Date Energy Balls are a healthy snack that you can whip up in minutes, and they taste like cookie dough! All you need is 5 simple ingredients to get started.
Why You’ll Love Them
They’re quick to make. Just add the ingredients to a food processor, and process until the dough sticks together when pressed between your fingers. The whole process takes about 10 minutes!
They taste amazing. The combination of sweet dates, crunchy nuts, and a touch of salt makes these energy bites irresistible. They develop a chewy texture you’ll love!
They are easy to customize. If you don’t have walnuts on hand, you can use almonds, pecans, or you can even make them nut-free by using sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds. If you’re not a fan of shredded coconut, you can replace it with extra nuts, or try adding in a little ground flax seeds for extra fiber.
They’re a nourishing snack. These bite-sized balls are loaded with vitamins and minerals, so they will keep you feeling satisfied! This was my go-to snack while breastfeeding, when I needed something easy to grab with one hand.
They are great for special diets. These date balls are gluten-free and vegan friendly, without using dairy or refined sugar. They’re also oil-free, for those following a whole food plant based diet.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Date balls are easy to customize, so this recipe is just a general suggestion for the ratios. If you don’t love coconut, you can leave it out and simply use a few more nuts.
Look for Medjool dates in the produce section of your grocery store, as they tend to be soft and squishy, and a little larger than other types of dates. If you can only find dates in the bulk section, you might want to soak them in hot water for at least 10 minutes, to help them soften up before processing.
Looking for more ideas? Try Chocolate Date Balls or Peanut Butter Date Balls, if you don’t want to guess on the ratio of ingredients.
How to Make Date Energy Balls
1. Process.
Add the dates, walnuts, coconut, vanilla extract, and sea salt into the bowl of a food processor fitted with an “S” blade. (I use a 12-cup food processor for this.)
Process the ingredients together until they break down and look crumbly, about 60 seconds. You’ll know the mixture is done when it sticks together easily when pressed between your fingers.
Note: You can over-process the date mixture into a greasy mess, so it’s better to stop and check when it looks crumbly. As soon as the mixture can be squeezed together into a ball, stop processing!
2. Roll into balls.
Use a tablespoon or 1-ounce cookie scoop to scoop the date mixture, then squeeze or roll it into balls between your hands.
Line a baking sheet or large plate with parchment paper, and place the balls on the prepared pan as you go. You should get roughly 18 balls from this recipe, but you can double it if you’d like to make more for the week ahead.
3. Enjoy!
You can enjoy one of these date balls right away, or store them in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer. They will keep well in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, or you can freeze them for up to 3 months.
Frequently Asked Questions
A high-speed blender is almost too powerful to blend the sticky dates, so it will require a LOT of patience, and stopping to scrape down the sides to keep everything moving. A food processor is wider, and therefore moves the ingredients around more easily without burning-out the motor.
If you want to use honey or maple syrup instead of dates, try my Peanut Butter Protein Balls recipe, which is made without a food processor.
Feel free to add a teaspoon of cinnamon for some spice, some chocolate chips for a cookie dough ball, or cocoa powder for chocolate date ball that tastes like a brownie bite.
Looking for more healthy snacks? Try Banana Snack Cake, Homemade Granola Bars, or Chocolate Hummus for more ideas.
Date Energy Balls
Date Energy Balls are a quick & easy snack that taste like cookie dough! All you need is 5 simple ingredients to make them, with no added sugar.
Servings:
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup Medjool dates , pitted
- 1 cup walnuts (or other nuts/seeds)
- ½ cup shredded unsweetened coconut
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
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In a large food processor fitted with an “S” blade, add the pitted dates, walnuts, coconut, vanilla extract, and salt. Process briefly, until the mixture looks crumbly.
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As soon as the mixture sticks together when pressed between your fingers, it’s ready to roll into balls. Be careful not to over-process the mixture, as it can become quite greasy when blended for too long.
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Use a 1-ounce cookie scoop or tablespoon to scoop the mixture, then roll it between your hands to form balls. (Sometimes you’ll need to squeeze it first to stick together, then roll into balls.) Repeat the process with the remaining mixture, until you’ve made roughly 18 date balls.
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You can enjoy these date balls right away at room temperature, or store them in an airtight container with a lid. They will keep well in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Notes
For variations and substitution ideas, be sure to see the FAQ section in this post.
Update Note: This recipe originally called for 1 tablespoon of coconut oil to help the mixture break down faster, but I find that it can make the date balls greasy if you process them too long, so now that’s been removed. Feel free to add in the coconut oil, if you find your mixture is looking too dry.
Nutrition
Calories: 83kcal, Carbohydrates: 8g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 33mg, Potassium: 100mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 13IU, Vitamin C: 0.1mg, Calcium: 12mg, Iron: 0.3mg
If you try this easy date ball recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below letting me know how you like it!