You only need 3 ingredients to make these easy & healthy date energy balls! An easy no-bake, healthy snack for kids and adults alike. Perfect for busy, on-the-go school snacks or make a batch for a post workout snack! Tastes just like cashew cookie Lara Bars and done in 15 minutes!
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Sometimes you just need a quick snack! I love these bites for a quick protein snack and they definitey work if you have a sweet tooth!
If it's not peanut butter cup fat bombs or homemade perfect bars, I'm having these!
Why This Recipe Works
- Completely customizable: This recipe only has three ingredients but you can add in any mix-ins you want including chia seeds, oats, dark chocolate, walnuts, hemp seeds, flax, nut butters, tahini, cacao, almonds, chocolate chips or cranberries. You could even swap dates for figs.
- Easy to meal prep: You can make these in less than 10 minutes for a whole week's worth of healthy snacks, breakfast or dessert. The perfect meal prep recipe to freeze!
- Great for various dietary preferences: These energy balls with dates are a great low calorie snack that work well for Weight Watchers, Paleo, Whole30, dairy-free, vegan and vegetarian diets.
- Easy to take on the go: These protein date balls are great for hiking, the gym, school, work and school!
- Cheaper to make than prepackaged protein bars or protein balls with dates.
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients you need to make this recipe. Reference the recipe card at the bottom for exact measurements and the notes below for substitution ideas.
- Dates: Use pitted Medjool dates which tend to be soft and chewy with a caramel taste instead of Degret Noor dates.
- Cashews: Cashews give these date balls a flavor like Lara Bars Cashew Cookie flavor but you can also use hemp seeds, almonds or even make them nut free using pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds.
Instructions
This is a step-by-step walkthrough of how to cook this recipe. The recipe card at the bottom shows the exact cooking time and temperatures.
Add pitted raw dates to a food processor and process in 10 second increments until dates roll up into a large ball of date paste. Very carefully remove the date paste ball watching your hands around the blade.
Break up date paste into chunks and add it and cashews back into food processor along with collagen protein. Process until smooth (do not over-process) and date paste mixture starts to hold together and rolls into a large ball.
Use a small cookie scoop to scoop out date balls. Allow date balls to firm up in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Expert Tips
- If you want even more protein, use your favorite protein powder that has more protein per serving.
- Storage tips: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a firmer texture for 1-2 weeks and at room temperature for a softer texture for a few days.
- If mixture seems dry try adding in one teaspoon of water at a time during processing.
- Date sugar (the white on the outside of dates) begins to crystallize as the dates get older. This is perfectly OK.
- Dates can be found in the unrefrigerated produce section. If you purchase ones with pits you will have to remove them which can be easily done by cutting a small slice and removing them.
FAQs
Making these with no food processor is possible but using a food processor will help to create the best energy balls with dates. The texture when using a Ninja Bullet or Vitamix may work but I tested these in my Hamilton Beach Food Processor and was happy with the results.
Energy balls are a great snack, breakfast and dessert recipe for under 100 calories that are naturally sweetened and made with wholesome ingredients.
I love them as a quick morning snack when I am on the go or after a workout. They are simple, full of fiber and delicious!
Medjool dates are available in the dry produce section of the grocery store and generally come with pittes. You can remove the pit and use these in this recipe.
Related Recipes
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Energy Balls with Dates & Protein
Ingredients
- 2 cups dates
- 1 cup cashews
- 2 scoops collagen peptides protein
Instructions
- Add pitted raw dates to a food processor and process in 10 second increments until dates roll up into a large ball of date paste. Very carefully remove the date paste ball watching your hands around the blade.
- Break up date paste into chunks and add it and cashews back into food processor along with collagen protein. Process until smooth (do not over-process) and date paste mixture starts to hold together and rolls into a large ball.
- Use a small cookie scoop to scoop out date balls. Allow date balls to firm up in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Notes
- If you want even more protein, use your favorite protein powder that has more protein per serving.
- Store these in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week or on the countertop for a few days.
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