Is there anyone who doesn’t love a filling afternoon snack? Sometimes you need to refuel to avoid crashing, but you don’t necessarily want to drink a cup of coffee. You don’t need to caffeinate yourself when you can eat one or two of these lemon poppy energy bites and feel a natural energy surge. Additionally, eating raw vegan energy bites, like this recipe, helps satisfy your sweet tooth without eating an unhealthy sweet treat.

Energy bites are so satisfying, offering plenty of plant-based protein, fiber, healthy fats, and just the right amount of sweetness. The protein comes from the cashews, cashew butter, and coconuts, while the sugar comes from the Medjool dates. Before you add the dates to the food processor, make sure to pit them and roughly chop them. That aids the blending process and reduces the likelihood of large date pieces ending up in the mixture. Even though the dates offer natural sweetness, the acidity of the fresh lemon juice helps balance the flavor profile. That citrus note is such a beautiful undertone of flavor, reminding your taste buds of a classic lemon poppy seed muffin.

We don’t typically incorporate poppy seeds into a lot of our recipes. There are a few, but this poppy seed recipe is the first one that we’ve in quite a while. Poppy seeds are rich in protein, fiber, manganese, magnesium, iron, thiamine, copper, and more. Several studies found that they exhibit pain-relieving compounds and may boost heart and skin health. Poppy seeds may also aid digestion, enhance fertility, and protect against certain illnesses, but more research is necessary on this matter. Please enjoy these healthy snacks and let us know if you like them in the comments.