aussie bites

by Stacy

Am I the only person left without a Costco membership? Some days I feel that way.

A friend and I went for a walk on the beach a few weeks ago and since the weather forecast said “75 and sunny” but meant “62 and cloudy” we decided to pop into a cafe for a cup of tea to warm up. We were in line and the guy ahead of us asked the barista for a solid little mini muffin on display in the bakery case. Intrigued, we asked what they were called; the hipster behind the counter replied, “Aussie bites.” We each ordered one.

aussie bites

Aussie bites are denser than muffins but have a nice flour component that makes them more tender than granola bars. As we nibbled our fiberlicious snacks, I mentioned that I would have to try making some at home. I eyed my bite thoughtfully, identifying flax seeds, sunflower seeds, wheat germ, coconut, and raisins, pondering the other ingredients.

A full four seconds of research on the ol’ intertubes back at home told me that they’re from Costco and you can just call them up and ask for the recipe, which several people have already done on my behalf and slapped it up on the web.

Huh. Well, that was easy.

aussie bites

aussie bites

So far I have made these twice — first a quarter of a batch, then a half batch. Who needs 50 mini muffins? Not I. The second time I used olive oil in place of the copious amount of butter called in the recipe. If you can get over the shock factor of the two sticks of butter, it actually divides out into less than a teaspoon of butter per bite which isn’t actually that bad.

Really take your time chewing thoroughly, savor that small morsel, and try not to eat half a dozen in a sitting and you should be fine. Next time I might try half butter, half oil. If I had any applesauce on hand I might have given that a shot as a partial replacement, too. The buttery flavor was nice and the oil-based batch took a few minutes longer to cook. Either way, they’re a handy snack.

The other changes I made were adding salt and vanilla (really? neither?) and a small handful of chopped almonds which were lovely even though I forgot to add them the second time. For the cup of dried fruit I used equal parts raisins and dates — the dates sort of melt in subtly, the raisins are more overt.

Have you had Aussie bites? What’s your favorite snack from Costco?

aussie bites

Aussie Bites

Adapted from Costco
Makes 50 mini muffins

My hand-me-down mini muffin pan is not non-stick, so I very lightly greased it, ran a knife around the edges after baking, and didn’t have any trouble.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups rolled oats
  • 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
  • 2/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1 1/4 cups shredded coconut
  • 1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds
  • 1/4 cup flaxseeds
  • 1/4 cup toasted wheat germ
  • 1 cup finely chopped dried fruit (apricots, raisins, dates, figs, cranberries, etc.)
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons hot water
  • 3 eggs, beaten

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350F.
  2. Stir dry ingredients together in a bowl.
  3. Melt honey and butter together. Mix baking soda and salt with hot water and add to butter mixture. Stir in vanilla. Combine butter mixture with dry ingredients, add eggs, and mix well.
  4. Use a tablespoon to drop the batter into lined or lightly-greased mini muffin tins. Flatten the tops.
  5. Bake for 10-12 minutes at 350F or until golden. Remove from oven and let cool in pan for 5 minutes; finish cooling on wire racks.

aussie bites


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{ 27 comments… read them below or add one }

TreeHugginMomma June 23, 2010 at 5:36 am

These look yummy and I am certain my girls would love them. I wonder if they need to be in muffin cups or if I could just spoon them onto a pan (ie how thin is the batter?) I have a question about the applesauce sub as well. I have heard people say the sub apple sauce or prune puree for all or some of the oil in many recipes, is there a formula for that? I think I have all these ingredients on hand and will have to give this a go. I take that back I need sunflower seeds but I am sure I can use what I have on hand. I think I would like to add chopped walnuts or my DD’s new obsesion toasted almond slices. While I adore that she eats uber healthy, does she have to eat the most expensive items out there?

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Stacy June 23, 2010 at 1:50 pm

The batter is pretty thick, so you could probably get a dense cookie out of it. I would probably line the pan with parchment or a silpat to prevent sticking, though. If you try it, report back!

My mental rule for the applesauce/banana/other oil substitutions is to swap out 1/3 to 1/2 the total amount to prevent dryness. The oil keeps them tender, and while the amount looks scary, it isn’t too bad per “bite.” I feel you on the nuts front. I’ve been ordering almonds in two pound bags and my husband eats them by the handful.

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TreeHugginMomma June 28, 2010 at 9:17 am

So I haven’t had the time (ok its been really hot and turning on the oven isn’t happening in this house) to try yet, but after reading other comments I might just make bars. I like the look of little muffins, but alas no mini muffin pan (and do I really need one?)

I have no issue with oil or butter (I was raised on LARD) I was just curious about the apple sauce v oil option. Thanks for answering.

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Kate June 23, 2010 at 11:19 am

Those look delicious! (much better than the Costco link)! I don’t have any mini muffin tins, but I may try these as regular muffins…or do you think they would work as granola bars, just pressed into a sheet pan?

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Stacy June 23, 2010 at 1:55 pm

Thanks! If you do regular-sized muffins I would say 15 minutes would be a closer baking time. I bet they would work as bars, too, or as “cookies” as discussed one comment up. A sheet pan would work better than a deeper cake pan, I think. Let me know if you try it!

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Annette June 23, 2010 at 11:58 am

I am lacking in the Costco & Sam’s wholesale membership arena. No special snacks here. =) Thank you for posting this one – Will have to mix up some ‘o these later this week.

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Stacy June 23, 2010 at 1:56 pm

Of course I said I don’t need 50 mini muffins from the whole batch, but I’ve already made 3/4 of a batch and my husband keeps eating them. So mix up a whole batch and hide some in the freezer some for later. 😉

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Allie June 23, 2010 at 1:05 pm

I don’t have a Costco membership, either. Someone gave me one as a gift once, but I let it lapse as I couldn’t find a use for a gallon of salsa or bricks of cheese. Still, I yearn for one every time I eat some yummy thing at a party and find out it’s from–where else–Costco. In my carefree gluten-filled days, my fav was their chocolate bundt cake: moist chocolatey bliss. I bet you could make it even tastier and definitely more healthful!

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Stacy June 23, 2010 at 2:04 pm

It would not surprise me to learn that my husband dreams of gallons of salsa and huge bricks of cheese. Hmm.

Right after I saw your comment I saw this gluten-free chocolate cake recipe on Serious Eats. You could easily substitute non-dairy milk and be good to go! I think the healthiest way to approach cake is to eat more veggies beforehand and just have a small slice. 😀

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Allie June 26, 2010 at 10:52 pm

OMG, it looks amazing! I’ll try it and let you know how it turns out. Thanks!!!
P.S. I’ll TRY to eat more veggies FIRST, but it’s so tempting just to eat the cake as the meal in case you get too full to eat it afterwards!

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Gwyndlyn June 23, 2010 at 7:16 pm

Oh my, these are MY kind of snacks! When it cools down enough to cook indoors again, I’ll remember these.

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Carl W. Woody November 18, 2011 at 8:33 am

I am glad to see this recipe for the Aussie Bites because I love them. Unfortunately the Costco in southeastern U.S. is not carrying them anymore and our local store had them just one time and they were gone. I’d love to find another source for them in the Greenville, SC area. Maybe we can get Trader Joe’s to stock them. In the meantime I can print this recipe and see if we can do a credible job of making them at home.

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Janet August 21, 2012 at 1:58 pm

I am in love with Aussie bites from Costco. I might try to make them though to tweak the ingredients to my own personal tastes.

I wonder how a dash of cinnamon would taste?

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Stacy August 24, 2012 at 11:21 am

I don’t think cinnamon would hurt!

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Valerie September 2, 2012 at 11:01 am

My daughters (7 and 9) LOVE the Aussie Bites from Costco! They are a great snack for them to take to school.
I have been looking for the recipe and stubbled upon yours. Please let me know if you have tried the applesauce/butter combo as a substitute. We bake a lot with applesauce, but sometimes the consistency just is off.
Thank you.

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Stacy September 5, 2012 at 7:11 pm

Hi Valerie, I have not tried applesauce since I never seen to have any. Mashed banana could be a good substitute to try, too (if you like bananas). Next time I make them I’ll pick some applesauce up and let you know!

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Kasia September 26, 2012 at 10:29 pm

I am soooo happy that I found your website! We don’t have these at our Costco here in Langley, BC, and the ones we buy at the Costco in WA don’t last long enough between trips! Thank you for posting this recipe, I will be making them tomorrow! They do make a great snack :)

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DarlaGee April 6, 2013 at 5:29 pm

I am addicted to these & am careful not to buy them too much. They are pretty expensive at Costco so was wanting to try to make them. I think I’ll follow the recipe exactly cuz we love them exactly like we get them at Costco. Thanks!!

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Stacy April 6, 2013 at 9:49 pm

They’re so addictive! I have to be careful when I make them or I just keep nibbling at them. Hope you enjoy them!

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minimor August 28, 2013 at 4:55 pm

I just tried Aussie Bites today at my daughter’s(she found them at HEB grocers), and they are superlative! Thanks for your telling of all you’ve tried, and the responses, as I try to keep the fat down, also. I love them! But they do seem overly expensive: 10 bites for $4. Thanks for your sharing all your experiences, as it helps me to know what to try.

My concern is that it seems bars would not hold their shape, but crumble. I’ll try and see what happens. Thanks again.

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Sonia November 19, 2014 at 8:49 am

I just made these last night and they’re great!! I made some substitutions either in an attempt to make them a bit healthier or because I didn’t have the ingredient:

Substituted whole wheat pastry flour with whole wheat flour
Substituted 1c butter with 1/2 c butter, 1/2 cup PUMPKIN! 😀
Substituted honey with agave nectar
Substituted sunflower seeds with chopped walnuts
Used cranberries and apricots as fruit
Added pumpkin pie spice (cinnamon/nutmeg/allspice)

They turned out fantastic!! However next time, I will definitely be halving the recipe! Thanks for sharing!!

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Karem December 6, 2014 at 11:27 am

I love this recipe! They are yummy!!!

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Lisa December 23, 2014 at 2:35 pm

Thanks for the recipe. I have old fashioned oats in my pantry. I don’t know what rolled oats are. Will this recipe work with old fashioned oats? I have never baked with oats.

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Lorie January 9, 2015 at 11:49 am

Do you know how many regular sized muffins these make and how long you might bake them?

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Ann January 9, 2015 at 1:49 pm

A whole cup of butter? I can’t use that much! It there any way to lighten them up a bit?

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Cheryl February 4, 2015 at 12:20 pm

Where did you get to add eggs? On the ingredient list it does not who eggs… Mine came out very dry.

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Stacy March 14, 2015 at 12:29 am

Hi Cheryl, the last ingredient on the list is 3 beaten eggs. Sorry your muffins didn’t turn out this round!

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