What You’ll Need

• 1 cup peanut butter
• ⅔ cup mini chocolate chips, plus ¼ cup for topping
• 4 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup rolled oats
• ¼ cup crushed pretzels
• ¼ cup shredded coconut
• Food coloring (optional)

What to Do

1. In a large bowl, combine peanut butter, mini chocolate chips, cocoa powder, and rolled oats. Mix well.
2. Form the mixture into 1-inch balls.
3. Put the toppings—the mini chocolate chips, crushed pretzels, and shredded coconut—in three individual bowls. Roll or press each ball in a topping. (Color the coconut beforehand by putting some in a plastic bag and adding a few drops of food coloring.)
4. Set the finished cocoa bites on a plate and chill them for 20 minutes before serving.

Extend the Fun

Younger kids: Read the recipe aloud to your child, then show it to her. Ask her to say the numbers she sees and point to them. Then measure and count the ingredients together. Your youngster probably won’t get the fractions yet, but counting the cup of peanut butter, teaspoons of cocoa, drops of food coloring—not to mention the number of finished products—is a great way to develop math skills.  

Older kids: Encourage your child to make a batch of these to give as a gift. Not only will he feel proud and accomplished for creating a delicious treat from start to finish, he’ll also feel great for doing something nice for someone else. And remind him to set aside one bite for a younger sibling or cousin, who will appreciate his work, too.