Chocolate Date Energy Balls
Posted Jan 26, 2020, Updated May 12, 2025
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No-Bake Chocolate Date Energy Balls Recipe! These healthy energy balls are made in 5 minutes with 8 ingredients and they taste like brownie bites! They are vegan, Paleo gluten-free and have no refined sugar, but you’d never know it! They’re also freezer-friendly!
These chocolate date energy bites are a snack time staple in our house. Skip the pre-packaged snacks and make these energy balls full of wholesome ingredients! Also try homemade granola bars, homemade trail mix, and fruit snacks!
We love these because they taste like brownie bites, but contain lots of of healthy fats, protein and fiber. They’re also great for pregnant women who are trying to eat dates to prepare for labor (which was described me perfectly for 10 years)!
They are easy to make, have no added sugar (are just sweetened by dates) and are freezer friendly.
Date Energy Balls: Ingredients & Substitutions
As always, let’s chat about the ingredients in this paleo energy balls recipe, as well as possible substitutions.
- Pecans/Cashews. You can substitute your favorite nuts. Use a total of 1 cup of nuts. I prefer softer nuts (pecans, cashews, walnuts) in this recipe over almonds for a soft and brownie-like texture.
- Almond butter. Any nut butter works great in this recipe! My top recommendations are almond butter and cashew butter.
- Almond milk. Use your favorite non-dairy milk in this recipe.
- Sea salt. If you use salted nuts, you will want to omit or decrease the amount of sea salt.
How to Make Date Energy Balls
This energy balls recipe only take a mere 5 minutes to make with 8 ingredients! It’s super easy, but I have some tips to help ensure your e energy-bite-making success! Don’t forget to watch the video too!
The first step in this recipe is to process the dates and nuts together until a crumbly meal forms. This ensures that there won’t be any large chunks of dates in the final product!
Then, add the rest of the ingredients to the date/nut mixture in the food processor and process until mixture just starts to clump together and easily holds together when squeezed.
Next, measure out 1 Tabespoon portions of the date energy balls mixture, and roll them into balls. Repeat until all the mixture has been used.
Chill & Serve
Place rolled energy bites in a storage container with a lid, and store them in the refrigerator or freezer. These chocolate energy balls are best served cold.
We actually store ours in the freezer! We usually eat them frozen, but sometimes let them thaw a little bit before enjoying them!
Date Energy Balls Recipe FAQs
Store these date energy balls in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer.
These vegan energy balls last for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator, and 3 months in the freezer if stored properly.
If you make and love my recipes, it would mean so much to me if you would leave a comment and rating! And don’t forget to follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, TikTok and Youtube – be sure to tag @joyfoodsunshine and use the hashtag #joyfoodsunshine so I can see your creations!
Chocolate Date Energy Balls (Vegan & Paleo)
Ingredients
- 2 cups pitted dates
- ½ cup raw pecans
- ½ cup raw cashews
- 2 Tablespoons cocoa powder
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- 2 Tablespoons almond butter
- 1 Tablespoon unsweetened almond milk
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Line a baking pan with wax paper, set aside. (You will not be baking these, you just need a place to set your rolled bites as you make them).
- Put dates, pecans and cashews in a food processor fitted with an “S” blade or and process until the mixture is fine and uniform throughout.
- Add the rest of the ingredients in the order listed (cocoa powder, salt, almond butter, almond milk, & vanilla) to the food processor and process until mixture just starts to clump together.
- Roll 1 Tablespoon portions of the “dough” into balls and place them on the prepared baking sheet.
- Transfer the rolled energy balls to an airtight container and store in the fridge or freezer until they are chilled/hardened.
- Serve chilled or room temperature.
Video
Notes
- Pecans/Cashews. You can substitute your favorite nuts. Use a total of 1 cup of nuts. I prefer softer nuts (pecans, cashews, walnuts) in this recipe over almonds for a soft and brownie-like texture.
- Almond butter. Any nut butter works great in this recipe! My top recommendations are almond butter and cashew butter.
- Almond milk. Use your favorite non-dairy milk in this recipe.
- Sea salt. If you use salted nuts, you will want to omit or decrease the amount of sea salt.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
These look so good!!
Are they sticky enough to add coconut flakes or sprinkles?
Yes you could definitely coat them in those ingredients!
Excellent recipe! I add sweetened cacao nibs to mine—-scrumptious.
Love that addition Heather – yum!
very good! I only made half a batch. Added chopped choc chips
Thank you Jess! Love the addition of chocolate chips, yum!
These are INSANE! Used hazelnuts & cashews because I did not have pecans at home. These really taste like tiny brownie bites, they are incredible.
Next time if make this, I will press the mixture into a square brownie pan and drizzle melted chocolate on top, for a “brownie” look! Thank you for this!
I’m so happy you love these, Malika! I love your idea to turn them into brownies!
We love these! At times I don’t have a full 2 cups of dates so I use some unsweetened, dried cherries to make up for the missing dates and they are delish in there too. Thanks for the great recipe!
Using cherries sounds delicious, Beth!
Easy to make and oh so decadent!! Such a healthy alternative to a brownie or piece of chocolate cake.
Thank you so much Sally!
Thank you so much these look awesome
I hope you make them and love them!
I never comment but these are SO GOOD!!! I can’t stop eating them. They might be gone before my poor husband gets home.
I made them with peanut butter and salted cashes (just didn’t add extra salt), cause that’s what we had at home. My daughter loved them! Best snack between her school and sports training!!
I am wondering roughly how many dates make 2 cups? I was told 24 dates… but that seems like a lot??