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CHOCOLATE CHIP ENERGY BALLS

side angle view of chocolate chip energy bites in a small bowl.

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5 from 4 reviews

Healthy and delicious, these vegan no-bake Energy Balls with chocolate chips, almonds, oats and dates are a quick and easy treat anytime of day. It’s like eating cookie dough and meant to be enjoyed freely!

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 cup raw almonds
  • 1/2 cup old fashioned oats (use quick oats if needed)
  • 1/4 cup almond or peanut butter (sun butter is ok too)
  • 78 medjool dates, pitted and chopped
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 tablespoons water, + plus more as needed
  • 1/31/2 cup dark mini or regular chocolate chips, cacao or carob nibs, or raw chocolate

Optional add ins:

  • 1/4 cup shredded coconut flakes
  • 1/2 teaspoon or so of cinnamon

Instructions

Make flour: Start by processing the almonds and oats, by pulsing them into a rough flour. It doesn’t have to be perfect and can be even chunkier than shown above.

Add remaining ingredients: Add the remaining ingredients, except for chocolate chips. Blend, scraping down the sides as needed, until combined. (I like to leave mine a little on the chunky side). Add 1 or 2 tablespoons more water as needed.

Add chocolate chips: Remove mixture and place in a medium size bowl, mix in the chocolate chips.

Chill: Refrigerate for about 20 minutes, it will help the mixture stiffen a bit making it easier to handle.

Roll: Scoop dough and roll into 1 inch balls or flatten like a cookie. If forming them into balls you may like to roll them in cacao powder, cinnamon or shredded coconut. I’ve done all three and all were great!

Makes approx. 16 – 18 energy bites

Store: Keep in the refrigerator and enjoy within 1 – 2 weeks. They also freeze well.

Notes

Adjust the base. This recipe is pretty foolproof, so feel free to change things up a little by using slightly less almonds while adding more oats to offset.

Date substitute. If you rather not use dates or don’t have them on hand, you can sub with pure maple syrup using 1/4 cup pure maple syrup, starting with the smaller amount.

Keep your hands clean. When rolling, if the dough starts to stick to the palm of your hands, wash them in between every few balls for ease. Chilling the dough helps, but if you roll the balls before chilling you most likely get sticky palms.

Keep them uniform. Make the mounds uniform in size by using a scooper like this 1 tablespoon measuring spoon (affiliate link), it’s super helpful and makes things easier!

Make them chunky style. Feel free to skip the first step and process everything at once until combined. That is the way I originally wrote this recipe, but changed it up here and both ways are great.