Recipe: Homemade Peanut Butter Energy Bites Are On My Runners Pre-Race Checklist Because They Are The Perfect Breakfast!

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What to eat before running a race or a training long-run?  It’s one of the most asked questions by runners.  And an important question.  I’ve found something that works for me and I want to share it!

Homemade Peanut Butter Energy Bites:

• are nutritious
• taste delicious and it’s easy to add variety
• are easy-to-make ahead of time
• produce energy
• are portable and
• give a digestive boost.

Most races are early in the morning.  If you’re like me, mornings are not the time you want to deal with anything complicated.  One of things I like best about Peanut Butter Energy Bites is that you can make them ahead of time, keep them in your freezer and then pull them out whenever you need them. Easy! Because they are homemade, you control what goes in them.  You can customize them easily for your own needs and tastes.

Did I mention easy? Peanut Butter Energy Bites are super easy to prepare.  There is no baking, no complicated ingredients.  You just mix, spoon, and freeze.  Literally, easy as 1-2-3.

Hmmm, how to put this delicately?  Before a race or a long run, you want to make sure that you use the bathroom before you start running.  Peanut Butter Energy Bites not only have the nutrition you need – easily digestible carbohydrates and protein – but they also give you a digestive boost.  You want to eat them 90 minutes or more before you still have access to a bathroom.

Here’s the recipe, I hope you enjoy!

Basic Mix

3/4 cup Simply Ground Peanut Butter

1/2 cup Oats

Mix the Peter Pan Simply Ground Peanut Butter and oats together in a small bowl.  I recommend Simply Ground Peanut Butter because of it’s unique texture.  It’s creamy with a bit of crunch, making it the perfect consistency for Energy Bites.  It’s creamy + crunchy which adds nut pieces to the mix but smoother than traditional crunchy options.  Additionally, Simply Ground has no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives.  Some types of peanut butter require stirring, but not Simply Ground, it’s ready right out of the jar.   The NEW Simply Ground Peanut Butter is available at Walmart.

Divide the basic mix into four sections, we’re going to use one-fourth to make each flavor of bite.

For each of the different flavor profiles, just mix in the additional ingredients listed below.  You can also add-in healthy ingredients like flax meal, chia seeds, sunflower seeds – anything you like!  After combining the ingredients, use a melon ball tool or a measuring spoon to put the mixture into small baking cups.

Apple Cinnamon

1/4 of the Simply Ground Basic Mix (above)

1 tablespoon of applesauce

1 tablespoon of fresh apple bits

Pinch of cinnamon

(Apple Cinnamon Bites are one of my favorites, especially in the fall.)

Chocolate Coconut Almond

1/4 of the Simply Ground Basic Mix (above)

1 teaspoon raw cocoa

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1 teaspoon honey

1/2 cup of unsweetened coconut

8 whole almonds

Orange Cranberry

1/4 of the Simply Ground Basic Mix (above)

1/8 cup of orange juice

1/8 cup of cranberries

Tropical

1/4 of the Simply Ground Basic Mix (above)

1 small banana mashed

1/2 cup of dried fruit with pineapple and mango

1/2 cup of unsweetened coconut

I freeze my Peanut Butter Energy Bites, so I put two layers of energy bites into a glass dish with wax paper in between each layer and cover the top with plastic wrap.  Then it’s easy to just take them out in the morning and they are ready to eat.  Depending on your size and weight, you should eat 2-4 bites before a run.

Peanut Butter Energy Bites are also a good snack for after a run.  I try to “eat clean”, but especially directly after a run I want to put something in my body that is natural, without any chemicals or unnecessary processing. Simply Ground Peanut Butter has no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives.  It tastes like freshly ground peanut butter but with no stirring required.

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