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Chocolate Energy Balls taste like little brownie bites, and they are 100% fruit-sweetened! All you need is 5 simple ingredients to make them.
Why Are They Good For You?
These chocolate energy balls are naturally sweetened with dates. They have NO added flour or sugar, and yet they really do taste like a brownie!
Benefits of Dates:
- Dates are high in fiber, so they may help to prevent constipation.
- They contain flavonoids, which may help to protect against Alzheimer’s disease.
- Dates also contain phenolic acid, which may help to lower the risk of cancer.
- Eating 6 dates a day may help pregnant women naturally go into labor. (And have a shorter labor!) I did this with both my first and second pregnancy, and it seemed to work for me!
- Dates also contain minerals that may promote bone health, like phosphorous, potassium, calcium, and magnesium.
Paired with walnuts, these date balls taste like… you guessed it, a walnut-studded brownie. Studies have shown that walnuts may particularly help with decreasing fat deposits in the mid-section.
How to Make Them
To make these chocolate date balls, you’ll start by pulsing the walnuts in a food processor, until they are finely ground. This should take about 30 to 60 seconds.
Once the walnuts are ground, add in the dates, cacao powder, vanilla, and salt. Process again, until the mixture sticks together when you press it between your fingers.
It’s okay if the mixture looks crumbly, as long as it does stick together. If it doesn’t stick together, keep processing the mixture until it does stick together.
Important: Keep in mind that you CAN over-process a date ball. If the mixture starts to look super-oily, that means you processed it too long, and it’s hard to fix that other than trying to sop-up the oil with a towel.
Scoop the mixture using a tablespoon, then roll them between your hands to form balls. I like to arrange them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, then place them in the fridge or freezer so they will firm up.
Once the balls are firm to the touch, you can roll them in cacao powder for a fancy presentation, but I actually think these taste best without rolling them in the extra cacao. (The added coating will make them more bitter, FYI.)
Transfer the chocolate energy balls to an airtight container and store them in the fridge for an easy treat that’s ready to grab!
Which Dates Work Best?
When shopping for dates, look for ones that are either refrigerated, or in the produce section. They should be nice and squishy, and I think the ones that contain pits stay the freshest, longest. (Pitted dates tend to dry out.)
If you don’t have soft & squishy dates on hand, you can soak the dates in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes to help them soften up. Drain the water, then use the dates as directed.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups raw walnut halves (162 g)
- 1 cup Medjool dates (188 g; soft & squishy; pits removed)
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder (24 g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (6 g)
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt (2 g)
- Additional cocoa powder , for coating (optional)
Instructions
- In a large food processor fitted with an "S" blade, grind the walnuts into a fine meal.
- Add in the rest of the ingredients, and process again until a sticky, uniform dough is formed.
- Scoop the batter by heaping tablespoons onto a plate or baking sheet lined with parchment paper, to prevent sticking. Roll the balls between your hands, and roll them in cocoa powder, if desired.
- Store the balls in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Notes:
- I prefer the taste of walnuts in these brownies, but feel free to use any other nut you like, including pecans or almonds. (Seeds may work, too, for a nut-free version.)
- If you don’t have access to dates, try making these with another dried fruit, like raisins, instead. The flavor will be different, but still tasty!
Enjoy!
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Reader Feedback: What’s your favorite chocolate dessert?
Hey, I was wondering what the Nutrition Facts on these babies are?
These look absolutely delicious! Can’t wait to try them.
Great sweet treat without sugar. Chopped the whole dates before adding to food processor. The scoop works very well. Caution, not all dates are created equal, many sugar coated.
I made these last night, but with roasted pecans- SO GOOD! When I asked my husband if he wanted one, he said he wanted to cut down on sweets at night, to which I said: It’s your lucky day! Perfect nighttime treat with not much sugar! He really liked them too, and he is the ultimate test! He doesn’t usually like this dark of chocolate either. Thanks for the recipe! Success!
These sound lovely, but a cup of dates is full of sugar. Not a good thing no matter how much you love chocolate. You are better off eating a couple 90% dark chocolate squares.
Yum- or rolled in coconut! (like that used for the macaroons)
I use chipped brazil nuts in mine.. delicious and a good amount of selenium to boot! Thanks for the recipe;
Wow! These are really delicious. Made them today and they were a huge hit. Thanks for sharing.
We made these tonight after my husband came across this recipe, delicious! They do remind me of the filling in those EL Fudge cookies. Great recipe!
Recently got Navitas raw cocoa powder: now I know why! Thanks for this health booster, Megan. Btw: your blog rocks thanks to accurate health info.