Homemade Aussie Bites (Vegan)

This easy, healthy Homemade Aussie Bites recipe is the perfect grab-and-go snack or breakfast! Made with oats, seeds, dried fruit, and sweetened with pure maple syrup, this simple yet delicious recipe is egg-free, vegan, dairy-free and refined sugar-free.

Have you tried store-bought Aussie Bites?

Many grocery stores carry their own brand, though the Costco Aussie Bites may be the most well-known.

What is an Aussie Bite?

Joyous little bites that are denser than a muffin, less sweet than a cookie, and packed with delicious goodies.

They are named Aussie bites because the ingredients consist of nuts, seeds, berries, and whole grains, which one could forage in “the bush.” 

The ingredient label of store-bought Aussie bites calls out organic oats, organic oat flour, organic unsalted butter, organic canola oil, dried apricots, organic sugar, organic sunflower seeds, organic raisins, organic honey, organic shredded coconut, organic quinoa, organic chia seeds, organic flax seeds sea salt, baking soda, and organic vanilla. 

Not too shabby for a store-bought snack.

While I feel fully confident enjoying this treat every now and again, I loved the idea of making them homemade version using cleaner ingredients.

Namely, I wanted to take out the canola oil and cane sugar and replace them with heart healthy fats and an unrefined sweetener.

I also wanted to make them dairy-free (without butter) and lower in added sweetener.

So that’s what we’re doing today! 

We’re making this delicious snack using ingredients you might already regularly have on hand. I also offer ways of customizing the recipe using different substitutions in the Recipe Adaptations section below.

In addition to some healthy ingredients, you will need either a standard muffin tin or a mini muffin tin to bake the Aussie bites.

I make mine larger than the store-bought version, but you can also use a mini muffin pan or simply fill the muffin holes up less than I did to make small Aussie bites.

If you have kids going back to school, these are perfect for school lunches or any adult who loves to meal prep a healthier treat.

Let’s discuss the simple ingredient list for this copycat Aussie bites recipe.

Ingredients for Aussie Bites:

Flax Seed Meal: Replacing the need for eggs, we whip up two “flax eggs” which are simply a combination of ground up flax seeds (or flax meal) and water.

Combining the two in a bowl and allowing it to sit for a few minutes results in a thick, goopy consistency that resembles whisked eggs.

Instead of using ground flaxseed meal, you can also use chia seeds to go through the same process of making two chia seed eggs. 

Pure Maple Syrup or Honey: Taking the place of white sugar, I use pure maple syrup to sweeten this easy snack recipe. You can also use honey instead but I find pure maple syrup is simply easier to stir into the wet ingredients without it clumping up.

The way the recipe is written results in lower-sugar bites with what I consider to be the perfect level of sweetness. If you know you enjoy sweeter treats, I’d recommend adding 1 to 3 tablespoons of brown sugar to make them sweeter.

Avocado Oil: Replacing canola oil and butter, we use avocado oil as the fat source for this simple recipe. 

Pure Vanilla Extract: A touch of pure vanilla extract adds a subtle warmth to baked goods. Feel free to skip it if you don’t have any on hand.

Oat Flour and Rolled Oats: Oats and oat flour make up the flour portion of the recipe. If you don’t have access to oat flour, you can make your own by blending ¾ cup of oats in your blender or food processor until a fine flour forms.

You can use any type of oats except for steel cut oats here, including old-fashioned rolled oats, quick oats, or instant oats.

To make the recipe gluten-free, use gluten free oats and gluten free oat flour. I use gluten-free sprouted oats and gluten-free oat flour. 

Unsweetened Shredded Coconut, Dried Apricots, and raw Sunflower Seeds: These three ingredients are what make an Aussie bite an Aussie bite!

Store-bought Aussie Bites also do contain raisins but I left them out due to my own personal preference. Feel free to add in ¼ cup!

Baking Soda and Sea Salt: A pinch of sea salt brings out all of the flavors in the bites so that these little gems taste mighty. Baking soda is the leavening agent here, which causes the bites to rise slightly and ensures they stay held together after baking. 

While store-bought Aussie bites contain cooked quinoa, I decided to leave it out because I didn’t think taking the extra time to cook the quinoa was worth the addition. 

Recipe Adaptations:

• If you aren’t into dried apricots, replace them with ⅓ cup of your favorite dried fruit such as raisins, dried cranberries, dried blueberries, or dried strawberries. You can even use chocolate chips instead of fruit.
• Toss in ¼ cup of raisins in addition to the dried apricots for a traditional Aussie bites recipe.
• Not a coconut lover? Skip the flaked coconut and add 2 more tablespoons of oat flour.
• Add 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon if you have it on hand and enjoy it in your baked goods.
• For sweeter Aussie bites, add 1 to 3 tablespoons of brown sugar. The recipe is not very sweet as written. 
• Make chia seed eggs instead of flax eggs by combining 2 tablespoons of chia seeds with 6 tablespoons of water.
• Replace the avocado oil with melted coconut oil, melted butter, or olive oil.

The recipe as written makes 7 larger Aussie bites which are about twice the size of the store bought version. Feel free to make a double batch or triple the recipe to make more.

Now that we’re familiar with the healthy ingredients, let’s bake some Aussie bites!

If you’re using an older muffin tin that has a tendency to stick, line the muffin tray with muffin papers instead of spraying it with cooking spray to be sure the bites come out of the tray easily.

If you don’t have muffin pans, you can also bake the bites on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper by dropping mounds of the dough onto the baking sheet.

How to Make Homemade Aussie Bites:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a small bowl, stir together the ground flax seeds and water until well-combined to create flax “eggs”.

Allow this mixture to sit for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring every few minutes, or until the flax eggs are thick and have a similar consistency to beaten eggs.

Once the flax mixture is ready, transfer it to a large bowl along with the avocado oil, honey (or pure maple syrup), and vanilla extract. Mix well to combine the wet ingredients.

In a small bowl, combine the oat flour, rolled oats, baking soda, and sea salt and stir together.

Transfer the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients and mix well until a thick sticky batter forms.

Stir in the shredded coconut, chopped dried apricots and sunflower seeds and mix well.

Spray a muffin tin with cooking oil. I make 7 good sized Aussie bites out of this recipe but you can make more smaller Aussie bites if you’d like.

Spoon the Aussie bite batter into the prepared muffin tray and use the spoon to gently press the batter into an even layer in each hole. 

Bake on the center rack of the preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the Aussie bites are golden brown around the edges.

Allow the Aussie bites to cool completely before releasing them from the muffin tin. I run a paring knife between the bites and the tray to help release them.

Store Aussie bites in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 10 days. You can also freeze them in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. You can keep Aussie bites stored at room temperature in a sealed container or zip lock bag for up to 5 days.

Are Aussie Bites Healthy For Kids? 

Provided the child isn’t allergic to any of the ingredients included in the recipe, these bites are a great source of fiber, whole grains, and various micronutrients. 

In spite of liking this homemade Aussie bites copycat recipe more than the store-bought version, I would feel confident giving kids either. 

Nutrition Information:

I have the nutrition facts calculated based on my large Aussie bites, which are about double the size of store-bought. 

One of these energy bites contains 274 calories, 15 grams of fat, 39 grams of carbohydrates, 5 grams of fiber, 12 grams of sugar and 5 grams of protein. 

While the sugar content may seem higher than what some folks want, it is important to remember it is sourced primarily from natural sweeteners, which tend to be easier on the blood sugar than refined sugar.

Health benefits of each individual ingredient span far and wide. Sunflower seeds and oats are rich in fiber, antioxidants, and have been known to help lower cholesterol. Dried apricots are a great source of Vitamin A and contain some iron, and shredded coconut contains powerful antioxidants to name a few highlights.

In fact, these bites are a great way of increasing milk supply in lactating women. 

The nutritional powerhouse locked away in this delicious healthy snack is the fact that each individual ingredient contains multiple health benefits, adding up to a great option for those looking to enhance their health while still enjoying a muffin cup with sweet taste.

You can boost the protein content by replacing some of the oat flour with your favorite protein powder for my friends who pay attention to their macros. I haven’t tried this myself yet but I plan to the next time I make them. 

You can also swap the avocado oil for almond butter or peanut butter.

And that’s it! A healthy snack recipe that humans of all ages love to love. 

If you love simple snack recipes like this, also try out these reader favorites.

More Healthy Snacks:

• 5-Ingredient Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies  
• 4-Ingredient Banana Oatmeal Bars 
• 5-Ingredient Healthy Granola Bars 
• Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Oatmeal Protein Balls 
• Healthy Apple Oatmeal Muffins  
• Blueberry Banana Baked Oatmeal Cups 

What will you put in your Aussie bites?