Dark Chocolate and Cherry Peanut Butter Oat Bites

Dark chocolate and cherry peanut butter oat bites make the perfect snack!

These crunchy little morsels are perfectly sweetened with dark chocolate and dried cherries.

Dark Chocolate and Cherry Peanut Butter Oat Bites | MomOnTimeout.com

Tomorrow Reece competes in his first swim meet. It’s actually just his team but it’s set up like a real swim meet and gives us new “swim parents” a chance to see how it’s gonna all go down at the first “official” meet in two weeks. (Apparently I’m loving the quotations today…} Check-in is at 6:45…in the morning. Have I ever told you how I’m not a morning person? No? Yeah. I’m not. Also not a night person either. This girl likes her sleep 🙂

Anyhoo, this is very serious business around here and Reece is crazy nervous no matter how many times I tell him he just needs to do his best. Chris is super excited – he’s a stroke and turn judge and will be working a double shift tomorrow. He grew up swimming so this is like a homecoming for him. I’m just hoping it’s not too hot!

Dark Chocolate and Cherry Peanut Butter Oat Bites | MomOnTimeout.com

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I was informed (by Chris) that I would need to have an ice chest packed. Snacks, breakfast, drinks, etc. I take that very seriously as well 🙂 I’m packing up some breakfast burritos and bringing lots of easy to eat snacks that Reece can take on the run as he will doubtfully be sitting in our tent the entire three hours. Quick bites for Chris are ideal as well. I’m gonna be his personal food runner I guess 🙂

Dark Chocolate and Cherry Peanut Butter Oat Bites | MomOnTimeout.com

I made up these little bites for the meet and the boys didn’t seem to understand that would require that they not eat ALL of them. I hid them. Dark, bittersweet chocolate and dried cherries contribute a nice amount of antioxidants to these sweet little bites. Peanut butter, oats, and rice crispy cereal make them both crunchy and filling. Kind of perfect huh?

oat-bites-collage

I rolled the balls in chopped peanuts but you could also roll them in crushed corn flakes or a different type of nut. It’s really important to squish the mixture well before forming into a ball. Don’t be too gentle or the balls will just fall apart. You can make these any size you choose. Smaller actually works better for the little ones.

Dark Chocolate Cherry Peanut Butter Oat Bites

Dark chocolate and cherry peanut butter oat bites make the perfect snack!

Course Appetizer Cuisine American Keyword dark chocolate cherry peanut butter oat bites Prep Time 10 Cook Time 5 Total Time 15 Servings Calories 145kcal Author Trish - Mom On Timeout

Ingredients

2 tbsp unsalted butter
2/3 cup creamy peanut butter I used Skippy Natural
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp honey
1 cup quick oats
1 1/2 cups crispy rice cereal
1/3 cup dried cherries chopped OR cherry flavored dried cranberries
1/3 cup bittersweet chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips or pieces - chopped
1/4 cup dry-roasted peanuts finely chopped

Instructions

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat.
Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter, sugar, vanilla, honey oats, and rice cereal.
Let mixture cool for about 20 minutes. (Don't want the chocolate to melt.)
Stir in cherries and chocolate chips.
With a heaping tablespoon of mixture, form into balls pressing firmly to keep balls together.
Roll balls in chopped peanuts, pressing lightly to coat.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Notes: I used my food processor to chop the peanuts. Just pulse until they reach the desired consistency.
Yields 18 balls.