Energy Balls

These date and nut energy balls are the BEST healthy snack! Sticky, sweet, and studded with chocolate chips, they taste like little balls of cookie dough.

No bake energy balls

These no-bake energy balls are my favorite healthy snack. Sticky, sweet, and studded with chocolate chips, they taste like little balls of cookie dough, but they’re made with simple, wholesome ingredients. Dates bind them together, oats add fiber, and walnuts and almond butter pack them with protein and healthy fats. They’re super-quick and easy to make in the food processor, and they keep for weeks in the freezer or fridge.

At least they do in theory. If you love these energy balls as much as we do, there’s no way they’ll stick around that long. Between speedy breakfasts and on-the-go snacks, you’ll polish them off in a few days flat!

Energy balls recipe ingredients

Energy Balls Recipe Ingredients

This energy bites recipe calls for 8 basic ingredients:

  • Medjool dates – They make these energy balls deliciously sweet without any added sugar! In addition, their sticky texture helps bind the balls together.
  • Oat flour – For fiber and protein. I like to make my own out of old-fashioned or whole rolled oats. Find my easy method here!
  • Walnuts – They add rich, earthy flavor and healthy fats.
  • Almond butter – Like the dates, the almond butter helps bind these energy bites together. Make sure to use really smooth, well-stirred almond butter for this recipe. The dry, stiff stuff at the bottom of the jar won’t work well here.
  • Vanilla extract – For warm, cookie-like depth of flavor.
  • Water – For extra moisture. A few tablespoons make these date energy balls perfectly cohesive.
  • Mini chocolate chips – Use dairy-free chips to make this recipe vegan. I like the Enjoy Life brand.
  • And sea salt – To make all the flavors pop!

Find the complete recipe with measurements below.

Dates, walnuts, almond butter, oat flour, and salt in a food processor

How to Make No-Bake Energy Balls

These yummy date balls are SO easy to make! Here’s what you need to do:

First, check the dates. They should be soft, sticky, and pliable. If they feel stiff or dry, soak them in hot water for 10 minutes.

Next, pulse the ingredients together. Place the soft, pitted dates in a food processor along with the oat flour, almond butter, walnuts, vanilla, water, and salt. Pulse until the mixture sticks together when pinched.

Date, nut, and oat mixture in a food processor

If it feels dry, pulse a bit longer, until the mixture starts to form a ball in the food processor. If it still feels dry, pulse in more water, 1 teaspoon at a time, until it feels cohesive and sticky.

Chocolate chip energy ball dough in a mixing bowl

Then, form the balls. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and fold in the chocolate chips. Use a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop to portion out the dough. Roll the scoops into balls…and that’s it!

rolling energy ball dough into balls

Devour these date and nut energy balls right away, or store them in the fridge for up to a week. For longer storage, keep them in the freezer. They thaw quickly at room temperature. Grab them for easy, on-the-go breakfasts or quick healthy snacks. Enjoy!

Energy balls recipe

More Favorite Healthy Snacks

If you love these no-bake energy balls, try one of these healthy snack recipes next:

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Energy Balls

rate this recipe:
4.80 from 24 votes
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Serves 18 balls
These no-bake energy balls are one of our favorite healthy snacks! Made with dairy-free chocolate chips and certified gluten-free oat flour, they're both vegan and gluten-free.

Ingredients

Instructions

  • In a food processor, place the oat flour, walnuts, almond butter, dates, vanilla, water, and salt. Pulse until the mixture sticks together when pinched. If it’s too crumbly, pulse in more water, 1 teaspoon at a time.
  • Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in the chocolate chips. Use a 2-tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop and roll into balls.
  • Store extra energy balls in the fridge. They also freeze well. To thaw, leave them at room temperature until soft.

Notes

**Look for creamy almond butter with a smooth consistency to make this recipe, not the dry, stiff stuff that you might find at the bottom of a jar. 
*If your dates are hard, soak them in hot water for 10 minutes.
 

49 comments

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Rate this recipe (after making it)




  1. Katie
    01.24.2023

    4 stars
    I made these and they are yummy, but they came out a little dry. Wondering if I ground the oat flour fine enough (or used too much) or should have added more water. They stuck together OK and they’ll definitely get eaten, but I may need to tweak a few things next time!

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      01.26.2023

      Hi Katie, it sounds like there could have been a little too much oat flour. I recommend spooning and leveling it when you measure it so that you don’t accidentally pack too much into the measuring cup.

  2. fatima
    01.08.2023

    how many calories per stk ??

    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      01.13.2023

      Hi, we don’t calculate nutrition info for our recipes. If you like, you can plug the recipe into an online nutrition calculator such as MyFitnessPal.

  3. sheila cook
    10.24.2022

    Please show calories and nutrition for these recipes. Without that info I can’t eat them.

    • Phoebe Moore
      10.28.2022

      Hi Sheila, we don’t calculate nutrition info for our recipes, but if you like, you can plug them into an online nutrition calculator like MyFitnessPal.

  4. Karyn
    10.22.2022

    Hi, can I use Almond flour in place of the oat flour? Thanks!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      10.23.2022

      Hi Karyn, I haven’t tried but another reader said it worked well. I think it would be fine!

  5. Casey
    10.20.2022

    Do you have the calories for this recipe?

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      10.21.2022

      Hi Casey, we don’t calculate nutrition facts but you can plug the ingredients into a site like my fitness pal.

  6. Evelyn
    07.21.2022

    4 stars
    These are yummy and so easy. I pulsed 2 cups of whole oats in my food processor and just left the resulting oat flour in the food processor to proceed with the recipe. Also, my store did not have Medjool dates, so I softened the dates in hot water while pulsing the oats. Haha, my husband said “Uh oh” when I said they were called Energy Balls. He thought they would taste “healthy.” He tasted them and said they were really good.

  7. Joan Hoffman
    07.16.2022

    Could these be made in a Vitamix?

    Thanks bunches!

  8. Liz
    06.25.2022

    These have the best consistency! I’ve made many an energy ball recipe before and they’re either too sweet or too sticky, but these are the perfect balance of both. The dates give the right amount of sweetness and the ground up walnuts really help give a hearty flavor and texture. I just made a batch as a postpartum gift, and I’ll be making a batch for myself very soon 🙂

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      06.26.2022

      I’m so glad you loved them!

  9. Ashley
    03.29.2022

    5 stars
    These are so delicious! The vanilla and salt truly trick you into thinking you’re eating chocolate chip cookie dough. I made a batch and put them in the freezer, and know already I’ll be making another batch soon!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      03.30.2022

      I’m so glad you loved them!

  10. Pam
    03.27.2022

    Do you think oat bran would work in place of oat flour? Thanks!

  11. Trudi
    03.04.2022

    Is there an alternative to the Almond Butter? I am allergic to almonds….
    I am looking for gluten free and vegan options. This seems amazing – except for the Almond part. LOL

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      03.04.2022

      Hi Trudi, another nut butter or sunflower butter should work great here.

  12. Kim Fennessy
    02.23.2022

    5 stars
    These are amazing! Do you ever calculate nutritional information on recipes?

  13. Leah
    02.20.2022

    5 stars
    These were amazing! I usually have so much trouble with dates! However these AND your peanut butter cookie dough bars came together so nicely! L Both a 10/10 for me (for the taste, simplicity and the little clean up! 🤍

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      02.21.2022

      Hi Leah, I’m so glad you loved them!

  14. Diana
    02.08.2022

    5 stars
    The energy balls were amazing and so easy to make. I’ve made 2 batches this week!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      02.10.2022

      I’m so glad you loved them!

  15. Shannon
    02.05.2022

    I’m excited to try these! Can I sub sunflower butter for PB? My son has a peanut allergy.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      02.08.2022

      Hi Shannon, I think that would be just fine.

  16. Karen
    02.03.2022

    5 stars
    I was so surprised by these, they are really tasty, I have replaced my ‘tea and biscuit’ with ‘tea and energy ball’ and it’s so filling and satisfying. Will definitely be checking out more recipes from love and lemons

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      02.04.2022

      I’m so glad you enjoyed them!

  17. Monica Jo
    01.29.2022

    5 stars
    These are delicious. Very filling and satisfying. A couple keep me going for hours! I forgot to add the chocolate chips (yeah, I know!) and they’re still great!

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      01.29.2022

      I’m so glad you loved them!

  18. Danielle
    01.26.2022

    Such a classic recipe, I love it! I’ve never used oat flour, however, so looking forward to trying this variation tonight 🙂

  19. Sabrina from newkitchenlife.com
    01.25.2022

    nice snack, like these ingredients, creative way to sweetness, thank you!

  20. Amber
    01.25.2022

    These look delicious. The perfect no/low? guilt snack to take to work.
    Question: what can I use in place of the mini-chocolate chips? I am not big on chocolate.

    • Jeanine Donofrio
      01.26.2022

      Hi Amber, you could skip them or maybe mix in some more walnuts in addition to the ones that get blended? I hope you enjoy them!

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Photograph of Jeanine Donofrio and Jack Mathews in their kitchen

Hello, we're Jeanine and Jack.

We love to eat, travel, cook, and eat some more! We create & photograph vegetarian recipes from our home in Chicago, while our shiba pups eat the kale stems that fall on the kitchen floor.