If you've been looking for an easy energy balls recipe made with 4 main ingredients that you can make on repeat, this is it! They are made with Medjool dates for an extra dose of energy in the afternoon, almonds for the crunch, and oats to keep you full until your next meal. In this post, I'm sharing all my tips for a mixture that is easy to roll into balls in just 5 minutes.
I'm sure you've been there: your energy ball mixture just doesn't come together and falls apart whenever you try to roll it into balls. As a result, you keep adding in pricy ingredients such as almond butter or maple syrup. And no matter what you do, they just never taste like the ones you get at your favorite store.
That's exactly why I created this failproof recipe with straightforward ingredients. All you need is a food processor to make this healthy snack.
Key ingredients and substitutions
- Medjool dates: these large, soft, and sweet dates have the perfect texture to make energy balls that hold their shape and are easy to roll. You can replace them with smaller, light-brown dates but the flavor will be slightly different. If you do substitute them, make sure to soak the smaller dates in warm water as they are stiffer, and weigh the right amount using a scale as they are a lot smaller than Medjool dates.
- Raw almonds: Make sure they are unsalted. You can also use white (skinned) almonds or cashews if you prefer but truly any nuts will work in this recipe.
- Rolled oats: Choose gluten-free rolled oats if needed. Quick oats work, too, but I prefer regular rolled oats as they are less processed and higher in nutrients.
- Almond butter: I recommend 100% pure almond butter (without added oil, added sugar, or salt) for healthy fats and protein (3 tablespoons contain 10 grams of plant protein). But again, any nut butter or seed butter will work (e.g., peanut butter, cashew butter, tahini, sunflower seed butter).
- Cinnamon: It's totally optional but it pairs really well with the rest of the ingredients in this recipe. Someone even told me that it makes these energy balls taste like cinnamon rolls!
- Vanilla extract: Do not underestimate the power of vanilla extract. It turns these energy balls into a sweet treat, more than a snack.
- Salt: To enhance all the flavors and make them come together.
Elo's secrets
- Salt, salt, salt! I cannot highlight this enough but adding a generous pinch of salt will make these energy balls (and truly any dessert) taste absolutely amazing. I like to use fleur de sel, which is more delicate in taste and texture than regular sea salt, but fine sea salt works, too.
- Add water! I seriously wish someone had told me this years ago. Sometimes all you need to make the energy balls mixture come together in your food processor is a tablespoon of water. Make sure to add a tablespoon of water at a time because it changes the dough consistency really quickly.
- Store Medjool dates in the refrigerator. You may already have noticed little white spots appear on the dates after a while. It's not mold, it's crystallized sugar, which indicates that the dates have lost moisture. It's harmless but you can prevent this from appearing by storing your opened pack of Medjool dates in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
- Use a food processor, not a blender. The mixture will get stuck on the sides of a blender and not get mixed properly.
Why and how to soak dates
If your Medjool dates are a little hard and stiff, you want to soak them in hot water to soften them. It will make blending the energy balls a lot easier.
Remove the pit of the dates and add them to a bowl of warm water. Let them sit for 5 to 10 minutes. Drain the water before adding the dates to the food processor.
How to make energy balls
- Step 1: Roughly crush the almonds. Add the whole raw almonds to a food processor. Blitz until roughly crushed (to prevent having large pieces of almonds that make it difficult to roll the energy balls).
- Step 2: Add the rest of the ingredients to the food processor: Medjool dates, rolled oats, almond butter, cinnamon, vanilla extract, salt, and water.
- Step 3: Blend until the mixture comes together and forms a sticky dough. It should hold its shape when pressed between two fingers. If it's too crumbly, add another tablespoon of water and blend again.
- Step 4: Shape the energy balls. Roll 1 tablespoon of mixture in between your hands until a ball forms. Repeat with the rest of the mixture.
How to store energy balls?
Transfer the energy balls to an airtight container or reusable zip bag and store them in the refrigerator for 5 to 7 days (but I bet they won't last that long–at least they never do in my house).
Recipe variations
- Chocolate energy balls: leave out the cinnamon and add 1 tablespoon cocoa powder and 1 tablespoon cocoa nibs (or chocolate chips) to the mixture.
- Peanut butter energy balls: sub the almond butter for peanut butter.
- Orange cranberry energy balls: add 1-2 tablespoons dried fruit such as cranberries and 1 tablespoon orange zest for a sweet and tangy addition.
- Protein balls: Add 2 tablespoons of hemp seeds for an extra dose of protein.
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The recipe
Easy Energy Balls With Dates
Ingredients
- ½ cup (80 g) raw almonds
- 6 (130 g) pitted Medjool dates
- 1 cup (110 g) rolled oats
- 3 tablespoons 100% pure almond butter
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pinch of sea salt I like fleur de sel
- 1-2 tablespoons water for blending
Instructions
Almonds: Add the almonds to a food processor and blitz until roughly crushed.
Blend: Add the Medjool dates, oats, almond butter, vanilla extract, salt, and 1 tablespoon of water to the food processor. Blend until well combined. Add more water (1 tablespoon at a time) if needed.
Shape: Roll about 1 tablespoon of mixture into a ball. Repeat with the rest of the mixture.
Store: Transfer the energy balls to an airtight container or reusable zip bag and store them in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
- If the Medjool dates are a little stiff, soak them in warm water for 10 minutes. Drain before adding them to the food processor.
- I really recommend using Medjool dates for their flavor and texture. If needed, you can replace them with smaller, light-brown dates but make sure to soak them in warm water as they are stiffer, and weigh the right amount using a scale as they are a lot smaller than Medjool dates.
- You can replace the almonds and almond butter with any nuts or nut butter you like.
Nutrition
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Great recipe! Extremely versatile and easily changed by adding your favorites! (The printed recipe adds Choc Nibs in the instructions but not in the ingredients -- I added a 1/4 cup). Could also add protein powder, chia seeds, etc.
Glad you liked it! Thank you for pointing that out, I'll change that asap😊