Healthy Apple Pie Snack Bites are So Great We Bet You Won't Eat Just One

With a tasty blend of fruit, oats and family-favourite spices, these protein-packed snacks are great for a breakfast booster, snack on the go, or to enhance the nutritional quotient of anyone’s lunchbox. Best of all, they’re no-bake, so they’re easy and quick to prepare and you can tuck a big batch in the freezer. Why not fuel those busy days with a homemade, healthy snack that offers protein and fibre with just a touch of sweetness?

These yummy bites really do taste as delicious as apple pie, and are so much better for you and your family than reaching for packaged, processed foods.

Healthy Apple Pie Snack Bites

Ingredients:

1/4 cup (60 mL) almond, cashew or soy butter
1/2 teaspoon (2.5 mL) vanilla extract
3 tablespoons (45 mL) honey
1 teaspoon (5 mL) ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon (2.5 mL) powdered ginger
1/4 teaspoon (1.25 mL) salt
3/4 cup (175 mL) quick-cooking (not instant) rolled oats
1 tablespoon (15 mL) chopped cashews, walnuts or pecans
1 tablespoon (15 mL) finely chopped dried cranberries
1 tablespoon (15 mL) finely chopped pitted dates
1/4 cup (60 mL) finely chopped dried apple

Directions:

• Put nut or soy butter in a medium-sized bowl. Add vanilla, honey, cinnamon, ginger and salt and stir to blend well.
   
• Add oats, nuts, cranberries, dates and dried apple to the same bowl. 
   
• With a spoon or your hands, blend the mixture until the oats are fully incorporated.
   
• Form the mixture into 12 balls, each about 1 inch / 2.5 cm in size. If the mixture seems too dry to easily stick together, add a teaspoon of honey and a tablespoon of nut or soy butter (different brands of oats can affect the dryness of the mixture).
   
• Transfer to an airtight container or freezer-grade food storage bag and store in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 6 months. 

Makes 1 dozen energy bites; recipe can easily be multiplied.

IMAGES SOURCE: COURTESY OF PAULA ROY

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