Energy Balls – No Bake Protein Bites
I love a great hike!!! And with the turn of every season, there’s no better time than now to hit the trail to see nature at its finest and get the heart rate up a bit. We’ve learned that it’s always a good idea to have awesome snacks quickly available for that 10 minute rest break. These No Bake Energy Balls were so tasty and the first snack we reached for. That’s the good news! The bad news is that they were gone in a big hurry and none were left for when we really needed them on our crazy, brutal, one of a kind backpacking hike!
She’s not exactly the throw-on-a-pair-of-hiking-boots-and-trek-into-some-remote-area type of 16-year-old girl. So you can imagine my surprise (and delight) when my daughter asked me to take her out backpacking for a couple days during her fall break! I knew I needed to make it special. And I knew I needed great food and snacks. Sweet, chewy, rich, no-cook, no-bake Energy Balls were exactly the type of snack we needed.
I picked out a fabulous hike – West Fork of Oak Creek Trail – just north of beautiful Sedona, Arizona. The first 3 miles are a well-maintained, fairly easy trail. But the last 3 miles… (oh those last 3 miles!) wind and meander up and down and in and out of the icy waters of spectacular Oak Creek Canyon. Truly spectacular! And spectacularly difficult… those last 3 miles.
All smiles and full of energy, we hit the road with our 40+ pound backpacks (yeah, I probably overpacked for a three-day backpacking trip. Lesson learned!) We reached for our water packs and of course the beautiful, flavorful Energy Balls at our first snack break. They were gone in a hurry and gave us just the right amount of energy we needed to get through the next part of the hike. Well… almost.
Most folks turn around at the end of the maintained trail. Not us! We donned our water shoes, strapped our hiking boots to the outside of our packs and hit the water. The only way to get farther is to wade through the creek. First, ankle deep. Next, thigh deep. And finally, chest deep (we had to carry our packs on our heads through that part!) Ice cold creek water. Ice cold! Yikes! Although I knew we’d have to make our way through the creek, I had no idea the extent of it. And it was too late to turn back. We were 4 miles in and it was 4 p.m. Definitely no way we could get back before dark.
So we trudged on, both showing the beginning signs of hypothermia. Not good. We were required to get at least 6 miles in to overnight camp, according to the “rules.” By this point, I knew this wasn’t going to happen. At five miles, we found our spot. And trust me when I say, it was not much more than a “spot” 30 feet by 30 feet at the most. Damp dirt carved out of the beautiful slot canyon. But I felt like we had hit the jackpot! We stripped out of our wet clothes, put on our wool socks, beanie caps, and down jackets. Set up our tent, started a fire, and fed our bellies! Ahhhh… we made it! We were going to survive.
Gotta Have Energy Balls To Get Through The Tough Part!
The morning was a spectacular sight – sunlight peeking over the top of the towering canyons, birds chirping in the trees high above, and a slow-moving creek bubbling beside us. But it was cold. The sun never does really hit the ground at the bottom of those slot canyons. With no real way to warm up, and no drier ground within our grasp, we decided to head home. One day and one mile short. But you know what? I wouldn’t change it for anything – the mother/daughter backpacking challenge is something neither of us will ever forget! We did it together. We survived it together. We saw and experienced a part of nature that few people ever see, together. And we devoured those delicious, slightly sweet, chewy, Energy Balls…. together. Life is good!
Protein Balls - No Bake Energy Bites
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Rolled Oats
- 1/4 Cup Honey
- 1/4 Cup Candied Chocolate Chips
- 1/4 Cup Peanut or Almond Butter
- 1/2 Teaspoon Vanilla extract
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients in a medium bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Remove from refrigerator. Coat hands with butter or oil to prevent sticking while rolling them out. Spoon approximately 1 1/2 tablespoons of mixture into hand and roll into a compact ball. Repeat until all mixture is gone. Store in refrigerator or freeze for later.