I don’t know about for you, but December is absolutely whizzing by for me. All my plans to decorate our house and make cookies and share sustainable gift ideas are getting pushed aside for other last minute year-end tasks. I blame the late Thanksgiving for making things particularly manic this year. While I still plan to share some delicious and sustainable holiday recipes, in the meantime I thought I’d share a quick and easy breakfast/snack idea that’s helping me save time in the mornings. Introducing: Apple Peanut Butter Bites.
Is there a better combination than apple + peanut butter? Sliced apples smothered in crunchy peanut butter have always been one of my favorite go-to snacks. I wanted to create something here that preserved that perfect flavor blend, while being easier to take on the go. And voila! These Apple Peanut Butter Bites were the perfect solution.
What Makes Apple Peanut Butter Bites Revolutionary?
1. Apple Season. We are coming to the end of apple season for much of the Northern Hemisphere. This is a great way to use up some of the remaining apples in your house and from your local farmers. If you are in the U.S., a great resource to see what is in season near you is https://www.seasonalfoodguide.org/.
2. Package Free. I have found these Apple Peanut Butter Bites to be a great alternative to the packaged protein and breakfast bars. Most energy and protein bar wrappers are not recyclable in city recycling programs, which means they go straight into our landfills. When we think about how common these meal replacement bars have become, that is a lot of trash! With these Apple Peanut Butter Bites, you can put them in your own reusable container and easily take them on the go. Patrick and I recently took some on our early morning flight to Seattle, and were grateful for the fresh, delicious option on our 6 a.m. flight.
3. Bulk Buying. I was able to buy almost every ingredient for this recipe without packaging. The apple came from the produce section and went straight into my reusable cloth shopping bag. My store has oats, flax, and dates in the bulk section, so these went straight into reusable produce bags and glass jars I brought from home. For the peanut butter, you can try to source a place near you that has freshly churned that you can put directly in your own jar. If you can’t find that, look for all natural peanut butter in glass jars. I clean and keep all glass jars for future use (like freezing Scrap Vegetable Broth), and I especially love the extra large peanut butter jars!
I hope these Apple Peanut Butter Bites help save you some time this holiday season. Enjoy!
Apple Peanut Butter Bites
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp flaxseeds ground
- 4-5 pitted medjool dates Soak your dates in warm water for 10 minutes if they're no longer soft/sticky, then drain well
- 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 apple diced
- 3 Tbsp peanut butter
Instructions
- Grind flax seeds in food processor or blender until most seeds have broken down.
- Add dates and pulse until dates are in small pieces. If your dates form a ball, smash the ball down a couple times and pulse again to ensure the pieces have been chopped.
- Add apple, oats, and peanut butter, and pulse until well-mixed. You don't need to blend everything until it is smooth – you want some small pieces remaining.
- Roll the balls in your hand a. If they are hard to handle, you can put the mixture in the fridge for 30 minutes first.
- Eat as is or set for 30 minutes in the fridge or freezer first, especially if you plan to take these on the go. Store in airtight container in fridge or freezer.
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