Easy Elderberry Energy Bites

Makes 18 – 24 bites

A gluten free, dairy free recipe (with a vegan option)

You'll be on a roll each morning once you have a couple of these nutritious bites made with whole ingredients and sweetened to perfection with Elderberry Apple Shots. Make the mixture before you go to bed and your morning prep is a snap. (Take some in for lunch, too!)

Ingredients:

1/3 Cup Elderberry Apple Shots

1/2 Cup nut butter

1/4 Cup pecans

1/3 Cup dried fruit or berries

1/4 Cup raw honey (or maple syrup for vegan)*

1 1/2 Cups gluten free muesli cereal

1/2 Cup unsweetened, flaked coconut, plus extra for coating

1 Tablespoon chia or sunflower seeds

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

Preparation Instructions:

1. Pour the Elderberry Apple Shots into a food processor or blender. Add the nut butter, pecans and dried fruit, and blend until well combined.  Scrape mixture into a large bowl.
2. Add the honey, the muesli, pecans, cranberries, 1/2 Cup of the coconut, the seeds, and the salt to the bowl. *Option: use the food processor for this step, too. It will save washing a bowl, but the mixture will look less defined.
3. Mix with a wooden spoon until the ingredients are well incorporated.
4. Refrigerate the mixture for 30 minutes, or overnight.
5. Roll the mixture into balls one Tablespoon at a time. Place the remaining coconut on a plate and roll the balls into the coconut to coat (optional).
6. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate.

The energy bites will keep for five days in the refrigerator.

*You can substitute maple or coconut sugar for the honey, but increase nut butter to 3/4 Cup.