This recipe has been in the works for quite a while. One of my favorite free samples at Costco is the Aussie Bites. They are so stinkin’ delicious, but boy are they expensive. I may or may not sneak back for second and third samples. I’d been salivating over them for far too long so I embarked on making my own copycat version at home.
I took a picture of the ingredient list on the box and went to work. After a few attempts, I’ve finally settled on a version that seems to match the original. The funny part is my husband hates apricots and we both hate raisins so the ingredient list actually seemed kind of scary. I tried substitutions and leaving out the raisins, but just trust me when I say you need them. For once, raisins don’t ruin everything!
These bites are full of good healthy stuff and are super easy to make in a food processor. If you want, you can substitute melted coconut oil for the butter and canola oil. It’ll be different than the original, but it still tastes great.
Watch the video to see exactly how these are made, including some tips and tricks to help you along the way. I have a whole YouTube Channel where you can check out my cooking show. I have hundreds of restaurant quality recipes you can easily make at home, all right there in video form.
Homemade Aussie Bites
- 1¾ cup rolled oats
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup dried apricots
- ¼ cup raisins
- ¼ cup ground flaxseed
- ¼ cup unsalted sunflower seeds
- ¼ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- ¼ cup cooked quinoa*
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
- ¼ cup canola oil
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 24 count mini-muffin pan.
- Pour 1 cup of rolled oats into a food processor. Process for about 1 minute until oats are pulverized into oat flour.
- Add in the remaining ¾ cup rolled oats, sugar, dried apricots, raisins, flax seed, sunflower seeds, coconut, quinoa, chia seeds, and baking soda. Pulse until apricots and raisins are in small bits.
- Pour in honey, melted butter, canola oil, and vanilla extract. Pulse just until combined.
- Divide batter among the prepared muffin tin.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes until golden brown.
- Remove pan from oven and let cool in pan on a wire cooling rack in the pan.
- Once completely cooled, remove from pan and store in an airtight container for 4 to 5 days.
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Pam Greer says
I don't think I've ever tried these before, but I love the sound of them!!!
Susan@LunaCafe says
Wow, perfect afternoon pick-me-up, loaded with nutrition. They look great too! I have chia seeds but will need to source the flax seeds. I've not run into these at Costco. Will be on the lookout on the next shopping spree.
Cheryl says
Costco is where I buy my ground flax seed (as specified in the recipe)
Heather says
Flax seed is at Costco where the vitamins and health products are located near the pharmacy.
Nutmeg Nanny says
These babies are packed full of goodness!
Anonymous says
@susan you can get flax seeds from most grocery stores down the baking aisle or in bulk foods.
Anonymous says
You just made a follower out of me because of this recipe!! I have done the same thing at Costco!
Rachel Farnsworth says
Phew! Glad someone else does that too! The trick is to have as little interaction as possible. Grabbing while there is a crowd is a golden opportunity.
Anonymous says
I have been on a quest for the perfect aussie bite recipe and have tried several that, while tasty, were not really like Costco's version. I decided to give yours a try since it was a little different (less oats, plus the addition of quinoa and canola oil). So far, your recipe is the closest to the mark! Costco's are a bit more buttery, but this recipe is delicious also. I'm done with my search and this is now my go-to recipe for these tasty morsels. Thank you for sharing!
Rachel Farnsworth says
Well you just made my day! Thank you! I tried really hard to replicate them as closely as possible so this is a huge compliment.
Anonymous says
I've read other recipes that use coconut oil. Have you tried subbing it for the canola and or the butter? Wondering how it would fare??? I'll make it as is, but wonder for the future! thanks for doing the legwork for me 🙂
Rachel Farnsworth says
You can definitely substitute coconut oil. I've done it with success. It does alter the flavor.
GiJane says
Have you used coconut oil in place of butter OR oil…. or both???
Rachel Farnsworth says
I’ve tried both.
Jacquie says
I tried coconut oil in place of the canola oil. Turned out great!!
smileyfish76 says
I am not sure what I did wrong, but mine rose well over the edge of my mini pan as well as are very crumbled. They taste like I want them to, but the big issue was the falling apart. Will try again and fill with a little less "batter". I did use the mini scoop which has been the right size for my mini pan before.
Kristl Walek says
i had the same problem. followed recipe exactly. they melted over the top of the mini muffin holes, and even though i allowed them to cool thoroughly, they just fell apart. so i will have to eat this like a snack granola. so sad.
Rachel Farnsworth says
It sounds like the right proportions of ingredients weren’t added. I have provided two different videos that show you the texture you should achieve.
GiJane says
I think I’m the video she says 1/4 cup of baking soda but recipe states 1/4 tsp….??
Rachel Farnsworth says
Sometimes I say things wrong. Always refer to the written recipe.
Mannaboy1 says
These are the closest thing to the real deal, previous post is right! We were so sad when Costco stopped carrying them. Tried another recipe, thought it was the right one but it didn't even taste anything like yours and didn't have chia or quinoa! We use a half cup of raisins and they are just amazing! Thank you!!
Rachel Farnsworth says
Aw thanks! I'm so sorry your Costco stopped carrying them. That's a travesty!
Saundra says
My nearby Costco still carries them.
El says
Costco has brought them back. I had them today and went in search of a recipe! Thankyou
karinhrh says
I've tried this recipe twice. The flavor is there, but I can't get them to come out of the pan in one piece, they fall apart. Am I under cooking then? Anyone encounter this & have any advice?
Tracy Tooker says
After they cooled for 10 min. In the pan on the wire rack, I flipped the pan over onto the rack and hit the bottoms of the cups with a metal spoon (you can actually hear the difference when they release), and they came right out. Don't touch till they're completely cool and they won't crumble either!
Lori Dean says
And…… Be sure to grind the cup of oats to a “flour”, very fine! I didn’t on my last batch ( in a hurry!) and mine fell apart… First time ever! Other than that, yep, gotta cool em , then pop them out … Yum!,
Anonymous says
My friend and I made a quadruple batch of these this morning and they are delicious! Thanks for a great healthy recipe!
Anonymous says
Hi Rachel – I tried this recipe last night. It was amazing and nutrition packed. I din't find chia seeds, so skipped that and added some organic dates and cranberries instead of raisins. I loved it. Thank you for the recipe – Priyanka
Anonymous says
Hi Rachel – You have used cooked quinoa. While I think the COSTCO one's have raw quinoa. Quinoa is better cooked for our digestive system…guess I'll make this at home now 🙂 Thanks for the recipe.
Carissa Chrzan says
I can't have dairy, so I will have to substitute coconut oil for the butter. I don't mind if the flavor is slightly altered, my concern is the texture. I love how moist the Aussie bites from Costco are. I've tried a vegan version of the recipe and they were disappointingly dry. Are these nice and moist?
Rachel Farnsworth says
These are nice and moist as written. One of my test versions used coconut oil and the result was still moist. The flavor was different, but it was still moist.
Carissa Chrzan says
Awesome, thanks!
Anonymous says
has anyone tried subbing any of the oil for applesauce? I've often had good luck with it and it reduces the oil while adding moisture. Figured I'd check and see if anyone has tried it yet. Can't wait to make these!
Anonymous says
I did it this morning and it worked great. I still used the butter but not the oil.
Anonymous says
how many calories are in these?
Rachel Farnsworth says
I am not a registered dietitian or a chemist so I can't really stand behind any calorie count I could give you. There are number of calorie counters online where you can input recipes for a good estimate, but I do not provide a calorie count on my site for numerous reasons.
Anonymous says
I used my fitness pal. 105 cal each.
Kathy M says
130 in just one of the Costco Aussie Bites
AND 8 grams of sugar which is high so why not cut back on the sugar when there already is honey and sweet pieces in them?
Rachel Farnsworth says
This is meant to be a replica of the store product. There are lots of recipe options out there for healthier versions, they just aren’t the same as the store bought.
john says
good answer.
Anonymous says
I made these last night and they came out so yummy. Thanks much for this awesome recipe! Even though I forgot to put the honey, it had the perfect sweetness. I want to try these with the buckwheat groats next time instead of oats. What do you think of it?
Shalini
Stephanie says
I had these for the first time at a meeting last night, went to a store immediately after and saw the price tag (eek!), and this morning I started looking for a recipe. They are SO good. Thanks! Will try to make some this weekend.
Stephanie says
I had these for the first time at a meeting last night, went to a store immediately after and saw the price tag (eek!), and this morning I started looking for a recipe. They are SO good. Thanks! Will try to make some this weekend.
Anonymous says
I doubled the recipe yesterday and cooked half of it to see how they turned out – I obviously did something wrong as they are not binding together – i have a lot of baked crumbs
any ideas on how I can salvage the other half of the recipe so they bind together when baked – thanks Karen
Rachel Farnsworth says
It sounds like you don't have enough of the wet ingredients to bind it all together. In the video I show close ups so you can get a better idea of the texture it should be. Add a tad more oil and honey until you reach the texture shown.
Unknown says
Even the crumbs are tasty though, I had one fall apart because I wasn't patient enough w/ it and I just ate it with a spoon. like a muesli! 🙂
Robin Boyer says
Hi Rachel,
My son is deployed right now and is asking us to send the usual beef jerky, trail mix, nuts etc. While at Costco my husband saw the Aussie Bites and I food saved 4 per pack and sent it to him. I sent numerous items in 2 boxes and the only thing he sent a message to me about was the Aussie Bites. They are expensive, so I thought I would search online and found your recipe. Have you ever food saved or froze these? I will try to make some later this week, but thought I would check to see if anyone has frozen them or food saved for later. Thanks, Robin
Rachel Farnsworth says
Yes! They are freezable. I haven't tried any other kind of preservation, buy I do know they stay good for quite a while. Give your son my best! I am grateful for his service!
Marcie says
Do you think you could skip the sugar in this recipe and have them turn out ok? I'm fine with them being less sweet, I just want to make sure the texture would still be the same.
Unknown says
I have made them once and was thinking I could stand them a little less sweet myself, and don't remember the ones from costco being quite that sweet either.
The fruit adds quite a bit of sweetness itself, especially if you really mince it in. I was going to try reducing the granulated sugar by 1/2 or leaving it out the next time I try. I think as long as we don't mess with the honey or oil they should still hold together well.
Susan Lamb says
I agree. Way to sweet. But recipe is great otherwise.
luvmyfamily247 says
Thanks so much for this recipe. Not only does my family love it, but I took it to my holistic dentist office as a gift for all the wonderful people there. They LOVED them. I quadrupled this recipe, Halved the sugar, used only 1 c coconut oil, forgot the butter, left out the quinoa and added1/2 c water. It was amazing even with these adaptions and so healthy. They are going to be a staple from now on….
Michele
Anonymous says
This recipe is AWESOME! They did fall apart a bit, but I was not patient enough to let them cool completely…..will try harder next time! I added some fresh lemon zest and highly recommend that addition!! What great snacks for my kids' lunches and at sports events! Thank you!
karinhrh says
I figured it out! I printed the recipe a long time ago….it said cooked quinoa instead of uncooked. That was what was messing everything up. I got it now! Thank you
Rachel Farnsworth says
Ya, the original recipe was cooked which worked, but then one day I tested uncooked and it was even better so I changed it. It also makes it tons easier to not have to cook the quinoa up for it.
Tonya says
Hi Rachel, amazing recipe -Thank you, how much uncooked Quinoa do you add ?
Rachel Farnsworth says
I still use 1/4 cup of uncooked.
ashleyashash says
Have you tried anything to substitute the sugar?? Would love to be able to omit completely.
Rachel Farnsworth says
I have not. This recipe is intended to be as close to the store-bought item as possible. I know there are other recipes out there that have made "healthier" versions.
ashleyashash says
Have you tried anything to substitute the the sugar with??
I'd love to omit it completely.
Anonymous says
Rachel, the Costco ingredients include Oat Flour, but your recipe has NO flour is that right?
Rachel Farnsworth says
I have you making your own oat flour in step 2.
Iesha says
With anyone having the falling apart issue, soak your chia seeds in water for 10 minutes (chia seeds can leech water from your body so you're suppose to soak them anyway) and it makes a chia egg! It helps bind it together 😀
Anonymous says
How can I make them without a food processor? Any suggestions?
Spence and Linda says
We love your Aussie BItes! However, they are crumbly – hard to get out of the pan. I accidentally added 1/4 c chia seeds. Could that be the problem?
Rachel Farnsworth says
Yes, that could be the problem. The ratio of dry ingredients to wet is very important. They shouldn't be crumbly.
Kristin Lennox says
These were great! I made a "veganized" version – I used coconut sugar, soy-free Earth Balance, and coconut oil. I replaced the raisins with dates since its what I had on hand. I think next time they could use a dash of salt to elevate the flavor, but otherwise I loved making (and eating) these gluten free treats!
Anonymous says
Hello, I am really excited to try these, I love the ones at Costco I was just wondering when you say store in an air tight container for 4 to 5 days does that mean they are only good for 4 to 5 days? Or you have to wait 4 to 5 days to eat them?
The Stay At Home Chef says
It means that they stay good for about 5 days. You can eat them right away! 🙂
Natalie says
The recipe I'm seeing says cooked quinoa but the comments say uncooked. Which is correct?
The Stay At Home Chef says
The recipe was updated when I discovered you can do uncooked. Both work, but uncooked is a lot easier.
Courtney says
I made these today and they are outstanding. Thank you so much for developing and sharing this recipe. For reference, I replaced the canola oil and butter with coconut oil and the texture and taste were spot on.
Andrea says
Can I ask how much coconut oil you used? Thank you
Nicole says
Just made these today and they are absolutely delish! Followed the recipe exactly! Thank you for sharing this! Can’t wait to make them again!
Kathryn Glover says
I was searching for a duplicate recipe for the Aussie Bites at Costco and discovered your blog and this recipe. I made them today and they are AMAZING! Thank you!
stayathomechefblog@gmail.com says
Thanks for taking the time to come back and comment! I’m so glad you liked them!
Allysha says
Hi, thank you for posting this recipe, I am very excited to try it. I was wondering whether I should use 1 cup of oat flour or less (if I wanted to use pre-made flour instead of putting oats into the processor in step two).
stayathomechefblog@gmail.com says
Yes, use 1 cup.
Catie says
Yum! How you figured this recipe out I’ll never know. I even convinced my family to eat “hippie” foods like chia seeds and quinoa with these bad boys! I followed the recipe except for subbing coconut oil for canola and dried cranberries for raisins. They were very delicious, very buttery tasting!
Anonymous says
SUGAR FREE VERSION: These are great! Thank you so much for the recipe! I was able to make a sugar free version and and it held up really really well – AND my kids loved it! Just one batch is toooooo little for our family, they get gobbled up. Here are the modifications we made:
– instead of apricots, used 7 large madjool dates
– omitted sugar
– did not have quinoa so omitted it
– instead of canola oil used coconut oil
The dates took care of the sweetness and also helped keep everything together. These were SO good. Thanks again for the wonderful recipe 🙂 🙂
Audrey says
If using uncooked quinoa instead of cooked, do you still use 1 cup, or does the amount change? Thank you!
stayathomechefblog@gmail.com says
Use 1/4 cup of either cooked or uncooked quinoa.
Millary says
I’m confused. Your original recipe says 1/4 cup of cooked quinoa though I see from comments that now you recommend uncooked quinoa – easier.. So why did your comment of 6/24/16 to Audrey say use a heaping cup of cooked quinoa when original recipe says 1/4 cup cooked quinoa?
Rachel Farnsworth says
Oh probably just because I was responding to comments on the go from my phone while running my kids around 🙂 You can use 1/4 cup of cooked or uncooked quinoa. I’ve tested the recipe with both and either ends up fine.
Karen Vedder says
Perfect flavor, but fell completely apart. Couldn’t get them out of the pan. Maybe next time I will add an egg to bind every thing together. Would have been five stars if they had held together.
Rachel Farnsworth says
That usually happens when there isn’t enough of the sticky ingredients. Cups are such terrible measurements for things like dried apricots and raisins. Adding more of those next time will probably solve your issue.
Karen Vedder says
Thanks Rachel. I will probably just turn this batch into crumbs and use it as a topping for an apple crisp.
I bet it will be terrific.
Karen
Kat says
Any idea how they would turn out without the flax? We have so many allergies in my house aND that’s the only one I am not sure of in this recipe…
Rachel Farnsworth says
I think you should be fine leaving out the flax. The recipe is very forgiving.
Annie says
So just to clarify, should the quinoa be cooked or uncooked? The recipe says cooked, but in the comments you mention you don’t cook it anymore? Really excited to try this recipe!
Rachel Farnsworth says
It can be either. Like I said, I tried it without cooking and liked the result just fine so I altered the recipe. If you have cooked quinoa lying around then use it. If not, you can skip the hassle of cooking some just for the recipe. I’m always trying to make things easier.
Mary says
Do you need to put in the sugar? I would love to try and make them but I don’t like the idea of the sugar in them.
Rachel Farnsworth says
Well, I never recommend altering recipes too much in baking because the result will be very different than my original recipe. If you read through the comments there are others who have experimented with sugar replacement options so that may help you out. Or there are dozens of healthier aussie bite recipes out there. This one is intended to be an exact replication of the store bought variety which do contain sugar.
Sue hudson says
Hi folks, has anyone tried adding different flavours, cinnamon, lemon etc. Just wondering as I don’t think I put enough vanilla into the mix. Apart from that I’ve now got to buy another muffin tin as one batch just isn’t enough!
Rachel Farnsworth says
Sounds like it would be great! If you give it a try, be sure to come back and let me know!
Courtney says
I love using coconut products in baking since it’s so healthy, but I can’t get past the flavor/texture of coconut flakes. Will it be a problem if I leave them out??
Rachel Farnsworth says
You can easily leave them out. It shouldn’t affect the final product.
Dani says
Tried these today and they were so good! I used coconut oil because my son can’t bring any snacks to school that have dairy in them (due to a classmate’s allergy). Even with the substitution, they taste very similar to Costco’s Aussie bites! Thanks!
Rhonda W says
Just tasted Aussies for the first time recently and it was love at first bite. I am so excited to try this recipe. I am in full agreement about weights vs. Measures. Much more accurate. That said, do you have the corresponding weights for the measurements? Thanks for all your work to bring us this recipe!
Rachel Farnsworth says
I don’t on this recipe. Sorry!
Shelly says
I am so anxious to try these! Do I really have to buy mini muffin tins? How do you think they’ll come out if I use regular muffin tins, just not fill them too much?
Rachel Farnsworth says
I mean, it’ll definitely work. It may need more baking time though.
Shelly says
Hi. I noticed a difference between the written recipe and the video concerning the processing of the oats. In the video all of the oats are added at the beginning and pulverized into flour. In the written version 1 cup is pulverized with the remainder added later. Which way is correct? Thanks.
Shelly says
Hi, maybe you missed this question. I am about to try this for the second time and was hoping to know which way was preferable. Thanks.
Drummer Man says
For some reason when I follow this recipe it makes 6-8 not 24. I leave out the chia seeds and quinoa but I add more oats and flax so volume should be the same. Anyone else run into this? Tastes awesome though. I use maple syrup instead of honey and it’s really good.
Rachel Farnsworth says
Are you using a regular size muffin tin or a mini muffin tin? The recipe calls for the use of a mini muffin tin which makes 24. Perhaps a regular size muffin would make 6-8.
Nancy says
We are cranberry growers and I would like to try craisens instead of raisins! What do you think?
Rachel Farnsworth says
I think that would work great!
Mia says
Made these today. They turned out perfectly. I found them a bit too sweet so I squeezed lemon juice on top which made them supper delicious. Thank you for the recipe. Mia
Pia says
I was looking for an Aussie Bite recipe and found yours. I just finished making these, they are Delicious !!! The only thing I changed, was omitted the canola oil and replaced it with more butter, melted the butter with honey, and vanilla extract and added a little maple syrup (: I baked them in mini aluminum baking cups, worked out great! Thanks for the recipe, I’ll be making these again.
aarkayne says
I am not a cook. But I love the Aussie Quik Bites so much (have been part of my weight loss diet for about 5 months now having lost 20lbs so far) that I want to be able to make them myself. They are available in my local Costco in Burnsville MN but I see their stock depleting to almost nothing. I do hope they re-stock, but in the meantime this will be my conversion to rookie baker.
Thanks much for the recipe. I will be sure to post what the end result was. In the meantime outstanding stuff from you and may your tribe increase!
Cheers
A
Ssaci says
These are absolutely amazing! I skipped the sugar and used coconut oil instead of canola. I also used figs instead of apricots. Ah so yummy.
Patbronic says
dried figs? Have you ever tried fresh figs?
Amy says
So happy to have found this! Thank you! Made them this morning. They are golden brown but most of them “sunk” in the middle. Any ideas what I did wrong?
Thank you!
Rachel Farnsworth says
They should puff up and then sink back down. If they sink to the point where there is a hole, they may just not have cooked long enough.
تور روسیه نوروز says
thanks
nice and sweet
Lori says
We cannot use coconut products. Do you think I could substitute avocado oil? These sound wonderful. Love to try making them this weekend.
Rachel Farnsworth says
No, avocado oil doesn’t solidify like coconut oil does.
Lori says
What would you suggest as a substitute for coconut oil- olive oil?
SUE BROWN says
This is an awesome recipe and i also added cinnamon, for a slightly spicy flavour.
Ruth Handley says
Would you know the nutritional values for these awesome yummy treats?
Rachel Farnsworth says
Nope, but there seems to be a plethora of apps and online calculators that can tell you. I’m not into nutritional values due to some personal circumstances and feelings about healthy relationships with food.
Lisa says
The recipe is written as cooked quinoa but video is using uncooked quinoa. Please be clear with the direction.
Rachel Farnsworth says
Both work, as noted in the recipe. Cooked quinoa provides a bit more moisture, but uncooked works well too for those who don’t want to cook up a batch of quinoa simply for 1/4 cup.
Lisa says
Oops apology- I guess I didn’t read the direction thoroughly ; ( Just baked! I replaced canola oil with the coconut oil. I actually cooked quinoa ahead just to try this recipe and got confused with the video using dried one. I already devoured that quinoa on salad recipe so i had to use the dry one. I’m def goig to try with cooked quinoa too for the next batch. Smells amazingly exact the same as the one sold at costco! It’s bit late to try so I’m gonna torture myself til next morning. ThanK you for reply and the recipe♡
Leann says
Great recipe!! I subbed dried cherries for apricots and raisins. I also added a dash of almond extract. Definitely will be making again!
Brenda says
I made but the oatmeal didnt grind down to a powder. Used a 500 watt food processor..it basically just moved the oatmeal around.
Rachel Farnsworth says
I’m not sure what to tell you. If your food processor can’t grind oatmeal to a powder then it is a pretty useless food processor.
Lizanne Hatfield says
Can you believe I never tasted Aussie Bites before today? They were so good, I just had to look up a recipe to try to make my own at home. I look forward to trying yours very soon. Just an FYI though…your recipe says 1/4 tsp baking soda, while your video says 1/4 cup. Eek! I plan to try your recipe with the tsp version. Thanks for sharing!
Lori W says
Rhachel, thank you for taking the effort to duplicate and share this tasty recipe! I was introduced to the “Bites” a few short months ago and fell in lust with. Your version is awesome! Thank you again!
GiJane says
I just did this recipe but in place of butter I use coconut oil in in place of canola oil are used apple sauce came out really nice thanks for the recipe Rachel !!!!!!
Kathy in DC says
I am looking forward to trying this! One question–my Whole Foods has two kinds of ground flaxseed–fine or medium grind. Does it make any difference which one I use? Thank you.
Rachel Farnsworth says
Both would be fine.
Alice says
Delecious and so easy to make. I think I might add a pinch of salt next time – just to brighten the flavors of the fruits.
Kim says
This recipe is fabulous! I’m a nursing mama & always looking for snacks to boost my supply. I added 2 tablespoons of brewers yeast powder to the mixture. The oats, chia, flax & apricots give a good boost already! I replaced all oils with coconut oil & they set up nicely. Thank you for creating this yummy recipe!!
Heather says
Costco has flax seed in the health care section near the pharmacy. They moved it awhile ago. I had to ask. It’s $8.79 in Canada.
Also wondering if anyone has substituted something for the sugar?
Anna S. says
I just tried these at Costco and I’m addicted! Thank you for your recipe and for making a video to go along with it! I can’t wait to try this recipe!