An simple, raw, bite-sized, naturally sweetened snack suitable for the autumn season! The taste of apple pie without the hassle or sugar!

I’m obsessed with apple pie.

I really like it, and whenever I see it, I have to get at least one piece. It’s unavoidable. I don’t even need it warmed up or with ice cream (though it’s obviously much better with both), I simply need it.

Something about the mix of apples and gooey cinnamon sugar sweetness is irresistible to me. It’s not feasible. It’s not a talent I have.

But making apple pie is a pain

When it comes to Baking apple pie, though, I practically never make it. I always have lofty ideas to bake pie dough from scratch and then select a million apples to load it up nice and high so that it’s overflowing with goodness and smells absolutely fantastic.

Then I recall how much flour, butter, shortening, and sugar I need, and my stomach says, “Stop right there, young lady.”

Apple pie isn’t usually diet friendly

I have PCOS, and PCOS does not agree with, well, pretty much everything in apple pie. I simply shouldn’t eat it. And I KNOW I shouldn’t be eating it, so knowing how much labor goes into it, how much of each ingredient goes into it, and how long it will take makes it much easier to say no.

But if you come to my door with a hot apple pie in your hands, I’m going to take it from your hands and stuff it in my face, consequences be damned. If I’m feeling really kind, I may even allow you in to see me wreck it.

All the apple pie flavor, but easy and healthy!

That’s why I’ve made it my goal to develop methods for people to enjoy the taste of apple pie without the trouble and harmful levels of butter. My first successful venture into the area of healthier alternatives lead me to these apple pie energy bites.

I considered naming them apple pie energy balls, but I didn’t like it, so I changed it to apple pie bites, but then people may think I’m telling them that an apple pie is going to bite them, which is deceptive and bad.

You will not be bitten by them. I guarantee it. You don’t even have to bite them if you make them tiny enough!

That is not correct. I suppose I could claim you won’t need to bite into them since you can simply pop them in your mouth, but ultimately you will need to bite down and chew them because else you would choke, and I will be really unhappy that my apple pie energy bites killed you.

Don’t make me cry by chewing your meal.

Ingredients for apple pie energy bites

• 1 cup sliced dried apples This recipe calls for dried apples rather than fresh. You may easily dehydrate fresh apple slices on your own, but they must be dried for this recipe.
  Otherwise, it’ll taste like you’re making applesauce with large nut chunks, which isn’t what we’re going for. Except for the dates and vanilla essence, the majority of your ingredients will be dry.
• 12 pitted dates, or approximately 1 cup You want those dates to be pitted and moist, so if you take them out of their packaging and they feel a little dry, soak them in hot water for about 10 minutes. That’s where all the moisture and sweetness for these are going to come from!
• cupalmonds
• cupwalnuts,shelled
• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• a teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1 tsp salt
• Honey, maple syrup, or agave syrup (optional and as needed)
• Optional white chocolate

Dates are naturally sweet and have a somewhat caramel taste, so they are almost like healthy tiny balls of caramel apple pie. How can you possibly say no to that? That’s how you know.

Drizzle them with white chocolate if you want to dress them up and make them more of a dessert. I promise you won’t be sorry. It’s the ideal balance of sweetness and pleasure for me.

Do these taste just like apple pie? No way, no how. That’s some Willy Wonka magic I don’t (yet) have. Yet, the taste is similar, and the mildly cinnamon apple aroma gives me the warm fuzzies.

Storing apple pie energy bites

Prepare a batch, store them in an airtight container in the fridge, and pop one or two when you need a snack to escape the temptation of carb-heavy delicacies that start to overwhelm your workplace and home during the holidays.

Enjoy the pleasure of choosing a decent eating decision rather than stuffing your face with cheesy poofs.

Of course, I’ve never done anything like that before. Why do you inquire?