Pre-Workout Potato Energy Bites Recipe -- A healthy and portable snack made with simple ingredients, and no refined sugars!
By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by Potatoes USA and am eligible to win prizes associated with the contest. I was not compensated for my time.
There's plenty of energy bars, bites, and the like out there, all claiming to be the best. With the amount of sugar and $$$ some of them pack in, they better take me straight from Planet Fitness to the Olympics I tell ya what.
Why not get some all natural pre-SWOLL fuel with foods you already have living in your pantry?!
The humble little potato provides the carbohydrate, potassium, and energy you need to perform at your best. This makes them perfect pre or post workout fuel.
One of my favorite nutrition myth buster is actually that potatoes have more potassium than bananas who get all the credit.
So I thought hey, why not put them into a portable form that's a little less awkward to eat on the go than digging into a baked potato on your way to the gym.
What makes this potato energy bites recipe delicious and healthy
- rolled oats
- chia seeds
- ground flax
- pumpkin seeds
- dried cherries
- cinnamon
- cooked russet potato
- natural peanut butter
- vanilla
- maple syrup
How to make these potato energy balls
In a large mixing bowl, add 1 cup of rolled oats, 1 tablespoon chia seeds, 1 tablespoon of ground flax, 1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds, ½ cup of dried cherries, and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. Stir until combined.
In a separate bowl, mash together ¾ cup of cooked russet potato (about ½ large potato-worth), 3 tablespoons natural peanut butter (the runny kind), 1 teaspoon of vanilla, and ¼ cup of maple syrup. Stir into the oat mixture until dough is formed.
Roll into 12 balls, and store in refrigerator for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
The recommendation for pre-workout fuel is actually 68 grams of carbs + 10 grams protein and <10% of calories from fat an hour before exercising.
Each of these bites has about 17 grams of carbs, 3 grams of protein, and 3 grams of fat, so pairing a couple of these with one of those infamous bananas or a piece of fruit will get you close to the recommendation for pre-workout fuel.
I added some dried cherries to the mix too, which are better for post-workout muscle recovery, but hey a little before can't hurt either right?!
Pro Tips
- I love keeping stocked in my freezer, and adding to my lunch. That way by the time I'm ready for a snack, they're perfectly thawed!
- Swap out the seeds and dried cherries for you favorite seeds and dried fruit.
FAQS
How long do these energy ball last?
They're best kept in the refrigerator or freezer. They keep for about 1 week in the refrigerator, and 1 month in the freezer if kept in an air-tight container.
Can I make these without peanut butter?
I would definitely use some kind of nut or seed butter to make these, but you can swap out for sunflower, almond, or your favorite nut butter instead.
Money-Saving Tips for this Potato Energy Bites Recipe
Buy in bulk. Purchase items you use often like oats, cinnamon, potatoes, or seeds in larger sizes for a more cost-effective option.
Utilize store brands. Use store brands for items like peanut butter, oats, and cinnamon for a more affordable option, that doesn't sacrifice flavor or quality.
more healthy snack recipes:
Customizable No-Bake Energy Bites
Sweet & Savory Granola Bars
No-Bake Hummus Energy Bites
Did you make this recipe? Leave me a comment and a rating to let me know how they came out!
Pin this to your Snacks board!
Print
Pre-Workout Potato Energy Bites
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 12 bites 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
A healthy and portable snack made with simple ingredients, and no refined sugars!
Ingredients
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 1 tablespoon ground flax
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds
- ½ cup dried cherries
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- flesh from ½ large russet potato, cooked (about ¾ cup)
- 3 tablespoons natural peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ cup maple syrup
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine oats, chia seeds, flax, pumpkin seeds, cherries, and cinnamon.
- In a separate bowl, mash together potato, peanut butter, vanilla, and maple syrup.
- Add potato mixture to oats, and stir until fully combined ( I like to use my hands to mix)
- Roll into 12 balls, and store in fridge or freezer for up to 2 weeks.
- Prep Time: 15
- Category: snacks
- Method: No-Bake
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: potato, pre-workout, healthy snack, vegan recipe
Carla
OK. Do you snag my eyeballs and piqued my interest. I need to check these out as I'm not usually a potato person, but…
abbey sharp
These look great!! I could totally munch on these before a workout!
Serena
You do know the Pats WON, right?! (; We're big Pats fans in my house as we used to live next to their stadium in Foxboro. This is a perfect recipe for this contest!
Deanna Segrave-Daly
Cooked potatoes are such a clever addition to the usual energy bites!
Nicole @ Fitful Focus
I never thought to put potatoes in bites! Great idea!
Annedra
what do you do with the leftover potato? Add it to another show stopper recipe of yours? 🙂
★★★★★
Mariangelica
i WOULD HAVE NEVER THOUGHT TO ADD POTATOES AND PEANUT BUTTER. This is so mind blowing. I have too many potatoes right now have to try this!
★★★★★
Jodi @ Create Kids Club
Great post! I love your bit about potatoes and potassium. Back in my renal nutrition days, we talked about reducing intake of potatoes a whole lot more than bananas - due to kidney patients having to eat low potassium foods for those wondering. They are packed with this important nutrient. This recipe looks great!
Chrissy @ Snacking in Sneakers
These are SO smart! I often recommend potatoes for a pre-workout or during workout snack, but have never made them into these little energy bites. I can't wait to try these!
jill conyers
When my husband and I train for and run ultras we use red potatoes as food on the run. I never thought to make a bite with them. Great idea.
Chrissy
Interesting. I love the uniqueness to all the energy bites out there like you mentioned. This will come in handy for when I need to use up my potatoes.
dixya @food, pleasure, and health
i am totally intrigued by this recipe...i eat potatoes pretty regularly but never in the form of energy bites. Yes, these would certainly be better than a bag of potato chips, esp at the gym.
Mikki
What a fun recipe. I just made vegan nacho cheese this weekend with potatoes and carrots and it was great. Potatoes are so versatile.
Kara @ Byte Sized Nutrition
What?! I never would have thought to put potatoes in an energy bite! Potatoes themselves are such a nutrient-dense food, so combine them with all these other great ingredients and these would definitely make a great pre-workout snack
Kelli McGrane
I never would have thought to put potato in energy bites, but these look really yummy! Congrats on winning the contest 🙂
Emily Cooper
Thanks so much Kelli! 😀
Annedra
you won Pre-Work out!!! Congrats!
★★★★★
legalsteroids
Love these bites..I like to have these on hand at all times even in my rest day from my workout days.