These easy and healthy no-bake energy balls are made in no time in the food processor. Infused with chocolate and coconut, they’re the perfect guilt-free sweet snack!
I was ravenous!
The gurgling of my stomach was loud enough to shake the entire building. I hurried into my car. The whole drive home I visualized the inside of the fridge so that I could make a game plan.
When I got home, still overwhelmed with hanger.
I’m not sure what it is about working at a desk all day that makes us super hungry. We had to find snacks that were on the healthier side (though still flavorful!) to support our after work habit.
These energy bites do just that! They give that sweet burst at the end of a long day without weighing you down like a piece of cake would.
How to make energy bites
You can make these energy bites literally in no time! The recipe can also be doubled or tripled so you can make big batches to store in the fridge for your entire family. Try to eat just one..
This is how you make them:
- Soak the dates for 5 minutes and remove pits (FYI: You can skip the soaking step if you want, but the soaking helps with digestion)
- Place all of the ingredients in the food processor (should form a cohesive, sticky dough ball)
- Roll the dough into 10-12 balls
- Coat each ball with coconut flakes
- EAT!
Why you should use Medjool dates as a refined sugar free sweetener
With store bought sweet treats, it’s nearly impossible to avoid granulated sugar. Actually there’s typically a lot of sugar even in savory items like store-bought ketchup or tomato sauce as well. P.S. If you need a sugar free tomato sauce, try my Homemade Tomato Sauce recipe. Instead of falling into the refined sugar trap, you can avoid it by making some sweets from scratch.
Medjool dates are like nature’s sugar. Unlike most other dried fruits, Medjool dates are dried without added sugar. They’re plenty sweet on their own. If you want to start using them more, they’re perfect in these energy bites of course but also in dense desserts like brownies and chocolate chip cookies.
Make these energy bites your own!
While the main flavors here are chocolate, coconut and nuts (cashews and sunflower seeds), this energy bites recipe is really flexible if you want to mix it up.
Here are some potential flavor swaps you can make:
- Instead of cashews, you can use almonds or walnuts
- Don’t like chocolate? Leave it out and replace it with your favorite flavored protein powder
- I use cinnamon in these but you can substitute for all types of spices like cardamom or turmeric
Pin this recipe on Pinterest, share it on Instagram and let me know what you think in the comments!
No-bake energy bites with dates and nuts
Rate this Recipe:Ingredients
- 1 cup medjool dates
- 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes plus an additional 1/2 cup for rolling the energy bites in
- 1/2 cup raw cashews
- 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
- 1 tbs cocoa powder
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/8 tsp salt
- pinch cayenne pepper (optional)
Instructions
- Soak the dates for 5 minutes in warm water. Reserve some of the soaking water. Remove the pits if the dates aren't already pitted.
- Place all of the ingredients in the food processor and pulse until it forms a cohesive, sticky dough ball. Note: If the mixture is too dry, add the reserved date soaking water 1 tbs at a time.
- Roll the dough into 10-12 balls. Coat each ball with coconut flakes. Enjoy!
Did you try this recipe? I’d love to see how it turned out! Snap a picture and tag @brightrootskitchen or use #brightrootskitchen on Insta.
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