Date Energy Balls

Date Balls with coconut, cocoa powder and energy is a date ball recipe made with the best variety of ingredients - sweet, crunchy and chocolaty.

When you want something sweet and quick and you don’t want to heat up the house – go for this date ball recipe for complete satisfaction.

Chocolaty goodness that will satisfy all of your cravings and last but not least, there is no baking.

I have fallen in love with no-bake snacks that take advantage of the healthier side of sweets. They are simple and the creativity seems boundless.

It is so fun to mix and match ingredients where the outcome is unique and just darn good!

Introduce Date Balls to the children in your family and they will be on their way to wanting a healthier snack instead of candies loaded with additives and sugars.

🥘 Ingredients

• Sunflower Seeds - are ground fine and adds lots of nice nutrients to the balls besides taste.
• Dates - are a major sweetener and they also add bulk and antioxidants.
• Walnuts - have a little bit of crunch and earthy flavor.
• Cocao powder - unsweetened - makes everything chocolaty.
• Maple syrup - is the healthier way to sweeten up the unsweetened cocoa powder.
• Almond Butter - creamy - has the best taste!
• Rolled oats - add bulk and nutrients.
• Coconut - is the pretty white coating on the outside.

You can also introduce these goodies to yourself for an energy snack. They are loaded with ingredients that shine in the protein department and that will keep you going longer.

Seeds, nuts, almond butter and rolled oats all make for great coconut date balls that will help you feel full.

I've been making these balls for years and if you scroll way down to the very bottom you can see the original photos that have graced this recipe.

💭 Date fun facts

• Date trees grow about 70 feet tall with about 150 leaves that come out of the top center and they are about 15 feet long each.
• There is fossilized evidence that dates have been around well, forever.
• Dates all started in the Middle East part of the world and then moved on through the Roman Empire and North Africa to Mexico and finally got to California in the 1900's.
• They are rich in antioxidants.
• Date seeds can be dormant for centuries until the right conditions make it grow.
• Date groves are throughout the Coachella Valley in California (where I lived for years - my own fun fact 🙂 ) where the Date Shake was born.
• Dates seem to keep forever. Like for months.
• Date trees need at least 100° F temperatures for at least 100 days to produce each year. That's the Coachella Valley.

🔪 Instructions

• Grind the sunflower seeds in your Food Processor. This is a mini food processor for small jobs.
• Chop up the dates and walnuts. I use a large chef's knife and just rock back and forth.
• Mix all ingredients in a large bowl.
• My method of preparation is that I divide the mixture in half.
• Use your hands. It makes everything so easy.
• Divide the mixture in half and then half again ... and so on and so on until you get 48 sections.
• Roll into balls with the palm of your hands.
• You can always pinch out a little from the balls that are a little bit larger if you would like to make more.
• Roll each ball in the shredded coconut. Pat them again in a ball shape if you'd like the coconut to cling more to the ball.

• Put on a cookie sheet and let freeze for about to hours.
• Remove and serve.
• They will also freeze for up to 2 months.
• You can also eat these out of the freezer. They won't be too hard at all.

📖 Variations

• You may omit the walnut and add all seeds if you'd like to go nut-free. Pepitas or pumpkin seeds would be great.
• You can grind the coconut shreds for a much smoother coating.
• Peanut butter can be substituted for the almond butter.
• Crunchy nut butter can be used instead of creamy.
• This date ball recipe is delicious but it isn't written in stone.
• Have fun!

🥥 More great no bake balls

• Spiced Rum Balls - are special and as good as they sound.
• High protein and a little bit sweet come with the name Protein Balls with Peanut Butter
• Peanut Butter Cups - Balls taste just like store-bought but with no additives.

If you take a photo of your beautiful round chocolate date treats I would love to see it. Follow me over on Instagram and tag me on your photo @vegan_in_the_freezer.

📋 Recipe