These Carrot Cake Energy Balls are a healthy snack that tastes like cake! I love how easy they are to prepare, using simple, whole food ingredients. All you need is a food processor and about 10 minutes of time.
How to Make Carrot Cake Energy Balls
To make these energy balls, you’ll just need to process the ingredients in a food processor until sticky. I usually start with the walnuts and coconut, to quickly grind them into a flour, but I’ve also added ALL of the ingredients into the food processor at once with good results.
What I love about no-bake recipes like this one is that it’s hard to mess it up! I’ve made this particular recipe using rolled oats instead of the coconut, and it still turns out great that way. You can always taste and adjust until they taste just how you want them to.
Beware of Over-Processing
One way you can mess up a date ball recipe is by over-processing the mixture. Nuts release their natural oils when they are processed for too long. This is a good thing when you’re making homemade almond butter, but it’s a bad thing if you’re making date balls.
If you over-process these carrot cake energy balls, they will become very greasy and there’s no way to “undo” the grease factor once it happens. The dates balls are still edible if it happens, but it’s not fun to have greasy hands while handling them.
I think these Carrot Cake Energy Balls look especially pretty when rolled in extra shredded coconut, but that’s totally optional. (My kids don’t like the texture, so I do half rolled in coconut and the other half without.)
These CARROT CAKE ENERGY BALLS are an easy snack that tastes like cake! They are sweetened with dates and take just minutes to prepare in a food processor.
- 1 cup raw walnuts (or pecans)
- 1 cup shredded unsweetened dried coconut (plus extra for rolling, if desired)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 heaping teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 carrot , shredded (about 1/2 cup)
- 12 Medjool dates , pitted (if not soft, soak in hot water for 10 minutes)
In a large food processor fitted with an "S" blade, combine the walnuts and coconut. Process briefly until crumbly.
Add in the cinnamon, ginger, salt, vanilla, carrot and dates and process again until the mixture begins to stick together. Stop and scrape the sides as needed.
Once the mixture sticks together when pressed between your fingers, it's ready to roll into balls. Be careful not to over-process the mixture, as that can make the dough oily.
Scoop the batter using a tablespoon and roll it between your hands to make a ball. Repeat with the remaining mixture and arrange the balls on a pan lined with parchment paper. Roll the balls in extra coconut, if desired.
Place the pan in the fridge or freezer to let the carrot cake balls firm up. Once chilled, you can transfer the balls to an airtight container to store in the fridge for up to a week. I recommend eating these straight from the fridge, but they'll also hold up well in a packed lunch. (Just be careful not t squish them-- they will get softer the longer they sit out.)
Per ball: Calories: 92, Fat: 5g, Carbohydrates: 10g, Fiber: 1g, Protein: 1g
Recipe Notes:
- If you need a nut-free recipe, try using hulled sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds instead of the walnuts.
- For a lower-fat content, I’ve use rolled oats in place of the shredded coconut. Feel free to use what you have on hand!
As always, if you try something different with this recipe, please leave a comment below letting us know what you tried. We can all benefit from YOUR experience!
More Energy Ball recipes to try:
- Date Energy Balls
- No-Bake Peanut Butter Energy Bites
- Raw Brownie Bites
- 3-Ingredient Nut-Free Energy Bites
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Reader Feedback: What’s your favorite healthy snack right now?
lori
Love that you added a veggie to date balls! The carrot cake flavor is spot-on, and I can see this batch lasting me a while. I got a few more than 24 balls in my batch!
grace
SO. GOOD. I ran out of coconut, so I used half coconut and half oats, and the texture was perfect! Thanks for sharing.
Allison
These are PERFECT! Thank you so much for sharing.
Thera
These things are the “B-O-M-B”! I made these tonight because I wanted something sweet to eat. I now have to hide them from myself so that I don’t eat them all in one sitting! Love, love, LOVE these! Thanks for sharing the recipe!!!
Tammy
Can I use nut flour instead of whole nuts? If so, would you be able to tell me how much I should use? Thanks so much.
Kelsey
YUM!!! Is it 92 calories per ball?
Megan Gilmore
Yes, if you make 24 balls. You could make them smaller or bigger, depending on how big of a snack you need!