Spoonful of Sugar Free

Registered Dietitian

Bite-Sized Makes Everything Better

By

It is true. Whenever something is small and cute, it is more fun to eat! Take for example mini muffins, finger sandwiches, baby carrots, or even mini quiches. It’s just fun.

So to cure insane bite-sized craving, here is the best dessert/snack recipe that is quick and easy to make. Not to mention undeniably scrumptious.

 

If Elvis Liked Chocolate Bites (aka Chocolate, peanut butter, and banana balls-no bake!)

~These bites are vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free, and of course, sugar-free!

Ingredients

  • 1 overripe banana, mashed
  • 4 Tablespoons peanut butter
  • 1 oz unsweetened chocolate bar, chopped (I used Baker’s)
  • 4 Tablespoons rolled oats
  • optional: 2 Tablespoons peanuts

You can use whatever measurements you like as long as the dough sticks together.

Mix together all ingredients and roll into balls. Sometimes the dough is easier to roll when cold, so feel free to stick it in the fridge for a few minutes before rolling. Then, you can either place them in the freezer for ten minutes (I like to do this because it makes them extra chewy!), or eat away! Enjoy!

Chomp!

Health Benefits

  • Peanuts: This legume is a protein power house with 7g of protein per oz. It also has a great monounsaturated fat content that can help lower cholesterol and keep your skin beautiful! It is also a good source of Coenzyme Q10 which protects the heart during periods of lack of oxygen. It is also a good source of fiber and antioxidants.
  • Bananas: Rich in potassium, bananas help the body’s circulatory system deliver oxygen to the brain. This also helps maintain a regular heartbeat and a proper balance of water in the body. It also contains tryptophan to help relax you and lift your spirits!
  • Chocolate: Read a post about the benefits of chocolate HERE.

If you want this delectable combo in other variations try the Alex Granola Bar or these great pancakes.

Thought-provoking, mind-prodding question of the day:

Are you a fan of Elvis Presley?

Honestly, I don’t think I’ve ever really listened to his songs before. I’ve listened to a few, but I am not a maniac about him. Maybe I should, though. Are you crazy for the king? However, even if I don’t like his songs. I love his sense of taste 😉

 

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. I am with you about being rather indifferent to Elvis, but LOVING his taste. There are rumors the original “elvis” sandwich also involved bacon. 🙂

    And I have to say, I almost didn’t even read the whole post because I just wanted to comment that bite-sized ANYTHING really is better!

  2. I totally love this idea! I dig how simple your recipes are.

    Also, I’ve been eating chocolate off the chain lately (at LEAST one baker’s square a day). Good thing it’s so cheap!

  6. This is honestly too weird. I wrote up a post for this weekend talking about bite-side eats (sliders to be exact) and one of them was The Elvis- I kid you not. Seriously REALLY weird. I even have a witness! And photos! Great minds??? Weird.

    Anyway, YUM! Those little guys look so good! i love bite sized! We can eat more that way. 🙂

  8. Hey, sugar-free — here’s a cobbler recipe – can you make it more healthy? It looks pretty good already, doesn’t it?

    Ken Burris
    Serves: 10 Edit
    Update Cancel

    Total Time: 2 hr
    Ingredients
    U.S. Metric Conversion chart
    1/3 cup(s) pear nectar, apple juice, or water
    1 tablespoon(s) lemon juice
    8 slightly underripe pears (preferably Bosc or Bartlett), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
    3/4 cup(s) packed light brown sugar
    2 tablespoon(s) cornstarch
    2 teaspoon(s) freshly grated lemon zest
    1 tablespoon(s) finely minced fresh ginger
    2 cup(s) cranberries (fresh or frozen and thawed), coarsely chopped
    1 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract
    1/3 cup(s) reduced-fat sour cream
    1 tablespoon(s) lemon juice
    1 1/3 cup(s) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
    2 tablespoon(s) sugar, divided
    1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
    1/4 teaspoon(s) baking soda
    1/4 cup(s) canola oil

    ——————————————————————————–

    Directions

    1.Position a rack in the center of the oven; preheat to 400 degrees F. Coat a 3-quart nonreactive baking dish (see Tips & Techniques) with cooking spray.
    2.To prepare filling: Combine pear nectar (or juice or water) and lemon juice in a large bowl. Toss pears with the juice. Whisk brown sugar, cornstarch, lemon zest and ginger in a nonreactive Dutch oven until combined. Drain the liquid from the pears into this mixture; stir until well blended. Heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring, just until it begins to boil, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the pears and cranberries and cook, stirring, until the mixture is steaming, about 2 minutes. Stir in vanilla. Spread the fruit in an even layer in the prepared baking dish.
    3.To prepare crust: Combine sour cream and lemon juice in a small bowl. Place flour, 1 tablespoon sugar, salt and baking soda in a food processor fitted with a dough hook or chopping blade; process to combine. Drizzle in oil and process in quick pulses just until the mixture is the consistency of very fine crumbs, stopping and scraping the bottom and sides several times. Add the sour cream mixture; process in quick pulses just until incorporated and the mixture holds together when pressed between the fingers; do not overprocess. If the mixture seems dry, gradually add a little cold water, a teaspoon at a time, and pulse briefly several times just until the mixture is moistened and holds together.
    4.Lightly dust a 14-inch-long piece of parchment or wax paper with flour. Turn the dough out onto the paper and let rest for 5 minutes. Knead briefly until the dough just comes together. Lightly flour the top and cover with a second sheet of paper. Roll or press the dough into the same shape as your baking dish, just slightly smaller. Discard the top sheet of paper. Invert the dough, centered, over the fruit. Discard the paper. Using a greased sharp paring knife, cut large decorative slashes in the dough to vent steam. Sprinkle the dough evenly with the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar. Place the baking dish on a rimmed baking sheet (to catch any overflowing juices).
    5.Bake the cobbler until the top is golden brown, 40 to 50 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature.

    ——————————————————————————–

    • Hi MJ!

      Have you seen my fruit crisp recipe? It is very tasty! Look under the recipe tab in the dessert section.

      What I would change about your recipe is:
      Omit all sugars. The fruit is sweet enough 🙂 Then, replace all-purpose flour with oat flour (simply grind rolled oats in blender until smooth. Much healthier than white flour). Then, try replacing the sour cream with plain, unsweetened yogurt. If you are worried about the fat content, replace the oil with applesauce or use a healthier oil like virgin coconut oil.

      Hope this helps!

  11. These look so tasty! I love the fact that they only make a dozen or so – otherwise I’d totally eat the whole batch in one sitting. This way I have to make them last. 🙂
    Thanks for the recipe.

  14. Yum, these look so cute and I bet they’re soo delicious!

    What, no bacon? 🙂 Haha, just kidding. I wouldn’t put bacon in them either!! 😉

  15. those are so cute! anything with oatmeal, pb, and chocolate has to be good though, right?
    a lady that i worked with over the summer loved elvis, so we would listen to him once a week ALL DAY. omg i got so sick of it! haha, but the banana, chocolate, pb combo is amazing still.

  16. I was never too crazy about elvis’ music. and his whole “drunk fat las vegas” phase was kind of tacky. But I do love his “taste” as well! I’m more of a beatles fan when it comes to oldies music.
    And bite sized things magically taste better, naturally!

  17. Peanut butter is my weakness. These look AMAZING!!! I did love Elvis and watching his movies on TV. My favorite is “Blue Hawaii.” I have made an Elvis smoothie like you can get at Planet Smoothie. YUM!

  20. Hi, love the recipe. My three year old is allergic to peanuts and almonds so we are always subbing in sunflower seed butter for peanut butter around here. What nondairy milk would you suggest that is nut free with no added sugar? I havent tried coconut milk yet…

    • Hi Vicky,

      Coconut milk is great, but it does taste very “coconut-ty.” If your son doesn’t like coconut, I wouldn’t try it. It is also very thick if you get the full-fat version (more like a cream). I would not recommend soy milk because most soy products are GMO’s and highly processed. Rice milk and oat milk tastes fine, but more watery than almond.

      You can try making your own nut milk by using cashews and blending with water in a high-power blender and straining. Oat milk can be made the same way, but it does not require a high powered blender since the oats are softer.

      Hope this helps!