These simple-to-make S’mores Energy Bites are packed with protein and loaded with graham crackers, chocolate chips, and marshmallows! The perfect way to channel those s’mores cravings into something a little more nutritious! No baking required.
Next time, try our original Energy Bites or some of our other favorites — Chocolate Energy Bites, Oatmeal Energy Balls, or these Protein Breakfast Cookies.
S’mores Energy Bites
My family is obsessed with s’mores — it’s one of our favorite treats to make together during the summer. In an attempt to curb the s’mores cravings on those days when we don’t have our fire pit going (and we want a little less sugar!), these S’mores Energy Bites come in handy!
They’re soft and chewy, totally tasty, and loaded with all the yummy s’mores goodies! If you’re looking to make these energy bites as nutritious as possible, I’ll share how to add protein powder instead of graham crackers.
S’mores Energy Bites Ingredients
- Old-fashioned oats. Make sure to get rolled (old-fashioned oats), not quick oats or steel-cut oats — these types won’t work the same in this recipe.
- Cashew butter. Cashew butter varies quite a bit from jar to jar. I like to get cashew butter that is salted and tasty straight out of the jar. Make sure you enjoy the flavor of the cashew butter by itself — this will be a major flavor in these s’mores energy bites. If using a no-stir/natural cashew butter, give it a good stir before measuring out a cup. See “quick tip” below.
- Salt. Depending on the cashew butter used, you may want to adjust how much salt you add. If you’re using cashew butter with no salt added, you may want to add a touch more salt to the mixture. On the flip side, if you’re using salty cashew butter or are sensitive to salt, cut back on the salt.
- Vanilla extract. The vanilla is what gives these bites a dessert-like s’mores flavor. I recommend real, pure vanilla extract and not fake imitation vanilla — here’s the difference.
QUICK TIP
We tested these energy bites with peanut butter as well and they are very tasty, but the flavor is definitely overwhelmingly peanut butter. The cashew butter is more subtle and yields more of a s’mores flavor.
S’mores Energy Bite Ingredients, Continued
- Honey graham crackers. The graham crackers go in the actual dough AND the bites get rolled in the crumbs — yum! If you’d prefer to keep these energy bites more nutritious and protein packed, replace the 1/3 cup of crushed graham crackers with vanilla protein powder. Some brands even sell S’mores flavored protein powders you could use here!
- Miniature chocolate chips. If you want to keep these S’mores Energy Bites as nutritious as possible, use dark chocolate miniature chocolate chips. (Dark chocolate has antioxidants and other healthful properties.)
- Dehydrated marshmallows. Dehydrated marshmallows are dried marshmallows (sometimes called “mallow bits“). They are hard, crunchy, dried marshmallows (like the marshmallow bits in Lucky Charms® cereal). Find them near hot chocolate mixes in the grocery store or purchase online. We love the crunch of these! Unfortunately, regular miniature marshmallows won’t work the same — they’ll be too big and will harden too quickly in these bites. If you can’t get the dehydrated marshmallows, leave out the marshmallows altogether or replace them with more chocolate chips.
Tools
S’mores Energy Bites are so simple to make, especially with the right tools! Here’s what I use to make these:
- Large food processor: I use a 12-cup food processor. It breaks the ingredients down in seconds! Here’s the exact food processor I use.
- A cookie scoop: With a good cookie scoop, you can scoop the dough and place it on a plate instead of rolling individual balls. Alternatively, a 1-tablespoon measuring spoon works nicely here!
QUICK TIP
In this recipe we use whole graham crackers. Just to be clear, that means 1 large rectangular sheet or 2 squares or 4 small rectangular pieces. One whole graham cracker weighs about 1 ounce, if you have a scale handy.
S’mores Energy Bite Tips
- Allow time for the oats to absorb the liquid. At first, the mixture may seem too moist. After they sit for a bit, though, they firm up as the oats absorb the honey and cashew butter.
- Add a bit more oats or a bit more cashew butter if needed. Since individual ingredients can vary quite a bit (especially cashew butter), the mixture may be too wet and sticky (and not rolling nicely into a ball). If so, add a touch more oats and re-pulse everything. If the mixture is too dry (and crumbling), add a bit more cashew butter and/or honey and pulse the mixture again.
- Promptly roll in graham cracker crumbs. If you form the energy bites and then let them stand for a bit before rolling, the crumbs won’t adhere because the balls have dried and set up enough to make them resist the addition.
QUICK TIP
Honey measuring hack! Who else hates how difficult it is to get honey from measuring cup to bowl?! Try this: lightly spritz the measuring cup with nonstick cooking spray and then add the honey. Watch as it glides nicely (and cleanly) in!
Storage
We typically enjoy a few of these S’mores Energy Bites right as we make them. Then we’ll store some in the fridge to eat throughout the week and typically freeze the rest (if there are leftovers, that is!).
To freeze: Space the energy bites on a lined plate or tray in the freezer. Once firm (about 1-2 hours), transfer to an airtight bag or freezer container. They’ll last up to 6 months in the freezer.
To thaw: Simply pull one out and let it stand for about 15-30 minutes. You could also pop them in the microwave for 10-15 seconds. (When they are completely frozen they are very hard to eat, but don’t feel like you need to completely thaw them before eating — we enjoy them still a bit frozen– they’re delicious that way!)
More nutritious snack recipes
S’mores Energy Bites
These simple-to-make S’mores Energy Bites are packed with protein and loaded with graham crackers, chocolate chips, and marshmallows! The perfect way to channel those s’mores cravings into something a little more nutritious! No baking required.
S’mores Energy Bites
These simple-to-make S’mores Energy Bites are packed with protein and loaded with graham crackers, chocolate chips, and marshmallows! The perfect way to channel those s’mores cravings into something a little more nutritious! No baking required.
Ingredients
- 5 whole honey graham crackers, divided use OR use protein powder — see Note 1
- 2 cups (190g) old-fashioned oats
- 1 cup (248g) salted cashew butter Note 2
- 1/2 cup (160g) honey
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt Note 3
- 1/3 cup (56g) miniature chocolate chips
- 1/3 cup (14g) dehydrated marshmallows Note 4
Instructions
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GRAHAM CRACKERS: Coarsely break the graham crackers into a large food processor (I use a 12-cup) fitted with the blade. Pulse to coarsely chop the crackers — we want some slightly larger pieces. Transfer all of the crushed graham crackers into a shallow bowl or container. From that container, measure out 1/3 cup (30g) of the graham crackers and place back into the food processor with the 2 cups old-fashioned oats. Or use 1/3 cup protein powder instead of graham cracker crumbs. (See Note 1.)
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ADD REMAINING INGREDIENTS: To the food processor with the oats and crumbs, add in the 1 cup cashew butter, 1/2 cup honey (if you spray the measuring cup with nonstick spray before adding the honey in, it will slide out nicely!), 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Pulse mixture until ingredients are finely chopped and well incorporated into a thick dough. If the mixture is too dry and crumbly, add a touch more cashew butter and/or honey. If it is too wet (keep in mind that oats continue to absorb liquid and thicken), add a bit more oats and re-pulse.
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ADD CHOCOLATE CHIPS AND MARSHMALLOWS: Use a spatula to scrape all the mixture from the food processor into a large bowl. Add the chocolate chips and dehydrated marshmallows. Mix or knead with hands to incorporate these add-ins.
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ROLL: Use a 1-tablespoon measuring spoon or 1-1/2 tablespoon cookie scoop to portion out the balls and then tightly roll into balls. Right after rolling into a ball, roll in the reserved graham cracker crumbs. (If you wait too long before rolling, the crumbs won’t adhere nicely.) Once rolled, place in the fridge to firm up and then transfer to an airtight container. Store in the fridge for 1-2 weeks or freeze (see next step).
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FREEZE: To freeze, space the energy balls on a lined plate or tray in the freezer. Once firm (about 1-2 hours), transfer to an airtight bag or freezer container. They’ll last up to 6 months in the freezer. To thaw: Simply pull one out and let it stand for about 15-30 minutes. You could also pop them in the microwave for 10-15 seconds. When these bites are completely frozen, they are very hard to eat, but don’t feel like you need to completely thaw them before eating — we enjoy them still a bit frozen. They’re delicious that way!
Recipe Notes
In this recipe, we use whole graham crackers. Just to be clear, that means 1 large rectangular sheet or 2 squares or 4 small rectangular pieces. One whole graham cracker weighs about 1 ounce, if you have a scale handy.
Note 2: Cashew butter: Cashew butter varies quite a bit from jar to jar. I like to get a cashew butter that is salted and tasty straight out of the jar. Make sure you enjoy the flavor of the cashew butter by itself — this will be a major flavor in these s’mores energy bites. If using a no-stir/natural cashew butter, give it a good stir before measuring out a cup. We’ve tested these with peanut butter as well; while tasty, they taste more peanut butter-focused than s’mores flavored.
Note 3: Depending on the cashew butter used, you may want to adjust how much salt you add. If you’re using cashew butter with no salt added, you may want to add a touch more salt to the mixture. On the flip side, if you’re using salty cashew butter or are sensitive to salt, cut back on the salt.
Note 4: Dehydrated marshmallows are dried marshmallows (sometimes called “mallow bits“). They are hard, crunchy, dried marshmallows (think the marshmallow bits in Lucky Charms cereal). Find them near hot chocolate mixes in the grocery store or purchased online. We love the crunch of these! Unfortunately, regular miniature marshmallows won’t work the same — they’ll be too big and will harden too quickly in these s’mores energy bites. If you can’t get the dehydrated marshmallows, leave out marshmallows altogether or replace with more chocolate chips.
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 111kcal | Carbohydrates: 13.2g | Protein: 2.8g | Fat: 5.6g | Sodium: 18.9mg | Fiber: 1.7g | Sugar: 7.3g
We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed.
