Krusteaz Chocolate Chip Oat Energy Balls Review
These No-Bake Chocolate Chip Energizing Oat Balls Are My New Favourite Workday Snack
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Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Sam Brodsky
I'm not a baker — I'm just not. But, I've always wanted to have energy balls to snack on during the workday. So, when Krusteaz sent me their chocolate chip energizing oat mix, I was excited to find out about two things: the chocolate and the no-baking aspect. I've had Krusteaz's protein pancakes before, and though they make for a great breakfast, the fact that I wouldn't need to touch a stovetop for the oat bites was a plus.
The box instructs you to combine the mix, which has whole grain oats, semi-sweet chocolate chips, ground flaxseeds, and chia seeds, with three tablespoons of honey or other sweetener (I used honey), two-thirds of a cup of nut butter (I used peanut butter and probably closer to one cup), and five tablespoons of a liquid (I used water). I formed the mixture into balls and — voila! — after letting sit in the fridge for 20 minutes, they were ready for tasting.
For some reason, the aftertaste almost resembles hot chocolate on my tongue — it might be the combination of hearty oats, rich peanut butter, and chocolate chips. You might not agree, but I promise you your tastebuds will be happy. The seeds give them a good texture, and the sweetness is just right. Of course, depending on what ingredients you combine with the mix, your bites will taste a little different.
I kept half of the bites in the freezer and half in my refrigerator, transferring the frozen ones into the fridge once I finished eating the first batch. According to the box, they will last stored up to a week. Prepared with peanut butter, honey, and water, four bites equal to an estimated eight grams of protein, 320 calories, and 32 grams of carbs. I usually have two at a time, which amounts to four grams of protein, so it isn't up to par with having a full protein bar, but it's still a snack with simple ingredients that tastes great.
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Sam Brodsky
A quick note: the last item on the ingredient list is coffee, though there is no information about caffeine content in the nutrition facts. For health reasons — interstitial cystitis to be exact — I've cut caffeine out of my diet. Whenever I do have caffeine, I experience pelvic and bladder pain in the form of a flareup, but eating these bites didn't do me any harm. A spokesperson told me that very little caffeine is expected to be in the Krusteaz mix given the fact that it isn't listed in the nutrition info. That being said, if you cannot have caffeine for health reasons of your own, you may want to try Krusteaz's other current kind of energy bites that does not have coffee in its ingredients: cinnamon oat.
You can buy the Chocolate Chip Energizing Oat Bite Mix ($36 for eight boxes) on Amazon, or you can test out Krusteaz's cinnamon oat option for yourself. My favourite part is the fact that I have a pre-made snack during my busy workday. Oh, and also that I didn't have to turn on my oven.
