German Chocolate Energy Bites
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Published Jul 17, 2017, Updated Aug 29, 2021
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These German chocolate energy bites pack all the flavors you love from German chocolate cake into a wholesome, naturally sweetened snack! You’ll love the coconut, chocolate and pecan combo. Vegan and gluten-free. Sponsored by the American Pecan Council.
I have a TON of nutritious energy bite/ball recipes here on EBF, but I realized recently that my collection was seriously lacking in the chocolate department. There are a few with chocolate chips, but none will full-on chocolate flavor. Why? I have no clue! But it’s changing today so all my chocolate lovers can rejoice.
These German chocolate energy bites are loaded with all the flavor you’d expected from German chocolate cake — rich chocolate, buttery pecans and coconut — but in the form of a nutrient-dense snack.
Pecan Health Benefits
I know most of you are familiar with pecans and probably use them often in your kitchen, perhaps as a salad topper, in oatmeal or for special treats like pecan pie, but they’re quite a nutritional powerhouse and an awesome nut to have on hand for everyday cooking! Here’s why:
- A handful of pecans – about 19 halves – is a good source of fiber, thiamin, and zinc, and an excellent source of copper and manganese – a mineral that’s essential for metabolism and bone health.
- In each 1-ounce serving you’ll get 12 grams of “good” monounsaturated fat, with zero cholesterol or sodium. Compared to other nuts, pecans are among the lowest in carbs (4 grams) and highest in dietary fiber (3 grams) per serving.
- The unique mix of unsaturated fats, plant sterols, fiber and flavonoids all add up to make pecans a superfood.
One more fun fact about pecans — they’re the only tree nut that’s indigenous to North America, and most are grown in 15 southern states. I honestly never really thought about where pecans were grown before, but now it makes so much sense as to why pecans are such a big part of Southern cuisine.
I’ve been eating these German chocolate energy bites almost daily as a pre-workout snack and I’m hooked on the flavor. I hope you love them as much as we do!
A Few Helpful Tips for Making These Bites
- the original recipe calls for 1/4 cup of protein powder, but you can sub 1/4 cup more cacao powder if you don’t have chocolate protein powder on hand or prefer not to use it.
- toasting the shredded coconut is optional, but totally worth it if you want that roasted coconut flavor.
- the bites are absolutely delicious with mini chocolate chips tossed in. Once you have the dough processed, add about 3 Tablespoons and pulse a few more times to combine, then roll into balls. I like using the Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips.
More Energy Bites and Balls You Might Like
- No Bake Protein Balls
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Balls
- Coconut Protein Balls
- Cranberry Energy Bites
- Cherry Energy Balls
- Blueberry Muffin Energy Balls
- Bird Food Energy Bites
- Peanut Butter & Jelly Protein Bites
If you make these German chocolate energy bites, please be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Your feedback is super helpful for the EBF team and other readers who are thinking about making the recipe.
German Chocolate Energy Bites
Ingredients
- 10 pitted medjool dates, about 1 cup
- 1 cup raw pecans
- 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1/4 cup chocolate protein powder
- 2 Tablespoons cacao or cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, optional
- pinch of sea salt
Instructions
- Toast coconut if you’d like: Preheat oven to 350°F, spread shredded coconut onto a baking sheet and bake for 5-8 minutes or until coconut is golden in color. Be sure to watch the coconut closely because it has the tendency to burn easily. Let cool.
- Place all ingredients (dates, pecans, coconut, protein powder, cacao powder and oats) in a food processor and pulse until everything is combined and pecans are the size of crumb.
- Add vanilla and sea salt and pulse once more. If the dough seems a little dry, add a little water, one 1 teaspoon at a time. Scoop dough from food processor and form into small balls using your hands. Place balls into a sealed storage container. The bites will keep in the fridge for about a week or in the freezer for 1-2 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Thank you to the American Pecan Council for sponsoring this post. If you want to learn more about pecans or find additional recipes, check out the American Pecan Council website.
Made this about a week ago, did not have pecans so I substituted almonds. Found it a little hard to get the consistency just right to make them all into balls, but no worries though, I used what was left as a topping for my oatmeal. French toast and even pancakes and ice cream.
Really good! The flavors go so well together and so easy to make, I love the pecans in them!
Yay!! So glad you loved these energy bites, Sara. Thanks for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I so appreciate it! <3
What a great recipe! Cocoa, pecans and coconut, all my favorites. Thanks for sharing!
So glad you enjoyed this recipe! Thanks for trying it and for coming back to leave a comment and star rating. I so appreciate it!
I made these for my husband who loves German Chocolate. He has a terribly rough schedule and is 56yrs old and needs a little help with energy and these were just the thing to do the job.
I’m so glad these energy bites were a hit, Lynn! Thanks for trying it and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I so appreciate it!
These are fantastic! I love the flavors of German Chocolate cake and these healthier alternative capture it well. I’ve just discovered making my own protein balls and these will definitely be included in future rotations!
Woo!! So pumped these german chocolate energy bites were a hit, Julia! Thanks for trying them out and coming back to leave a review. I really appreciate it!