No-bake Energy balls

Try these easy, vegan no-bake energy balls for your sweet cravings. Only 4 ingredients, 15 minutes, and done! 

If you want a grab-and-go snack for work or you have a planned trip or are even hungry between meals – this post, my friend, is for you.

These no-bake energy balls are gluten, dairy, and flour free. The main ingredient of the bites is dates, which are sweet by themselves.

I would like to share a funny story about these vegan no-bake energy balls. A couple of months ago, I went to Oslo in Norway. So, I made these energy balls to snack on them. Because everyone knows how expensive Norway is. But this dessert was so delicious that me and my friends finished it in the airport, before even arriving in Norway.

This recipe has only 3 main ingredients: dates, cacao and walnuts. Plus, you don’t have to bake it!

It’s very easy to make, but these energy balls taste like brownies. Really. It’s magical.

Dates – are they healthy?

You may assume that taking into consideration the high concentration of sugar in dates, they might be not so healthy. But they are if consumed in moderation.

Dates have a high concentration of fiber and antioxidants. These are essential for your overall health.

It’s wonderful. Isn’t it? You can eat a dessert and gain benefits from it. More information can be found here.

How to store the no-bake energy balls?

The no-bake energy bites can be stored in the fridge for up to 1 week.

You can store them for so long due to their unprocessed form: they are not baked or cooked at a high temperature.

So, basically, these energy balls are just mashed dates with cacao and walnuts.

Related articles:

• How to make muffins with buckwheat (cacao & orange)?

Tips on making perfect no-bake energy balls

1. The whole recipe of energy balls revolves around dates. So, if you have juicy dates, as I did, you are lucky. It’s going to be easier for you to puree the dates. But if you have gotten dry ones, don’t worry! You can cover the dates with hot water for about 30 minutes. I did this many times. Water fills the dates with moisture and they become more succulent and easier to mash.

2. You can add 1 tbsp of coconut oil or maple syrup when mashing the dates. This will help them to soften up so you can mash them more easily.

3. If your dates are very juicy, you may need to add a bit more cacao. This will help you when you form the balls – they will stick better.

4. If you don’t have walnuts, almonds work very well too. Just chop them up and roast them in the oven or pan.

Ingredients for the no-bake energy bites

• dates (without seeds) – look for juicy, “meaty” dates. They are easier to mash and more delicious.
• cacao powder – both unsweetened and sweetened cacao powder work, depending on what you find in your grocery store or on your preferences.
• walnuts – actually, all kinds of nuts work well for these no-bake energy bites; just choose whatever you prefer
• salt – it gives a nice, salty caramel taste to the energy bites, but skip this ingredient if you like
• coconut oil/maple syrup  – optional, it is going to help with mashing the dates

For decoration
– Coconut flakes
-Finely chopped walnuts
– Melted chocolate

Instructions – how to make no-bake energy bites

1. Place your dates in hot water and let them sit for about 30 minutes or until they are soft.
2. Finely chop the walnuts into small pieces (roughly the dimension of sunflower seeds).
3. Squeeze the water from the dates and use a semi-deep bowl to mash them until they form a puree.
4. Add the cacao, salt and chopped walnut into the mashed dates and mix until well combined.
5. Let it cool in the fridge for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
6. Take about 1 tbsp of dough (or use a cookie spoon) and form small balls.
7. In case you want to decorate the bites, roll them in coconut flakes, walnuts, melted chocolate, or a combination of these ingredients.

No-bake energy balls

Notes on making no-bake energy bites

• If you have a high-speed food processor, you can use it, although for me it is easier to mix dates by hand (especially juicy ones).
• In case your dates are hard to mash, add some coconut oil or maple syrup. This will help you to puree them easier.
• You can replace walnuts with almonds, they work perfectly fine.
• Add more cacao in case your mixture is too watery.
• The size of the balls doesn’t matter because we are not going to bake them. So, feel free to make whichever size you prefer.

Also, find out how to make:

• snickers candies
• stuffed baked apples

Calories per ball: 89 cal

Fibre: 7,5% of your daily dose

Iron: 1,8% of your daily dose

Calcium: 1,2% of your daily dose

Potassium: 5,75% of your daily dose

*please note that these numbers are estimated

Please note that I may earn a small commission from Amazon and iHerb in case you decide to buy products from these sites.

If you liked the recipe, share the result in the comment section below, I would be glad to see the result and you may help others as well doing so.