These no bake dark chocolate energy balls are easy to make in just a few minutes, with just a few ingredients. They’re a great healthier snack that tastes like a brownie bite!
These chocolate energy balls are a great refined sugar free snack. They’re gluten free, grain free, vegan, and paleo too and are such a great snack to keep on hand when you need a boost of energy, or when that sweet tooth craving strikes.
They’re a perfect healthy snack that is naturally sweet, filling and a great midday snack for kids and adults.
These no bake energy bites are made with only a handful of ingredients, in less than 10 minutes of active time.
Why you’ll love these energy balls:
- So easy! This is such a simple recipe to make with just 6 ingredients, and ready in less than 10 minutes.
- No added sugar! These babies are sweetened naturally with dates.
- Healthier treat! They’re less than 100 calories each and it feels like you’re eating a brownie, but with wholesome ingredients.
- Delicious! Did I mention they taste like a decadent chocolatey treat?!
Ingredients:
This is a quick overview of the ingredients you’ll need for this Dark Chocolate Energy Ball ecipe. Specific measurements and full recipe instructions are in the printable recipe card below.
- medjool dates – you can often find them in the produce section, or packaged with the dry fruit.
- raw nuts- you can use raw walnuts, pecans, or cashews depending on your preference. These add a nice texture to the balls.
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder – gives them their nice chocolate flavor, you can also use cacao powder.
- Vanilla Extract – adds a little flavor
- Sea Salt – balances out the sweetness for a sweet and salty flavor
- Dark Chocolate – this is optional, but adds a nice extra boost of chocolate to the balls.
How to make Chocolate Energy Balls?
Pit the dates if needed, and add them to a bowl of hot water to soften if they aren’t already. Dry them off with paper towels, squeezing out any water that went into their middles.
Add the nuts to a food processor or high-speed blender and pulse them on high until they are nice, small, crumbly pieces.
Add in the dates and blend them together until you have a soft sticky dough like texture that sticks to itself when squished together.
Add in the rest of the ingredients, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and sea salt and mix them all together until combined. You can do this in your food processor if it’s big enough, or mix them all together in a medium mixing bowl with a rubber spatula.
Chop up 2 oz of the chocolate bar into tiny pieces and fold them into the balls if desired. (Additionally you can melt the chocolate and dip them half way into the chocolate instead, after they’re rolled.)
Scoop the dough into 1 TBS sized sections and roll them into smooth balls. Place them onto a baking pan lined with parchment paper, and repeat with remaining mixture.
Place the balls into the fridge to chill, or enjoy some right away. I prefer them chilled.
Tips and Tricks:
- You can press the mixture into a lined 8 or 9 inch square pan, then chill them and slice them up to make bars instead of balls.
- If the mixture seems to dry, add in 1 TBS at a time of additional almond butter, or the same amount of honey or maple syrup to help the mixture hold itself together.
- Add in up to 1/4 cup of additional mix- ins for texture if desired. Yummy options would be chia seeds, hemp seeds, ground flaxseed, quinoa crispies, or quick oats.
How to store energy balls?
Store these dark chocolate energy balls in a ziplock bag or airtight container in the fridge. They can be stored for up to 2 weeks.
They can also be stored in the freezer. I like to flash freeze them by spreading them out on a baking sheet and freezing the pan for about 30 minutes until they are hard. Then transferring them to a freezer safe container.
They can be frozen for up 3 months. Eat them straight from frozen, or let them thaw in the fridge for about 1 hour+ before enjoying, depending how soft you like them.
These fudgy chocolate date balls are naturally sweet treat, and such a great treat for curbing your sweet tooth.
More Energy Ball Recipes:
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Dark Chocolate Energy Balls
Ingredients
- 1 cup medjool dates
- 1 cup raw soft nuts (walnuts, pecans, or cashews)
- 3 TBS cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 2 oz dark chocolate bar (diced, optional)
Instructions
- Soak the dates in warm water for 10 minutes if they aren't soft. Dry them off with paper towels.
- Add the nuts to a food processor, and pulse on high until the nuts are chopped small, and crumbly. Scrape the sides and bottom of the food processor with a rubber spatula as needed.
- Add the dates and continue to pulse the mixture over high speed until you have a nice sticky dough like texture. Scrape the sides and bottom of the food processor with a rubber spatula as needed.
- Add in the cocoa powder, vanilla extract and salt and mix until combined.
- Add in the chocolate pieces if desired (alternatively save for later to dip the balls into melted chocolate).
- Scoop the dough into 1 TBS sized portions and roll them into balls. Place them onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet, and repeat with remaining chocolate mixture.
- Place the pan in the fridge to chill for 1 hour.
- Enjoy, or store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
RuthAnn L says
I made these for my work week! They turned out amazing. Did not need to add nut butter. Definitely a little tough to mix the ingredients in my vitamix, though! 🙃
Aimee says
Glad you got your mixer to work, and enjoyed them!
Rachel Black says
In the Dark Chocolate Energy Ball Recipe, which seems to be delicious, you did not say how much almond butter to use in the ingredients. Please let your readers know. Thank you!
Aimee says
Sorry, I updated the recipe! I actually ended up not using it because it made the balls really oily. If you want to add it, use about 2TBS