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If you love having a snack on hand that also doubles as a treat, you’ll love these date balls. They’re made with simple ingredients that you might already have on hand!
I started making this recipe over 10 years ago, when I began studying nutrition. I recall reading a study on the therapeutic effects of dates, and I instantly wanted to eat more of them. This combination was one of the first recipes I tried, and it’s still one of my favorites.
I’ve created several flavor variations since then, including chocolate protein balls, so you can easily customize them with any ingredients you have on hand.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Featured Review
“I’ve tried a few other date ball recipes and this is BY FAR the best! My 20 month old son loves them too. Every time he opens the fridge, he sees them and says “BALL!”. My husband is really loving them too as a Whole 30 snack and I love them too! Coming from a nursing AND pregnant mama. So easy to make as well.” -Daisy
Date Balls Recipe Ingredients
- Medjool dates. Look for Medjool dates that are soft and squishy in the produce section of your grocery store. They should be easy to split apart with your fingers to remove the pits. If you can only find dates in the dried/bulk section, you might need to soak them in hot water for at least 10 minutes to help them soften up before processing. Drain away the water before using them. (The balls will likely be stickier in this case.)
- Nuts. I like these best with walnuts or pecans, but almonds or cashews can also be used. For a nut-free snack, try hulled pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds.
- Shredded coconut. This addition helps with texture and flavor. If you love cowboy cookies, you’ll love the coconut here, too. Avoid using sweetened coconut; instead, opt for dried, unsweetened coconut.
- Vanilla extract. This adds extra flavor, so your date balls will taste like cookie dough. But if you don’t have vanilla on hand, these will still taste great without it.
- Salt. A touch of salt enhances the flavor of sweet recipes, so don’t leave it out! I always use pink salt (Real Salt brand), which can taste different than white table salt. If you’re using a different variety, start with a smaller amount and add more to taste.
How to Make Date Energy Balls
Step 1:
Add the dates, walnuts, coconut, vanilla extract, and sea salt into the bowl of a food processor fitted with an “S” blade. (I use a 12-cup food processor for this.)
Process the ingredients until the texture is crumbly, about 60 seconds. You’ll know the mixture is done when it sticks together easily when pressed between your fingers. Do not process any longer than you have to!
Note: You can over-process the date mixture into a greasy mess, so it’s better to stop and check when it looks crumbly. As soon as the mixture can be squeezed into a ball, stop processing.
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Step 2:
Use a tablespoon or 1-ounce cookie scoop to scoop the date mixture, then squeeze or roll it into balls between your hands.
Line a baking sheet or large plate with parchment paper, and place the balls on the prepared pan as you go. You should get roughly 18 balls from this recipe, but you can double it if you’d like to make more for the week ahead.
Option: For a fancy truffle look, roll the balls in additional shredded coconut or cocoa powder before refrigerating.
Date Balls Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup Medjool dates , pitted
- 1 cup walnuts (or other nuts/seeds)
- ½ cup shredded unsweetened coconut
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- In a large food processor fitted with an "S" blade, add the pitted dates, walnuts, coconut, vanilla extract, and salt. Process briefly, until the mixture looks crumbly.
- As soon as 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 it can become quite greasy when blended for too long.
- Use a 1-ounce cookie scoop or tablespoon to scoop the mixture, then roll it between your hands to form balls. (Sometimes you'll need to squeeze it first to stick together, then roll into balls.) Repeat the process with the remaining mixture, until you've made roughly 18 date balls.
- You can enjoy these date balls right away at room temperature, or store them in an airtight container with a lid. They will keep well in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Notes
Nutrition
More Recipes to Try
- Chocolate Date Balls (made with cocoa powder)
- Peanut Butter Date Balls
- Spinach Muffins
- Date-Sweetened Birthday Cake
- Healthy Cake Pops with Dates
If you try this date ball recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below, letting me know how you like them.
I’ve tried a few other date ball recipes and this is BY FAR the best! My 20 month old son loves them too. Every time he opens the fridge, he sees them and says “BALL!”. My husband is really loving them too as a Whole 30 snack and I love them too! Coming from a nursing AND pregnant mama. So easy to make as well.
Super easy to make and delicious – next time I’ll try to add in some toppings for more variety! But I’m sure it’ll make a perfect long-flight snack tomorrow 🙂
Quick an easy to make and simply delicious. I have to hide them from the kids if I want to have some of them to myself.
these were so easy to make, LOVE them, great taste, i made 2 batches to share with friends.
thank you for sharing your recipe,
How much flax sèed do I add
Great recipe! I didn’t feel like balling them, so I pressed into a sheet between pieces of parchment paper, put in the fridge overnight, and cut into bites instead. Worked great!
I am having a hard time getting the balls to stay stuck together. Any suggestions?
Usually I would just say process them a little longer, but you can also add a tablespoon of water and process again to help them stick together! It varies depending on how sticky the dates are.
Okay, I will try that! They are really delicious, even when not together in a ball! Thank you!
Uh oh….. I over processed it and now it’s oily. Anything I can do to make it less oily? Thanks 🙏
I loved this recipe, I did not have enough walnuts on hand so I did one cup walnut and one cup of sunflower seeds. I followed the recpe exactly and it worked perfect. I did not make it as smooth a consistency as this recipe shows in photos, mine was more coarse but I like the chewiness and my family renamed them DATE NUT ENERGY BALLS as they taste like date nut loaf and date nut squares. My daughter dipped hers in a pat of butter and said it was exact!
I didn’t have any coconut, so I put in some salted, roasted edamame beans. Well….then it was too dry to hold together so I added some coconut oil. And it still didn’t hold so now I have some tasty granola in my fridge! Not the worst thing in the world.