KITCHEN CURATIONS: APPLE COBBLER ENERGY BITES

Spring has officially arrived. (Can I get an AMEN!) And while I'm super excited for the berries, peaches, and watermelon that come with the warmer months, apples remain a staple in my fridge year-round. I love to eat them raw for that perfect crunch, but let's be honest, a piece of apple cobbler with a scoop of vanilla ice cream doesn't sound half bad either. That's where these energy bites come in. They hit all the flavor notes of a decadent apple dessert, but instead of the added sugar and refined carbs, they're packed with healthy fat, protein, and fiber. In fact, I personally like to keep the skin on the apples for texture and the extra fiber, but you do you! 

INGREDIENTS: (makes 24 bites)

• 2 medium Pink Lady apples (Honey Crisp, Gala, and Fiji also work)
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup raw walnuts
• 1/2 cup raw almonds
• 4 medjool dates, pitted
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup rolled oats (I used Bob's Red Mill)
• 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Cut apples into small dice. Coat in 1 tsp cinnamon. Bake for 30 minutes, or until apples are tender.
3. In a food processor, pulse walnuts and almonds until they are chopped, but stop before they turn into a powder. Empty food processor and reserve nuts for later.
4. Blend roasted apples, dates, salt, ground ginger, and rest of cinnamon until they form a paste.
5. Add in nuts and oats, and blend.
6. Form mixture into balls.
7. Roll in coconut flakes to coat.
8. Freeze for 2-4 hours for balls to set and keep in fridge until serving.

Just like my other energy bites, these are vegan, soy-free, gluten-free, and have zero added sugars.