9 Date Energy Balls Recipes
on Jul 07, 2016, Updated Jun 15, 2024
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Date Energy Balls are packed with fiber, protein and healthy fat. All you need are some dates and nuts, a few extras, and a food processor and you’ll be rolling up these healthy snacks in a few minutes.
These simple fruit and nut treats are healthy snacking perfection. There’s something magical about the combination of the healthy fat and protein from the nuts, and the natural sweetness and carbs from the dates. This is the ultimate whole food pick-me-up.
While you’re at it, prep a Veggie Box, some Extra Protein Oatmeal Bites or a couple of these 10 Snacks to Prep in Advance so you have easy, healthy snacks for you and your family when hunger strikes.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Super easy and fast to make – thanks to the food processor.
- Each recipe calls for just a handful of whole-food ingredients.
- They make a simple breakfast or snack and a great addition to lunch boxes.
Recipe Ingredients
- Chocolate Peanut Butter: dates, peanut butter, cocoa powder, peanuts
- Lemon: dates, cashews, shredded coconut, lemon, salt
- Almond Joy: dates, almonds, cocoa powder, shredded coconut, salt, vanilla extract
- Pumpkin Pie Spice: dates, pecans, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla extract, salt
- Piña Colada: dried tropical fruits, dates, cashews, almonds, salt
- Coconut: shredded coconut, dates, cashews, almonds, coconut oil, vanilla extract, salt
- Dark Chocolate Cherry: almonds, dried cherries, dates, salt, dark chocolate chips
- Peanut Butter and Jelly: dates, peanuts, peanut butter, dried blueberries, almonds
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Popular Substitutions and Variations
Nuts – The nuts that you use don’t really matter; use what you like. I normally do half almonds because they are a nice “neutral” nut with a firm texture. The other half I’ll use what I have and it’ll end up being pecans, peanuts, walnuts, cashews, or a combo of any of those.
Dried fruits – I like to use dried fruit with no added sugar because these recipes are sweet enough thanks to the dates. You can customize these healthy snacks with any dried fruit you want.
Dates – Fresh dried dates should be a bit sticky. If your dates are a bit older, they will be drier. They are still fine to use but you may need to add a little water if the mixture isn’t coming together into a dough.
How to Make Date Energy Balls
- Step #1. Put all of the ingredients into a food processor.
- Step #2. Turn the food processor on and process for 3 to 5 minutes or until it turns into a thick “dough.”
- Step #3. Remove the blade and roll about a tablespoon of the dough into a ball with your hands.
- Step #4. Store completed balls in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month or in the freezer for longer.
Recipe FAQs
You are going to need a at least an 8-cup food processor. I have this 13-cup Kitchen Aid Food Processor and it’s awesome. If you have a smaller food processor or a weak motor, make a half batch so that you don’t burn out the motor.
Maybe. If you have a high-power blender, it should work but I haven’t tested it. I have only made these energy balls in a food processor.
About 3 to 5 minutes. Try not to run it so long that the nuts turn into nut butter because that will pull the oil out. They are still fine to eat but will be greasy when you roll them into balls.
If you don’t have time to roll the dough into balls, you can press the mixture into a square baking dish lined with parchment paper. Chill for at least two hours, remove them with the paper, cut into bars, and store.
I like to use raw unsalted nuts for these, but I have tried them with roasted and/or salted nuts too and they were great. If you are using salted nuts, don’t add any salt to the recipe.
Expert Tips
- Make sure to check whether your dates are pitted or not. If they aren’t pitted, remove the pits by carefully slicing them open with a paring knife and popping the pit out.
- If the ingredients are chopped into super small pieces but the dough isn’t coming together, try adding a teaspoon of water at a time (up to a tablespoon or two) to encourage everything to come together.
- Be sure to add at least some salt (it really heightens the sweet), and if you like a sweet and salty treat, go heavy on your pinch.
More Healthy Snack Recipes to Consider
Healthy Snacks
8 Easy Homemade Granola Bar Recipes
Gluten Free Recipes
8 No-Bake Oatmeal Energy Balls
From Scratch Recipes
Grandma’s Quick Pickled Cucumbers – Refrigerator Pickles
Granola Recipes
Healthy Homemade Granola
Did you make this recipe? Leave a ⭐️ review and share it on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest!
9 Date Energy Balls Recipes
Ingredients
Chocolate Peanut Butter Energy Bites
- 1 cup dates
- 1/2 cup peanut butter, (natural, normal, chunky, smooth, doesn't matter much)
- 2-3 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup peanuts
Lemon Energy Bites
- 1 cup dates
- 1 cup cashews
- 1/2 cup shredded coconut, (I like this brand of unsweetened shredded coconut)
- zest from one large lemon
- juice from one large lemon
- pinch of sea salt
Almond Joy Energy Bites
- 1 cup dates
- 1 cup almonds
- 2 to 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup shredded coconut, (I like this brand of unsweetened shredded coconut)
- pinch of sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pumpkin Pie Spice Energy Bites
- 1 cup dates
- 1 cup pecans
- 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- pinch of sea salt
Piña Colada Energy Bites
- 1/2 cup dried tropical fruits, (I used mandarin oranges, pineapple, and mango)
- 1/2 cup dates
- 1/2 cup cashews
- 1/2 cup almonds
- pinch of sea salt
Coconut Energy Bites
- 1 cup shredded coconut, (I like this brand of unsweetened shredded coconut)
- 1/2 cup dates
- 1/2 cup cashews
- 1/2 cup almonds
- 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- pinch of sea salt
- additional shredded coconut for rolling
Dark Chocolate Cherry Energy Bites
- 1 cup almonds
- 2/3 cups dried cherries, (I like dried tart cherries)
- 2/3 cup dates
- pinch of sea salt
- 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips, melted
Peanut Butter and Jelly Energy Bites
For the Peanut Butter side:
- 1/2 cup dates
- 1/2 cup peanuts
- 1/4 cup peanut butter
For the Jelly side:
- 1/2 cup dried blueberries
- 1/2 cup dates
- 1/2 cup almonds
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients to the bowl of your food processor and blend until the nuts are well chopped and a thick “dough” starts to form, about 3-5 minutes of processing. If the ingredients are chopped into super small pieces but the dough isn’t coming together, try adding a teaspoon of water at a time (up to a tablespoon or two) to encourage everything to come together.
- When the ingredients are well incorporated, remove the blade from the food processor.
- Take 1 large tablespoon of the “dough” and roll it into a ball in between your hands.
- Repeat with remaining dough.
- Keep the balls in the fridge for up to a month or in the freezer much longer.
Additional instructions for the dark chocolate cherry version:
- Take 1 large tablespoon of the “dough” and roll it into a ball in between your hands. Repeat with remaining dough. Drizzle the top of each ball with melted dark chocolate. Keep the balls in the fridge for up to a month or in the freezer much longer.
Additional instruction for the peanut butter and jelly version:
- Add all of the ingredients for the peanut butter side to the bowl of your food processor and blend until the nuts are well chopped and a thick “dough” starts to form, about 3-5 minutes of processing. If the ingredients are chopped into super small pieces but the dough isn’t coming together, try adding a teaspoon of water at a time (up to a tablespoon or two) to encourage everything to come together. When the ingredients are well incorporated, remove the blade from the food processor and scrape the mixture out into another bowl.
- For the jelly side, add all of the ingredients to the bowl of your food processor and blend until the nuts are well chopped and a thick “dough” starts to form, about 3-5 minutes of processing. If the ingredients are chopped into super small pieces but the dough isn’t coming together, try adding a teaspoon of water at a time (up to a tablespoon or two) to encourage everything to come together. When the ingredients are well incorporated, remove the blade from the food processor and scrape the mixture out into another bowl.
- Take a large teaspoon of the peanut butter mixture and roll it into a ball. Take a large teaspoon of the jelly mixture and roll it into a ball. Press the two balls together and roll into one larger ball. Repeat with remaining mixture. Keep the balls in the fridge for up to a month or in the freezer much longer.
Video
Notes
- If you are using salted nuts, omit the additional salt until you can taste the processed mixture and see if you’d like a little more salt or not.
- You can usually find pitted dates in grocery stores near the raisins – get them if you want to save the step of pitting them yourself.
- Watch your food processor for when the nuts are chopped finely but haven’t started turning into nut butter. If you overprocess the nuts, the oil will come out. They are still fine to eat but will be greasy.
- You may need to add 1 to 2 teaspoons of water to the mixture if it’s too dry and not forming a dough.
- Date Energy Balls can be stored in an airtight container (I love this container!) in the fridge for about a month, and in the freezer for much longer. I love to eat mine cold out of the freezer best.
Thank you so much for sharing. They came out so well. I’m definitely going to make more. I’m currently doing a challenge at my gym and these fall right inine with their recommended diet plan.
I love to hear that! Easy and full of some great stuff aren’t they?
If using chia seeds as an add in, do you recommend soaking them first or do you just throw them in dry? I just made a batch of the chocolate cherry but threw in unsweetened cocoa powder because I was too lazy to drizzle haha. Planning to make the lemon ones tomorrow and stockpile my freezer, thanks for all the variety!
I typically throw them in dry, I felt like they helped hold things together. But I bet they’d work soaked too!
Thanks for replying so fast! I made the lemon ones today, they are amazing!!
Great recipe. I prefer to melt the dates with some water or orange juice and then add them to the blender. Less abrasive.
Ohhh thank you for the tip! I love the OK idea!
They look awesome! How many dates did you get in a cup or how much dif 1 cup of your dates weigh? Thank you.
What would be a good substitute for the coconut in the lemon balls ? Love lemon but don’t like the coconut.
Just leave it out or add more nuts or more dates! It won’t be an issue.
Is there something I can use instead of coconut? I can’t do coconut.
More oats work great!
Love the dates balls of all flavors! What a quick, healthy, flavorful snack! Thank you!!!
Definitely road testing these! I love dates, and often carry a small container of dried dates with me for a pick me up snack while at work. These would be so much yummier!!!! Thanks for all the tips and multiple variations in one post!!!!!
These are a date game changer! You are going to love them 🙂
I like the recipes but I don’t have a good processet. Will a mixer do?
I love your website! What company or blog site are you using?