Apricot Energy Bites with Everything but the Kitchen Sink

It was hard to land on a name for these apricot energy bites, because they have so many different flavors in them. Cranberries, ginger, carrots, coconut, and more complement the anchor fruit. But we do have an option for making them even more apricot forward, if you like. Either way, they’re a tasty source of vitamin A, vitamin E, and other antioxidants and energizing nutrients. They even boast dairy free probiotics!

Add Variety to your Snack Routine with these Apricot Energy Bites

This recipe was an entry in the Snackable Recipe Contest that we co-hosted with so delicious many years ago. It was submitted by Roxanne Chan. She originally called them Summer Sunshine Snack Truffles for their sunny hue and bright taste. We’ve updated her recipe a bit for clarity, and have some tips in the FAQ’s below.

Can I take these Apricot Energy Bites on a Hike or for Travel?

Since they contain dairy-free yogurt and fresh carrots, I don’t recommend having them out of the fridge for more than 2 hours. If you want energy bites that travel well, omit the carrot and substitute nut or seed butter for the yogurt. You might need to add a little more nut butter or seed butter, or dried fruit, for enough moisture. Cashew butter, almond butter, or sunflower seed butter would be delicious. Peanut butter is also a good option.

Can I Freeze Them?

Technically, they will freeze fine. But any live active cultures in the dairy free yogurt might not survive freezing. It’s best to keep them in the refrigerator.

How can Increase the Protein in these Energy Bites?

You can add a tablespoon or two of dairy free protein powder, if you like. If the mixture is too dry, you can add a little more dairy free yogurt to get the right texture.

Are these a Good Source of Calcium?

Because these apricot energy balls are made with an array of whole foods, they naturally contain a range of vitamins and minerals, including calcium. But I wouldn’t call them high in calcium. If you need a more calcium, you can add calcium citrate powder to the mixture before rolling it into balls. You also might try my Molasses Protein Balls Recipe, which are high in dairy-free calcium.

What Dairy-Free Yogurt do you Recommend?

Roxanne used So Delicious Vanilla Coconut Milk Yogurt. It’s a great option that’s affordable and readily available at many grocery stores. If you prefer less sugar, you can use their unsweetened vanilla variety or even their plain unsweetened variety. But this will make the apricot energy bites a little less sweet. That all said, your favorite dairy free yogurt brand should work just fine. See our Best Dairy Free Yogurt Guide for our top picks.

Can you Recommend a Nut Free Option?

I would omit the almonds and increase the sunflower seeds to 1/2 cup for nut-free apricot energy bites. Or I would use another seed in place of the almonds, like pumpkin seeds or hemp seeds.

Do you have a Coconut-Free Option?

You can substitute any nut or seed for the coconut. You could even substitute toasted oats for the coconut. And for the yogurt, I would personally use a nut-based yogurt, like Forager, or Silk Soy Yogurt for nut free. Keep in mind that most oat yogurts are made with coconut oil.

Special Diet Notes: Apricot Energy Bites

By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, gluten-free, grain-free, peanut-free, soy-free, vegan, plant-based, and vegetarian.

Roxanne Chan

Dairy-Free Apricot Energy Bites

5 from 1 vote

These treat-like snacks roll sweet, savory, crunchy, chewy, and nutritious up into two-bite balls. They're great for quick energy as is, but I have more options in the post above.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Servings: 24 energy bites

Course: Snack

Cuisine: American

Calories: 51

Ingredients Method Nutrition Notes

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x?

• ¼ cup chopped dried apricots
• ¼ cup dried cranberries
• ¼ cup shredded carrot
• ¼ cup toasted almonds
• ¼ cup sunflower seeds
• ¼ cup unsweetened coconut flakes
• ¼ cup chopped crystallized ginger
• ¼ cup vanilla dairy-free yogurt
• 4 medjool dates pitted and chopped
• Unsweetened shredded coconut or almond meal optional

Method

 

1. Put the apricots, cranberries, carrot, almonds, sunflower seeds, coconut flakes, ginger, dairy free yogurt, and dates in a food processor. Pulse to coarsely chop and then blend until the ingredients combine to form a dough that is still a bit chunky.
2. Scoop the mixture by the heaping tablespoon, and form it into 24 balls. If the bites seem a little sticky, you can roll them in the shredded coconut or almond meal to coat.
3. Store the energy bites in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, and snack on them when hunger strikes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1ballCalories: 51kcalCarbohydrates: 6.9gProtein: 0.9gFat: 2.6gSaturated Fat: 0.9gSodium: 8mgFiber: 0.9gSugar: 5g

Notes

Fruit Note: If you want more apricot flavor, you can substitute more apricots for the cranberries or medjool dates. Or if you weren’t a fan of ginger, use more apricot in place of the crystallized ginger.

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Also try these Chocolate Cherry Pecan Energy Bites!