These chocolate energy balls, made with dates, almond butter, almonds, and cacao powder, are easy, make-ahead snacks that are perfect for any time of the day, whether it be post-workout, 3 pm munchies, or midnight snack.
Chocolate Energy Balls. Raw Choco Treats.4-Ingredient Health Bites. Whatever you choose to call these easy no-bake chocolate orbs made with natural ingredients, we’re smitten with them. Made with dates, almonds, coconut, and cacao powder, they take literally 5 minutes to toss together and they more than satisfy your sweet tooth, whether they’re staving off the 3 pm munchies or tending to midnight standing-at-the-fridge syndrome. Seems pretty much perfect to us. Maybe we should call them Perfect Chocolate Energy Balls.–Angie Zoobkoff
☞ Contents
Chocolate Energy Balls
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup pitted dates
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon almond butter
- 3/4 cup almonds preferably raw*
- 3 tablespoons cacao powder plus more for dusting
Directions
- In a food processor, combine the dates and coconut oil and process until a smooth paste forms, 20 to 30 seconds.
- Add the almond butter and process to mix, then add the almonds and process again until they are finely chopped, 30 to 45 seconds.
- Finally, add the cacao powder and process until the mixture starts to stick together and all the ingredients are finely chopped, about 30 seconds.
- Using a teaspoon, take 1 heaping spoonful of the mixture and roll it between your hands into a ball. Place on a plate or baking sheet and repeat with the remaining mixture. Dust with a little extra cacao powder, then cover the balls with plastic wrap and stash in the fridge to firm up for at least 2 hours.
- Once firm, transfer them to an airtight container and keep them in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. (Alternatively, you can stash them in the freezer for up to 2 months.) The flavors actually meld somewhat with time, the bitterness of the cacao mellowing somewhat, so you may find that you come to prefer them after they’ve rested. Good luck resisting them long enough to get to that point, though.
Notes
*What We Mean By “Raw” Almonds
Virtually all almonds that you can purchase in the states these days are not actually “raw.” Almonds grown in California, which is to say pretty much all almonds in the country, must be steam pasteurized to rid them of any bacteria. This gentle heating process does slightly alter the taste and texture of the almonds from that of their truly raw state. While you may not see packaging labeled “raw,” simply look for almonds that aren’t roasted.Show Nutrition
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Recipe Testers’ Reviews
This was such a simple and satisfying little snack ball. I looked forward to my “bliss ball” treat every day so next time I’ll double the recipe and eat them out of the freezer!
I processed the dates for 30 seconds, the almond butter an additional 20 seconds, and, when adding the cacao powder, another 30 seconds. They firmed up after 2 hours in the refrigerator and, I must admit, I’d already sampled one by then. The recipe made 15 small balls and I rolled them in extra cacao powder.
I see no problem with the balls being consumed from the refrigerator or freezer. I think I enjoyed them even more thinking they were on the healthy side of a chocolate snack!
I loved this chocolate energy balls recipe! The little energy truffles were full of nutty and earthy flavor. I am not sure I had a surge of energy, but I did feel full and my sweet tooth was satisfied. These little energy bites would make a lovely holiday gift as well as a great snack to have stocked in your refrigerator.
My truffles took 2 hours in the refrigerator to become firm. The only thing I would change would be to add 1/2 tsp kosher salt to enhance the flavor.
After 2 days, I found these truffles had even more flavor!
Homemade Lara Bars? Yes PLEASE! Never mind about how they make a great pre-exercise snack. I say they make an excellent anytime snack. Really tasty, not overly sweet, and just a few simple ingredients. I’ll be making these again and again.
I used a mini food processor for this. I had to remove the mix from the processor bowl after I added the cacao powder because it was really stiff and I used a rubber spatula to mix everything in.
I used a 1 1/2-teaspoon cookie scoop for this job and it was perfect. I did not dust with cacao powder as it was already fairly bitter. That mellowed out in the fridge, though.
I have made a similar recipe to this so I was excited to try another one. These turned out delicious and were so easy to make! They only took about 5 minutes to prepare. The only thing I would change is to add a little bit more cocoa powder. Otherwise they are delicious!
Originally published January 04, 2019
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If you make this recipe, snap a photo and hashtag it #LeitesCulinaria. We'd love to see your creations on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
hi, i think a better idea for cacao powder is 1/2 cup of chocolate powder, plus 1/2 teaspoon of sugar, add chopped dates and prunes, and add some oil to hold it all together. i don’t recommend coconut because it’s overpowering. Dave Woods
Thanks for that, Dave.