These date and nut energy balls are the BEST healthy snack! Sticky, sweet, and studded with chocolate chips, they taste like little balls of cookie dough.
These no-bake energy balls are my favorite healthy snack. Sticky, sweet, and studded with chocolate chips, they taste like little balls of cookie dough, but they’re made with simple, wholesome ingredients. 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 these energy balls 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!
No-Bake Energy Balls Ingredients
This energy bites 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 helps bind the balls together.
- Oat flour – For fiber and protein. 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.
- Almond butter – Like the dates, the almond butter helps bind these energy bites 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 Energy 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. Place the soft, pitted dates in a food processor along with 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 Energy Balls
These no-bake 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 of six different energy ball recipes and variations! So while this recipe is delicious, it’s not the only way to make energy bites. Here are a few fun ways to change them up:
- Use a different nut butter. Try peanut butter, cashew butter, or sunflower seed 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.
Let me know what variations you try!
More Favorite Healthy Snacks
If you love these no-bake energy balls, try one of these healthy snack recipes next:
- Homemade Granola Bars
- Peanut Butter No-Bake Cookies
- Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies
- Chia Seed Pudding
- Healthy Banana Muffins
- Or any of these 49 Best Healthy Snacks!
Energy Balls
Ingredients
- 1½ cups oat flour
- 1 cup walnuts
- â…“ 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 energy balls in the fridge. They also freeze well. To thaw, leave them at room temperature until soft.
What is the nutritional information breakdown on these balls?
I made these with pecans and used raisins instead of chocolate chips. After making the almond flour placed the ingredients in the food processor and blended. They are really tasty! Definitely will make these again.
Followed the recipe exactly as posted & they turned out amazing. Not dry at all & even my kids like them! Thank is for sharing!
Hello! I don’t have dates but I do have date syrup would that work?
Hi Kristine, the dates hold these together so a liquid sweetener wouldn’t be a 1:1 swap. You could use it in place of the maple syrup in this recipe which is somewhat similar: https://www.loveandlemons.com/peanut-butter-no-bake-cookies/
Hope that helps!
Hello and thank you for all those delicious recipes of yours. Whatever recipe I have tried so far was delicious! I have a question for this particular recipe. Do you think that we could use both oat flour and shredded coconut in combination?
Hi, I’m so glad you’ve been enjoying the recipes! I haven’t tried using a mix of oat flour and shredded coconut here, but I think it could work well! I would do 3/4 cup of each or 1 cup oat flour and 1/2 cup coconut.
Delicious and easy to assemble. My dates were already fresh and soft so it made the mixture sticky. I used the food processor first to make the oat flour then added the remaining ingredients.
So glad you enjoyed them!
I didn’t see any nutritional info — how many calories per ball? How much protein? They look delicious, can’t wait to make them. Thanks!
Hi Sue, we don’t calculate nutrition facts for our recipes unfortunately. To get an estimate for this recipe, you could plug it into an online nutrition calculator.
These turned out delicious! Both my toddlers also gobbled them up! I added a tad bit more almond butter – perfect! Thanks for a great recipe!
These turned out delicious! Both my toddlers also gobbled them up! I added a tad bit more almond butter – perfect! Thanks for a great recipe!
I wanted to know the same thing as Dave: What’s the nutritional info on these?
have nutritional info on these? thx
Your recipes look and sound yummy. I only wish you had the nutritional information with them. I am a diabetic so I have to watch AND count carbs. The snack bites with dates, oats, etc. make me drool looking at them!!!
I too would like nutritional information n your recipes. Also can almond flour be substituted for oat flour in this recipe?
Hi K, yep! You could use almond flour here.
Hi. I’m allergic to almonds and wonder if other butters. like walnut, cashew or tigernut would work as a substitute. Thanks!
yep! Any of those should work fine.
These were a hit! Delicious, healthy post-workout snack, and perfect consistency by adding a little extra water until they were just right. Thank you!
Hi Valerie, I’m so glad you loved them!
These taste great but mine came out a bit dry. I didn’t have almond butter so I used peanut butter instead so that might have something to do with it. Otherwise, do you know what I could have done wrong?
Hi Aria, nut butters can vary in consistency – I’d just add a touch of water until the mixture comes together. Hope that helps!
Thanks so much 🙂
These were so easy! I love them and keep them on hand for a sweet craving. I imagine that I’m eating cookie dough and it takes away my ice cream cravings!
I’m so glad you love them!
I’m a private chef and one of my clients shared this recipe with me and they are so delicious! Now, I make them every few weeks and even will keep some in the fridge at home for a quick snack. They are a favorite all around! Thanks so much for all your wonderful recipes!
I’m so glad you’re loving them!
Hi Danielle, I’m sorry these didn’t work for you – the recipe is meant to be made in a food processor. The mixture is to dry (like what you’re describing), to work in a blender.