These date balls are the BEST healthy snack! Made with Medjool dates, oats, walnuts, and chocolate chips, these high-fiber treats taste like cookie dough.
These date balls are one of my favorite healthy snacks. Sticky, sweet, and studded with chocolate chips, they taste like little balls of cookie dough, but they’re made with 8 simple, wholesome ingredients. Medjool dates bind them together, oats add fiber, and walnuts and almond butter pack them with protein and healthy fats.
They’re quick and easy to make in the food processor, and they keep for weeks in the freezer or fridge.
At least they do in theory. If you love this date balls recipe as much as we do, there’s no way they’ll stick around that long. Between speedy breakfasts and on-the-go snacks, you’ll polish them off in a few days flat!
Date Balls Recipe Ingredients
This recipe calls for 8 basic ingredients:
- Medjool dates – They make these energy balls deliciously sweet without using a sweetener like honey or maple syrup. Their sticky texture also binds the balls together.
- Oat flour – For fiber and structure. I like to make homemade oat flour out of old-fashioned or whole rolled oats. Store-bought oat flour works here too. Make sure to use certified gluten-free oat flour if you need these energy balls to be gluten-free.
- Walnuts – They add rich, earthy flavor and healthy fats. No walnuts on hand? Pecans work nicely here too.
- Almond butter – Like the dates, the almond butter helps bind these balls together. Make sure to use really smooth, well-stirred almond butter for this recipe. The dry, stiff stuff at the bottom of the jar won’t work well here.
- Vanilla extract – For warm, cookie-like depth of flavor.
- Water – For extra moisture. A few tablespoons make these date energy balls perfectly cohesive.
- Mini chocolate chips – Use dairy-free chips to make this recipe vegan. I like the Enjoy Life brand.
- And sea salt – To make all the flavors pop!
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
How to Make Date Balls
These yummy date balls are SO easy to make! Here’s what you need to do:
First, check the dates. They should be soft, sticky, and pliable. If they feel stiff or dry, soak them in hot water for 10 minutes.
Next, pulse the ingredients together. Remove the pits from the soft dates and place them in the bowl of a food processor. Add the oat flour, almond butter, walnuts, vanilla, water, and salt. Pulse until the mixture sticks together when pinched.
If it feels dry, pulse a bit longer, until the mixture starts to form a ball in the food processor. If it still feels dry, pulse in more water, 1 teaspoon at a time, until it feels cohesive and sticky.
Then, form the balls. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and fold in the chocolate chips. Use a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop to portion out the dough. Roll the scoops into balls…and that’s it!
How to Store Date Balls
These energy balls keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
They also freeze well for up to 3 months. They thaw quickly at room temperature. Grab one when you need an easy, on-the-go breakfast or quick healthy snack. Enjoy!
Recipe Variations
In my second cookbook, I shared a chart with six different variations on this recipe! There are all sorts of ways you can change it up. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Use a different nut butter. Try peanut butter or cashew butter.
- Skip the chocolate chips. Dried fruit is a nice alternative! I like to add dried currants, chopped dried cranberries, or chopped raisins.
- Make them grain-free. Replace the oat flour with almond flour or shredded coconut.
- Make them nut-free. Replace the walnuts with sunflower seeds or sesame seeds. Replace the nut butter with sunflower seed butter or tahini.
Let me know what variations you try!
More Favorite Healthy Snacks
If you love these date energy balls, try one of these healthy snack recipes next:
- No-Bake Protein Balls
- Homemade Granola Bars
- Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies
- Chia Seed Pudding
- Healthy Banana Muffins
- Or any of these 49 Best Healthy Snacks!
Date Energy Balls
Ingredients
- 1½ cups oat flour
- 1 cup walnuts
- ⅓ cup creamy natural almond butter*, well-stirred
- 10 soft Medjool dates**
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons water, plus more as needed
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- In a food processor, place the oat flour, walnuts, almond butter, dates, vanilla, water, and salt. Pulse until the mixture sticks together when pinched. If it’s too crumbly, pulse in more water, 1 teaspoon at a time.
- Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in the chocolate chips. Use a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop and roll into balls.
- Store extra date balls in the fridge. They also freeze well. To thaw, leave them at room temperature until soft.
