These simple pantry bites are an easy make-ahead snack for busy weeks, lunchboxes, road trips, workdays or that very specific moment when it is not quite lunch, not quite dinner, but you definitely need something.
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Each recipe is made in a food processor using dried fruit, Pepo nuts or seeds, a spoonful of Pepo flour and a few simple flavour additions. They take around 20 minutes to prepare, require no baking, and keep beautifully in the fridge for the week ahead.
The idea is simple: choose your fruit, choose your Pepo nut or seed, add a little flour for body, blitz, roll and chill.
The key step is to blitz the nuts or seeds first until they become a fine crumb. This gives the pantry bites a smoother texture and helps the mixture bind properly once the fruit and wet ingredients are added.
The magic moment is when the mixture stops looking crumbly and starts travelling around the processor together.
Once it clumps together and holds when pressed between your fingers, it is ready to roll.
Hazelnut, Date & Chocolate Pantry Bites
Rich, nutty and naturally sweet, these are the most chocolate-like of the four. Roasted hazelnuts, dates, cocoa and tahini come together for a deeply satisfying bite that feels like a treat but is made with real pantry ingredients.
Ingredients
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200g fresh Medjool dates, pitted
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80g roasted Pepo hazelnuts
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2 tablespoons tahini
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1 heaped tablespoon cocoa powder
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1 tablespoon Pepo hazelnut flour
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1 tablespoon maple syrup
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Good pinch of salt
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Desiccated coconut, for rolling
Method
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Add the roasted hazelnuts to a food processor and blitz until they form a fine crumb.
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Add the dates, tahini, cocoa powder, hazelnut flour, maple syrup and salt.
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Blitz again until the mixture starts to clump together and move around the food processor as one sticky mass.
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Press a little mixture between your fingers. If it holds together, it is ready to roll.
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If the mixture feels too dry, add a small splash of water or a little extra maple syrup. If it feels too soft, add another teaspoon of hazelnut flour.
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Roll into bite-sized balls.
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Roll each ball in desiccated coconut.
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Chill in the fridge until firm.
Pumpkin Seed, Apricot & Ginger Pantry Bites
Bright, golden and gently warming, these bites are a beautiful cocoa-free option. Apricot brings natural sweetness, pumpkin seeds add earthy depth, and ginger gives just enough warmth to keep things interesting.
Ingredients
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200g dried apricots
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80g Pepo pumpkin seeds roasted
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2 tablespoons tahini
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1 tablespoon Pepo pumpkin seed flour
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1–2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
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1 teaspoon ground ginger
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½ teaspoon cinnamon, optional
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Good pinch of salt
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Desiccated coconut or crushed pumpkin seeds, for rolling
Method
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If the apricots are firm, soak them in warm water for 5–10 minutes, then drain well.
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Add the pumpkin seeds to a food processor and blitz until they form a fine crumb.
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Add the apricots, tahini, pumpkin seed flour, maple syrup or honey, ginger, cinnamon if using, and salt.
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Blitz again until the mixture starts to clump together and move around the food processor as one sticky mass.
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Press a little mixture between your fingers. If it holds together, it is ready to roll.
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Taste and adjust with a little extra ginger, salt or sweetener if needed.
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Roll into bite-sized balls.
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Roll in desiccated coconut or crushed pumpkin seeds.
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Chill in the fridge until firm.
Sunflower, Mango & Lime Pantry Bites
Fresh, tropical and a little zesty, these are the bright ones of the batch. Dried mango gives chew and sweetness, sunflower seeds add gentle nuttiness, and lime keeps the flavour lifted.
Ingredients
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200g dried mango
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80g Pepo sunflower seeds
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2 heaped tablespoons tahini or coconut cream
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1 tablespoon Pepo sunflower flour
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Zest of 1 lime
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1–2 tablespoons maple syrup, optional
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Good pinch of salt
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Desiccated coconut, for rolling
Method
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Soak the dried mango in warm water for 5–10 minutes, then drain well.
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Add the sunflower seeds to a food processor and blitz until they form a fine crumb.
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Add the mango, tahini or coconut cream, sunflower flour, lime zest, maple syrup if using, and salt.
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Blitz again until the mixture starts to clump together and move around the food processor as one sticky mass.
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Press a little mixture between your fingers. If it holds together, it is ready to roll.
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If the mixture feels too firm, add a teaspoon of water or lime juice. If it feels too soft, add a little extra sunflower flour.
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Roll into bite-sized balls.
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Roll in desiccated coconut.
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Chill in the fridge until firm.
Walnut, Date & Coffee Pantry Bites
A little more grown-up, these are perfect with a morning coffee or as a mid-afternoon pick-me-up. Dates bring caramel sweetness, walnuts add richness, and coffee gives the whole bite a beautiful depth.
Ingredients
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200g fresh Medjool dates, pitted
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80g Pepo walnuts
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2 heaped tablespoons tahini or almond butter
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1 tablespoon Pepo walnut flour
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1 teaspoon instant coffee dissolved in 1 teaspoon hot water
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1 tablespoon maple syrup, optional
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½ teaspoon vanilla, optional
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Good pinch of salt
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Desiccated coconut or finely crushed walnuts, for rolling
Method
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Dissolve the instant coffee in hot water and set aside.
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Add the walnuts to a food processor and blitz until they form a fine crumb.
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Add the dates, tahini or almond butter, walnut flour, dissolved coffee, maple syrup if using, vanilla if using, and salt.
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Blitz again until the mixture starts to clump together and move around the food processor as one sticky mass.
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Press a little mixture between your fingers. If it holds together, it is ready to roll.
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Taste and adjust with a little extra coffee, salt or maple syrup if needed.
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Roll into bite-sized balls.
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Roll in desiccated coconut or finely crushed walnuts.
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Chill in the fridge until firm.
Storage
Store the pantry bites in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week.
Simple Tips
For softer dried fruit, you may not need to soak before blitzing. For firmer dried fruit like mango and some apricots, a short soak in warm water helps the mixture come together more easily.
If your mixture is too dry, add a teaspoon of water, citrus juice, maple syrup or tahini.
If it is too wet, add a little more Pepo flour until it becomes easy to roll.
For the smoothest texture, always blitz the nuts or seeds first before adding the remaining ingredients. This creates a fine crumb and stops the finished bites from feeling too chunky.
The mixture is ready when it starts clumping together and travelling around the food processor as one sticky mass. That is your sign to stop blitzing and start rolling.
These are flexible, forgiving and designed to be made with what you have on hand. Choose your fruit, choose your Pepo nut or seed, add flavour, blitz and roll.
A better little snack, built from the pantry.