After school snacks tend to be bothersome to find and make, especially for those who do not commonly have conveniently pre-packaged snacks. At the same time, it is frustrating to take so much time to make a food item. For those facing this issue after school every day, here are some quick and easy snack recipes that may be new options for after school treats.
First off is a healthy snack for those who may have after-school activities to get to such as sports. This is a recipe for energy bites. Energy bites may be quite simple, but they can also have a variety of add-ins and hold many nutritional benefits. The primary ingredients are peanut butter, oats, seeds, and sweeteners such as maple syrup, vanilla, and honey. However other add-on options are endless according to preference.
Energy bites do take a bit of time to put together, but the recipe is simple. Preferably, these should be made in advance because they may need some time sitting in the fridge to set. However, there is also the option of eating it with a spoon or putting it in the freezer for a quick minute.
All it takes to put this recipe together is 1 cup of chosen oats, ½ cup of nut butter, and ⅓ cup of sweetener, such as honey or maple syrup. Other ingredients that may be added in can be measured to one’s liking. Suggestions for additional ingredients include shredded coconut, flax seeds, peanuts, dark chocolate, chia seeds, raisins, vanilla, etc. After everything has been combined, eat it right away or stick it in the refrigerator or freezer for an hour or two until solidified enough to be able to hand-form small balls. These quick bites will last in the refrigerator for one week and for many more months if frozen.
The next snack is for those with a sweet tooth. This recipe comes from Cooking with Raina on TikTok on a series that she calls “best after-school snacks.” This recipe takes only three ingredients and topping add-ons can vary tremendously.
This snack needs one or two pieces of bread cut up in small bite-sized squares, which will be set aside for the moment. For this step there is also the option of toasting the bread bites in a pan if one would like. Secondly, in a pan combine ¼ cup sugar and 2 tablespoons of water, leaving it alone to boil until the bubbles slow down and the mixture is just browning. After the sugar has caramelized, throw in the cut up pieces of bread and mix until every piece is coated. Let the mixture cool until it hardens, and there is a perfect, sweet afternoon treat.
