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No-Bake Dark Chocolate Granola Bites — Two Hours of Something That Is Not Sorrow

Coaching winter basketball. The court is the other place where grief takes a back seat — when you are teaching a seven-year-old to dribble with his weak hand, the grief waits. It does not leave. It waits. And the waiting is a kindness, because it gives you two hours of something that is not sorrow, and two hours is enough to remember that the world contains more than loss.

When practice ends and the kids come running off the court, they need something in their hands fast — something sweet enough to feel like a reward but solid enough to quiet a stomach that’s been running suicides for an hour. These no-bake dark chocolate granola bites are what I bring in a big zip-lock every Saturday. They take ten minutes to throw together, they don’t melt in the gym bag, and making a double batch the night before gives my hands something to do during the hours when the grief stops waiting.

No-Bake Dark Chocolate Granola Bites

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 0 minutes | Total Time: 40 minutes (includes chilling) | Servings: 20 bites

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
  • 1/4 cup ground flaxseed
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Pinch of sea salt

Instructions

  1. Combine wet ingredients. In a large bowl, stir together the peanut butter, honey, and vanilla extract until smooth.
  2. Add dry ingredients. Fold in the rolled oats, ground flaxseed, shredded coconut, and sea salt. Mix until everything is evenly coated.
  3. Add chocolate. Gently stir in the dark chocolate chips, distributing them throughout the mixture.
  4. Shape the bites. Using a tablespoon or small cookie scoop, portion the mixture and roll each into a ball between your palms. Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
  5. Chill. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes until the bites are firm.
  6. Store. Keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week, or freeze for up to three months.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 110 | Protein: 3g | Fat: 6g | Carbs: 13g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 35mg

DeShawn Carter
About the cook who shared this
DeShawn Carter
Week 333 of DeShawn’s 30-year story · Detroit, Michigan
DeShawn is a thirty-six-year-old single dad, auto plant worker, and a man who didn't learn to cook until his wife left and his five-year-old asked, "Daddy, can you cook something?" He called his mama, who came over with two bags of groceries and spent six months teaching him the basics. Now he's the dad at the cookout who brings the ribs, the guy at the plant whose leftover gumbo starts fights, and living proof that it's never too late to learn.

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