No Bake Energy Cookies for Hiking

I'm looking forward to another hike on Saturday--this time along the Appalachian Trail in the Smoky Mountains, from Clingman's Dome to Newfound Gap Road.  I just discovered this recipe on Pinterest for No Bake Energy Bites that I am going to take with us.  Although this hike is only about 8 miles, these might be really good on longer hikes which lay ahead of us in our quest to hike ALL of the trails in the Great Smoky Mountains.  These cookies look and sound great, and I believe my hiking partners will be excited when I show up with these.  I do NOT take credit for this recipe--I'm just going to try it!  Update to follow on the reception of these little wonders among my hiking group!  Oh, and just in case you're wondering, the chocolate chips will NOT be optional!  :)

No-Bake Energy Bites Recipe
Ingredients:

• 1 cup (dry) oatmeal (I used old-fashioned oats)
• 2/3 cup toasted coconut flakes
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup ground flaxseed or wheat germ
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Method:
Stir all ingredients together in a medium bowl until thoroughly mixed.  Let chill in the refrigerator for half an hour.  Once chilled, roll into balls of whatever size you would like.  (Mine were about 1″ in diameter.)  Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.
Makes about 20-25 balls.
Tip:
Substitution ideas can abound for just about any of these ingredients!  Feel free to substitute in your favorite nut butter (almond butter, sunflower seed butter, etc.) for the peanut butter.  And you could also add in some wheat germ in place of some or all of the flaxseed.  I would caution, though, against substituting agave nectar for the honey, as the honey’s thickness helps hold things together.
Some other fun substitutions for the chocolate chips (or an addition to them) could include:

• chopped dried fruit (apricots, dates, raisins, etc.)
• dried berries (cranberries, cherries, etc.)
• chopped almonds, pecans, walnuts, or sunflower seeds
• other chips (butterscotch, dark chocolate, milk chocolate, white chocolate, M&Ms, etc.)
• other grains (different kinds of oatmeal, rice cereal, etc.)