Chocolate Date Energy Balls

By Laura

Posted Jan 26, 2020, Updated Apr 29, 2024

4.98 from 46 votes

57 Comments

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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!.

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

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Chocolate Date Energy Balls (Vegan & Paleo)

Laura

The best chocolate date energy balls recipe! These healthy energy balls are easy to make in 5 minutes with 8 nutritious ingredients and taste like brownie bites.

4.98 from 46 votes

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American

Servings 20 Energy Bites

Calories 56.1

Prep Time5 minutes minutes

Chill time10 minutes minutes

Total Time15 minutes minutes

Equipment

• Food processor
• measuring spoons
• measuring cups
• spatula

Ingredients 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 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.

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Video

Notes

 Ingredients & 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.

Store/Freeze

Store these chocolate energy balls in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, or the freezer for up to 3 months. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1energy bite | Calories: 56.1kcal | Carbohydrates: 4.8g | Protein: 1.2g | Fat: 3.7g | Saturated Fat: 0.5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.9g | Sodium: 32.1mg | Potassium: 33.1mg | Fiber: 1.1g | Sugar: 3.4g | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 0.3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Did you enjoy this recipe? Have a question? Leave a comment below!

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