Its a bit counter-intuitive to most people but the fatter tyres have measurably less rolling resistance on anything rough, its only really on sealed roads that you might find them a bit more draggy.
There are in between options too, some bikes have enough frame clearance to run 29x2.6" or even 2.8" tyres. When I wear out the 2.3" on mine I will probably try out 2.5".
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