Eat like a bird with these bird food energy bites! Made with whole grain oats, nuts, seeds and dried fruit, these bites are a nutrient-rich treat perfect for on-the-go snacking. Vegan + gluten-free.
This summer while visiting Portland, Maine my friend Jenny introduced me to these oat based snack bites called granola bits which are made locally in Maine. They were the perfect road trip snack and after eating them I quickly realized that they were similar to a fruit and nut bar recipe I posted years ago, but better.
Naturally I decided to experiment in the kitchen upon returning home (after our 14 hour truck drive) and the result is this recipe.
Maria and I had fun brainstorming names for these little guys while recipe testing and we ultimately landed on “bird food energy bites.”
They legit look like those peanut butter pine cones coated in bird seed so it totally works. <– PS: If you’re looking for a fun craft to do with kids, here’s a DIY recipe for the bird seed pine cones. I remember making them at vacation bible school and sneaking bites of the peanut butter. Obviously my love for pb runs deep.
That said, I’m really hoping the title of this recipe doesn’t confuse more people into thinking my site is all about making food for pet birds OR even worse, humans eating bird seed. You guys, I’m not even kidding about this. You should see the google searches that lead people to my site…
Oh well, I’m just excited to finally have a fun treat that goes along with the EBF name because it took me waaaay too long to make this happen.
Over 9 years!
These bird food babies are loaded with whole grain oats, nuts, seeds and dried fruit so they offer a ton of nutrients and pack a lot of energy into one little bite. I used almonds and walnuts for the nuts, pepitas, sunflower and sesame for the seeds and some coconut flakes. And for the sticky base I used a mix of raisins and dates. This recipe is pretty customizable so feel free to play around with a different combo of nuts, seeds and dried fruit. I bet dried cranberries, apricots, fig and/or prunes will work great.
I know you’re going to love these energy bites because they’re easy peasy to whip up and one batch makes about 30 bites so you’ll have plenty on hand for snacking throughout the week. They’re perfect for kiddos and for anyone who is active throughout the day and needs a an extra boost of energy. I could also see them being a lovely treat to pack for a long bike ride or hike. Enjoy!
If you try these Bird Food Energy Bites please be sure to leave a comment and star rating below letting me know how they turn out. Your feedback is super helpful for the EBF team and other readers.
Made with whole grain oats, nuts, seeds and dried fruit, these healthy snack bites are a nutrient-rich treat perfect for on-the-go snacking. Vegan + gluten-free.
Ingredients
2 cups old fashioned oats
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup pepitas
1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
2 Tablespoons maple syrup or honey
1 Tablespoon sesame seeds
1 Tablespoon coconut oil, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/2 cups dates
1 1/2 cups raisins
Instructions
Add oats, almonds, walnuts, pepitas, coconut, sunflower seeds, maple/honey, sesame seeds, coconut oil, vanilla, cinnamon and sea salt in a large mixing bowl. Toss to combine.
Add dried fruit to a food processor with the chopping blade and process until the mixture is completely chopped and forms into a big, sticky ball.
Pull the dried fruit from the processor and break into small pieces. Add it to the bowl with the oat mixture and use a plastic spatula or your hands to combine everything together.
Once combined, form bites into small cookie shaped pucks (or roll into balls). Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment.
Enjoy right away or store in the fridge for later. Will last 1-2 weeks in the fridge or 1 month in the freezer.
Hi Brittany
I made this recipe but no matter how much I tried to get the dates to this consistency, I failed. These just would not stick together (I’ll admit we put chocolate chips instead of raisins.)
We added another lot of the coconut oil but the mixture was still completely dry.
In the end I cooked it slightly in a hot oven for 10 minutes. Bits hold together but even if we have to chase all the broken bits down, we’ve enjoyed it. I wanted to make it for a seliac friend but it wasn’t really neat enough to give away!
Cheers
Tarsha
Hey Tarsha – I’m so sorry to hear that. Sounds like your dates were hard/dry. If that’s the case you can soak them in warm water for 10-15 minutes to soften. Just drain them well before using. That should solve your problem – let me know if you try these again!
Hi Brittany,
I tried your Mexican quinoa casserole with sweet potatoes and black beans. Didn’t have black beans. Made it with cannelini beans. It was delicious. I will now try it with black beans. Thank you for that amazing recipte.
These didn’t stick together at all. I added more raisins, honey, almond butter – nothing made them stick. Looks like other comments had the same issue – I wish I had read them first.
I had read on another site to soak the dates in hot water if they weren’t super sticky then drain and use ~ well they sure did seem moist enough going in to the ninja food processor attachment … but they did not form a ball .. more of a sticky slurry. Not sure if they were too warm or if the ninja is too strong? The last time I used dates for almond joy protein balls, the mix was waaaay too dry. Trying to find the middle ground on moisture with these bars and balls ~ any hints?
Thanks much! Desert or monsoon dates!
The teenage tennis player LOVES these! I added some figs to the dried fruit mix as one of his favorites as well as chia seeds, hemp seeds and flax seeds (roasted and lightly sea salted for a little sweet/salty) without adding any additional salt. Soooo good!
I made these today and fell in love! I left out the raisins and instead of cutting the dates in small pieces, I used frozen date puree I had on hand, 1 heaping cup seemed like the perfect amount for everything to hold together nicely. So healthy! One cookie is just what you need for between meals cravings. Thank you!
Hah! I hadn’t even thought about some of the searches that lead people to your site. I bet that is interesting! These look like the perfect bird food bites!
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Hi Brittany
I made this recipe but no matter how much I tried to get the dates to this consistency, I failed. These just would not stick together (I’ll admit we put chocolate chips instead of raisins.)
We added another lot of the coconut oil but the mixture was still completely dry.
In the end I cooked it slightly in a hot oven for 10 minutes. Bits hold together but even if we have to chase all the broken bits down, we’ve enjoyed it. I wanted to make it for a seliac friend but it wasn’t really neat enough to give away!
Cheers
Tarsha
★★★
Hey Tarsha – I’m so sorry to hear that. Sounds like your dates were hard/dry. If that’s the case you can soak them in warm water for 10-15 minutes to soften. Just drain them well before using. That should solve your problem – let me know if you try these again!
Hi Brittany,
I tried your Mexican quinoa casserole with sweet potatoes and black beans. Didn’t have black beans. Made it with cannelini beans. It was delicious. I will now try it with black beans. Thank you for that amazing recipte.
Hey Caren – I’m so glad you enjoyed the quinoa casserole! Thanks for trying it!!
These didn’t stick together at all. I added more raisins, honey, almond butter – nothing made them stick. Looks like other comments had the same issue – I wish I had read them first.
★
I had read on another site to soak the dates in hot water if they weren’t super sticky then drain and use ~ well they sure did seem moist enough going in to the ninja food processor attachment … but they did not form a ball .. more of a sticky slurry. Not sure if they were too warm or if the ninja is too strong? The last time I used dates for almond joy protein balls, the mix was waaaay too dry. Trying to find the middle ground on moisture with these bars and balls ~ any hints?
Thanks much! Desert or monsoon dates!
The teenage tennis player LOVES these! I added some figs to the dried fruit mix as one of his favorites as well as chia seeds, hemp seeds and flax seeds (roasted and lightly sea salted for a little sweet/salty) without adding any additional salt. Soooo good!
★★★★
What if you don’t own a food processor?
to the person who asked if birds could eat these the answer is of course they can. my parrots already eat my homemade treats with nuts and fruit
I made these today and fell in love! I left out the raisins and instead of cutting the dates in small pieces, I used frozen date puree I had on hand, 1 heaping cup seemed like the perfect amount for everything to hold together nicely. So healthy! One cookie is just what you need for between meals cravings. Thank you!
Can birds actually eat this though?
I don’t think so. These are for human consumption.
This looks perfect. It’s like a improved version of granola bar. Suitable to carry everywhere and have it at anywhere I want.
any idea on how you could make this nut-free. i would love to send with kids to school, but they aren’t allowed any nuts.
Hah! I hadn’t even thought about some of the searches that lead people to your site. I bet that is interesting! These look like the perfect bird food bites!
YES!! So good. I keep buying them. I’ll make them soon!!! Thank you!
Yum, these sound like a great on the go snack.
Thanks Emily! They’re so tasty!!