Raw Oatmeal Cookie Energy Bites

I can't believe it's been so long since I've posted!  Feels like a lifetime ago.  In that time I've gone to Thailand, lost my camera (and my SD card), baked my way through Christmas, ate my way through Christmas, and changed jobs.  Needless to say it's been a busy few months!  The good news is that I've been baking like a crazy person and I have sooo many recipes to share.

Just to ease my way back I thought I'd start with something simple.  I've seen so many recipes out there for homemade lara bars I thought I'd give it a try.  My first attempt? ... yeah ... that was a disaster.  Grainy, oily, kind of hard.  The good news is that I've fixed it....and now it's awesome ... and SUPER easy.  These are a no-bake version of oatmeal cookies, and at about 50 calories per ball, it's easy to stick to your new years resolutions.

You can also make them gluten-free or paleo by removing the oats.

Ingredients (makes 16 bites)

1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup walnut halves (I used raw)
1/4 cup rolled oats
2 Tbsp unsweetened coconut (I used shredded)
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Step 1: Soak the Raisins
Place raisins in a bowl and add about 1 cup of water.  Let them sit for an hour or so.  This step is important because if your raisins are too dry you'll end up with a grainy mess that won't stick together.

Step 2: Grind the Walnuts
Place walnuts in a food processor and grind until grainy.  Not too long, you don't want walnut butter.

Step 3: Add the Oats, Coconut, and Cinnamon
Add rolled oats, coconut, and cinnamon to the food processor and give it a couple of pulses.

Step 4: Add the Raisins
When your raisins are nice and soft, drain the water out and add your raisins to the walnut mixture.  Pulse until it looks like dough.

Step 5: Form into balls
Form into balls about 3cm in diameter.  I used a 3cm ice cream scoop to portion out my bites.

Step 6:
Refrigerate.  You can eat them without refrigerating, but I like them a little cold, keeps them firmer.

Now get out there and make your own.