Birthdays are a cause for celebration…and sweets. But even if it’s not your special day, you can enjoy these no-bake birthday cake energy bites made with wholesome ingredients like oats, cashew butter, flax, and maple syrup. And sprinkles? They’re always a good idea whether it’s your birthday or not!
Birthday Cake Energy Bites Make Every Day a Bit More Fun
Who couldn’t use a little more fun? Or a healthy snack? Thankfully these energy bites are easy to make and require zero baking. Just a little mixing, stirring, and sprinkling.
We’ve added colorful sprinkles to give these birthday cake cookie dough bites a celebratory feel. The combination of creamy cashew butter and almond extract gives them a flavor reminiscent of birthday cake!
We like to keep a stash of energy bites in the fridge for an easy pre- or post-workout snack, after school treat, a tasty bite out on the trails, or in our case, to celebrate our 5-year ‘blog-iversary’. It’s hard to believe that we’ve been here creating this space for five years now!
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No-Bake Birthday Cake Energy Bites Ingredients
- Rolled Oats – These are often referred to as ‘old-fashioned oats‘. If all you have on hand are quick oats, you can skip the step where you pulse the oats in the food processor but you may need to add more water to get them to stick together. You can use gluten-free oats to make these energy bites gluten-free.
- Flaxseed Meal – Also known as flax meal or ground flaxseeds. Flaxseed meal is available in ‘golden’ and regular and can be used interchangeably.
- Chia Seeds
- Cashew Butter – Creamy almond butter can be substituted for cashew butter but it will have less of a cake flavor.
- Maple Syrup
- Vanilla
- Almond Extract – Almond extract gives these no-bake energy cake bites that cake-y flavor that says, ‘birthday cake’ but you can use more vanilla.
- Rainbow Sprinkles – We love these naturally-colored sprinkles. They make everything from pancakes to cupcakes and hot cocoa way more fun.
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How to Make No-Bake Energy Bites
Step 1: Add the oats to a food processor or blender. Pulse 10-15 times until some of the oats are broken into very small pieces and others remain relatively intact. If using quick oats, you can skip this step.
Step 2: Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl and mix to combine.
Step 3: With slightly damp hands, roll the dough into balls using about 2 Tbsp of dough per bite. If the bites do not stick together, add 2-3 Tbsp of water (1 Tbsp at a time) and stir until dough sticks together when formed into a ball.
Step 4: Lightly press the remaining sprinkles into the tops of the energy bites.
Step 5: Store energy bites in a covered container on the counter for up to 3 days, in the fridge for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Can I use a blender instead of a food processor to make energy bites?
Yes, you can! If you don’t have a food processor you can add the oats to a blender and pulse them several times until half of them are broken down into smaller pieces and half of them are still whole.
Can I add protein powder to my energy bites?
We often use unflavored collagen peptides but if you want to keep them vegan or plant-based, you’ll want to use an unflavored or vanilla plant-based protein.
If adding protein powder or collagen, you may need to add a little more water to get the energy bites to stick together. A good rule of thumb is to start with a little and add more as you need to.
How to Store No-Bake Energy Bites
These No-Bake Birthday Cake Energy Bites can be stored in a tightly covered container at room temperature for up to 3 days, in the fridge for up to 1 week, and in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Other Energy Bites You Might Like
- Sweet & Salty Peanut Butter Bites
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Energy Bites
- 4-Ingredient PB & J Bites
- Dark Chocolate Cherry Energy Bites
- Paleo Almond Joy Protein Bites
Birthday Cake Energy Bites (No-Bake)
These no-bake energy bites are the perfect little snack or treat when you’re in the mood for cake…but not the sugar crash that often follows.
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups rolled oats
- ¼ cup flaxseed meal
- 1 Tbsp. chia seeds
- 1 cup creamy cashew butter
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla
- ¾ tsp almond extract
- ⅓ cup sprinkles, divided (add ¼ cup to the dough and use the rest for the tops)
- 2–3 Tbsp. water
Instructions
- Add the oats to a food processor or blender. Pulse 10-15 times until some of the oats are broken into very small pieces and others remain relatively intact.
- Add all of the ingredients to a bowl. Mix well to combine with a large spoon.
- With slightly damp hands, roll the dough into balls using about 2 Tbsp of dough per bite. If the bites do not stick together, add 2-3 Tbsp of water (1 Tbsp at a time) and stir until dough sticks together when formed into a ball.
- Lightly press the remaining sprinkles into the tops of the energy bites.
- Store in a covered container on the counter for up to 3 days, in the fridge for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
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Nutrition Information
- Serving Size: 1 Energy Bite
- Calories: 135
- Fat: 9g
- (Sat Fat: 1g)
- Sodium: 30mg
- Carbohydrate: 13g
- (Fiber: 2g
- Sugar: 4g)
- Protein: 3g
Dietary
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These look delicious! Thank you for sharing 🙂 The link for sprinkles goes to Thrive Market for Almond Extract. Would you mind please to update the sprinkle link? Thanks kindly!
It’s fixed!
These were beyond delicious. I made them as written. I did make my own cashew butter to save money since the jars are expensive. The flavor is addictive and really has that “birthday cake” taste.
You’re right about cashew butter being on the expensive side. I get mine at Trader Joe’s where it’s pretty reasonable but making your own at home is such a great idea and so easy.
I know it may affect the overall flavor, but could I sub sunbutter for the cashew butter? I would love to make these to pack as a treat in my son’s lunchbox, but his preschool is a peanut- and tree nut-free facility.
Hi Liz, absolutely, you can use sun butter in place of the cashew butter in this recipe