/3 cup coconut and not the rest to the top). Anyway, I’m enjoying reading them with with spoon! I did put them in the pan while still warm. Who knows!