Have you heard of aussie bites? These oat treats packed with dried fruit, nuts, quinoa and more are the best Homemade Aussie bites! This is a copycat recipe from a Costco product– the good ole tub of Universal Bakery Aussie Bites that seem to call out to me as I walk by. A gluten free version is easy to make at home!
What are Aussie Bites?
Aussie bites are a baked oat treat that first caught my eye at Costco. A snack or dessert (or maybe breakfast?) that could be described as packed granola bites baked in a mini muffin tin.
Yes, I am sure that I was sucked in by those lovely Costco samples and I’ve been hooked ever since! Now are these Australian bites really a specialty of the land down under? I honestly don’t think so but they should be!
How do I make a copycat recipe?
Sometimes when you find a food that you love at a restaurant or particular store, it is fun to recreate that recipe at home. The beauty of baking at home means that you can add or take out ingredients as you wish.
How should you start? Begin a copycat recipe with a quick bit of research. It’s simple: look at the ingredient list on the store-bought product you love.
This is a photo of the container of Aussie Bites at Costco. The Costco Aussie bites ingredients are rolled oats, oat flour, butter, canola oil, dried apricots, sugar, cane sugar, raisins, flax seeds, sunflower seeds, honey, shredded coconut, quinoa, chia seeds, sea salt, baking soda, vanilla, and rice flour. All of the ingredients in the Costco Aussie Bites are organic.
You could use an identical ingredient list to make your homemade version. I like to modify copycat recipes a bit to suit my taste.
Here’s how: Notice what your favorite aspect is and build upon that– more raisins? Fewer nuts? Focus on those ingredients and build your own list of must-haves.
Are Aussie Bites Gluten Free?
My affection with the Costco aussie bites version waned when I took gluten out of my diet. Their product isn’t certified gluten free so I set out to make a version at home. Loaded with dried fruit and nuts, these homemade Aussie bites will be a favorite!
Oats are a sneaky ingredient in a gluten free diet. They are naturally gluten free but often in the processing of oats, gluten is added or sneaks in as a contamination.
Even if oats are labled as Organic Oats, they may not be gluten free.
Oats technically “should” be gluten free but often are contaminated with gluten unless otherwise noted that they are tested and certified as gluten free. Bob’s Red Mill is the brand used here (although they sell oats that are NOT gluten free as well so check and double check your labels).
Best solution– make these gluten free aussie bites by checking and double-checking your ingredients at home. Make sure that your oats are certified gluten free.
The same advice holds true for each ingredient. Check and double check.
Making aussie bites organic follows the same guidelines– check that each ingredient you use is labeled Organic as you go.
Aussie bites ingredients
Here are the ingredients I use in my Aussie bites recipe. You’ll notice they differ slightly from the ingredient list shown above on the Costco packaging.
- Dried fruits of apricots, dried cherries, dates, and raisins
- oats- I use gluten free rolled oats from Bob’s Red Mill
- quinoa- the quinoa will be cooked first and is an excellent use of leftover quinoa
- honey
- coconut flakes
- pistachios
- butter
- baking soda
Other add-ins you might consider:
- sunflower seeds
- chia seeds
- vanilla extract
- walnuts
Steps to make Aussie bites
- Use a food processor to process 1 cup of the oats into a flour consistency. Add this oat flour to the quinoa and remaining oats. Set aside.
- Pulse the apricots, dried cherries, dates and raisins in the food processor.
- Add the quinoa &oats back into the food processor as well as the honey, coconut flakes, pistachios, butter and baking soda. Pulse to combine.
- Press 1 tablespoon of the mixture into each mini muffin space.
- Bake for 13-15 minutes at 350 degrees.
Let’s look into the details for each step:
Scoop out one cup of the oats (leave one cup remaining) and process to a flour-like consistency.
Empty these processed oats into a bowl with the remaining whole oats and the cooked quinoa. No need to clean out the food processor bowl before you move on to the apricots, dates, raisins and dried cherries.
Process the dried fruit until you have tiny pieces– going too far and making a paste of the dried fruits is perfectly fine too.
Add all of the ingredients back into the food processor and pulse until you have a dough-like consistency.
Take one tablespoon of the dough for each mini muffin space. This recipe makes 24 servings.
The bites you can purchase from Costco are not certified gluten free. You’ll see on the label that the product is made in a facility that processes wheat.
That is why I make a homemade version. It is easy, fast, and gluten free. Check each ingredient on your list before adding it to the recipe. Every item needs to be gluten free in order for the whole recipe to be gluten free.
Making paleo aussie bites follows the same train of thought as the above advice for making gluten free aussie bites. Carefully look through the ingredient list and find any item that does not fit in a paleo diet.
Oats and quinoa are not considered acceptable on the paleo diet.
Substitute ingredients that fit within your paleo guidelines so that you can enjoy paleo aussie bites.
Sure! Again, figure out what specific ingredients fit and do not fit within a vegan diet.
Honey and butter do not fit within the guidelines of a vegan diet. Make the appropriate substitutions such as maple syrup and coconut oil and enjoy your vegan energy bites.
I found a great solutions for paleo and vegan energy bites in these recipes:
energy bites from Fifteen Spatulas
chocolate peanut butter energy balls from Well Plated
peanut butter energy balls from Texanerin
Healthy is a relative term. I’ll leave the final decision up to you but here are a few points to consider.
Quinoa is an ancient grain from South America that is gluten free and a complete protein. Added to these whole grains is a list of energy-packed ingredients that you can customize as you wish.
Apricots and raisins, dried cherries, pistachios, and coconut flakes rounded out these loaded homemade Aussie bites.
Breakfast, snack, dessert, these Aussie bites check off all of the boxes.
Estimated calories for Aussie bites are included in the recipe card below. This nutrition information is provided by Nutrionix and is to be considered an estimate only.
No, I do not refrigerate Aussie bites. Keep them in an air-tight container at room temperature.
Yes, freezing homemade aussie bites is a great option. Make a double batch and freeze the aussie bites in an airtight container or freezer ziploc bag.
Pack these energy bites in your lunch or let them come to room temperature at home before you enjoy them.
Gluten free aussie bites are a super option to take hiking or skiing for a midday snack and burst of energy!
Aussie bites last for 3-5 days at room temperature. Any longer and you can freeze them.
If you are making homemade bites, you control whether or not you use organic ingredients. If you are buying these from Costco, their ingredient list contains all organic items.
What kitchen tools do I need to make the best homemade aussie bites?
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If you like baking dessert as much as I do, you’ll enjoy these tasty recipes!
Homemade Aussie Bites
Loaded Homemade Aussie bites are a copycat recipe that take the Costco favorite and makes a gluten free version filled with your favorite dried fruits and nuts. Whole grains of oats and quinoa are the base of these energy bites. Apricots, dried cherries, raisins and pistachios add to the flavor.
Ingredients
- 2 cups gluten free oats (separated into 1 cup portions)
- 1 cup cooked quinoa (gluten free)
- 1/4 cup dried apricots
- 1/4 cup dried cherries
- 1/2 cup pitted dates
- 1/4 cup raisins
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup pistachios
- 1/2 cup coconut flakes
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a mini muffin tin with baking spray (optional)
Use a food processor to process 1 cup of the oats until consistency is like flour. Pour into a medium size bowl. Add the remaining cup of oats and the quinoa. Stir to combine.
No need to clean the food processor. Add the apricots, dried cherries, dates, and raisins. Pulse to break down the fruits into tiny pieces. Going all the way to a smooth paste is fine too. Add the oats and quinoa and back into the food processor.
Add the honey, coconut flakes, pistachios, melted butter, and baking soda. Pulse until the mixture comes together. It will likely form a ball.
Place about 1 tablespoon of the mixture into each mini muffin space. Press down to fill the muffin cavity.
Bake for 12-14 minutes or until the edges start to brown.
Let cool in the muffin tin completely before removing.
Notes
Customize the ingredients to make these fit your preferences and diet requirements.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
24Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 83Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 4mgSodium: 65mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 1gSugar: 8gProtein: 1g
This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix and is to an estimate only.
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Holly Baker started the food blog, A Baker’s House, in 2011. She is the writer, recipe creator, and photographer for the site. Holly loves to bake and shares recipes for gluten free food, canning recipes, as well as traditional desserts too. Her recipes and food photography have been highlighted by BuzzFeed, Reader’s Digest, and She Knows.
Melissa
Sunday 14th of August 2022
These were delicious! I'm still curious how they'd turn out using one cup of cooked oatmeal instead of raw, but oh my--so good! They were soft, moist, and chewy.
Melissa
Tuesday 2nd of August 2022
I plan to try these tomorrow, I'm curious as to how they would turn out if we cooked the oatmeal. What do you think?
Gretchen
Friday 23rd of July 2021
Could I add a scoop of protein powder to the batter to boost the protein before baking?
Holly Baker
Sunday 5th of September 2021
Yes, that should be fine although I haven't done so myself.
Gwen
Tuesday 26th of January 2021
Any ideas of what I could use as a substitute for quoina? Flaxmeal? Chia seeds?
Holly Baker
Tuesday 26th of January 2021
These are fairly flexible. You can leave the quinoa out and use other nuts and seeds to make up for the volume.
Kate Machin
Wednesday 8th of July 2020
These sound yummy! Just for the record, I'm Australian and have never heard of Aussie Bites :) However, this recipe seems to be based on our traditional Anzac cookie (or biscuit, as Aussies call it), which includes oats, coconut, golden syrup, sugar, butter and baking soda but no dried fruit or quinoa. They were originally created to send to our troops in World War One as they keep really well.
Holly Baker
Wednesday 8th of July 2020
Thanks for the info! Yes, I think the term "Aussie" in describing these bites is likely a marketing choice and not necessarily replicating something that is common in Australia. Whatever they are called-- I really like them! I'll have to give the Anzac cookie a try too. Thanks for your comment!