These nut date balls are an easy no-bake snack that you can prepare ahead of time. You only need a handful of ingredients to make these date-based energy balls and they’re so easy to customize! Sweet, chewy, and satisfying, these date & walnut balls are so simple but delicious.
Whether you want to call these energy balls, bliss balls, protein balls, or power balls, we can all agree that these date and walnut balls are a delight! These chewy nut date energy balls are a new favorite (especially after getting the giant bag of walnuts at Costco) and they come together so easily!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Energy balls are so easy to make! Add everything into a food processor and give it a good blend and then roll them into balls! Plus, there’s no baking or cooking involved.
- It’s full of nourishing ingredients from walnuts to chia seeds to rolled oats. Most of these ingredients are kitchen staples for me so you might already have everything ready to go.
- They keep well in the fridge, making for a great grab-and-go meal prep snack!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- dates — I’m using pitted medjool dates. I love using dates as they are rich in natural sugars, fiber, and several vitamins and minerals, such as potassium (source)! I prefer to buy the pitted version as it’s more convenient, but you can buy regular medjool dates and remove the pits yourself. The dates should be plump and soft.
- rolled oats — make sure you are using old-fashioned rolled oats and not steel-cut oats.
- chia seeds — both black and white chia seeds have the same nutritional content. The only difference is their color.
- walnuts — I’m using walnuts because I had a ton of walnuts to use up. You can also use other nuts of your choice including pecans, almonds, hazelnuts, or cashews. You can use an assortment of nuts as well!
- vanilla extract — just a splash for some flavor.
- maple syrup — for some extra sweetness.
- salt — to help balance out the flavors.
- mini chocolate chips — or regular chocolate chips if that’s what you have on hand. I love the little nuggets of chocolate to make this an even more delightful treat.
How to Make Nut Date Energy Balls
- In a small food processor, add all the ingredients but the chocolate chips.
- Pulse the mixture together until it resembles wet sand.
- Add the chocolate chips.
- Stir the chocolate chips into the mixture.
- Using a spoon or cookie scoop, scoop the mixture and roll into them into balls.
- Enjoy immediately or store in the fridge.
Recipe Tips and Notes
- I made eight energy balls, but you can make more or less depending on the size you want to roll the balls.
- Fresh medjool dates should be soft and give easily when squished. If your dates are older, they may be dry and hard and they might not work well for energy balls. If you want to still give it a go, I recommend you soak them before using so they soften. Simply place the medjool dates in a bowl of warm water for 10-15 minutes to soften them and try to rehydrate them. Make sure you drain them well and pat dry with a paper towel before using.
- If the mixture is too crumbly, your dates might have been too dry. You can add a bit more maple syrup to bind the ingredients together or add a splash of water.
- If you want to make these energy balls more nutrient-dense, you can add additional seeds such as flax seed, hemp seeds, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds. You might have to add more dates or maple syrup so the balls hold together with the additional dry ingredients.
- Instead of mini chocolate chips, you can chop a chocolate bar and make some mini chocolate chunks. You can also swap the chocolate chips for butterscotch chips or even toffee pieces for a sweeter bite.
Make Ahead Tips
- Meal prep: you can store these nutty date balls in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks in the fridge. However, because there’s only 8, I finish them within the week.
- Freezer: If you want to double the recipe to freeze some for later, these balls hold up great in the freezer! Freeze the energy balls in an airtight container. You can freeze them with wax paper between them so they don’t stick together, or you can flash-freeze them on a sheet pan first, then transfer them, frozen, into a bag. They can last for up to 3 months in the freezer.
Nut Date Balls (Energy Balls) Recipe
These nut date balls are an easy no-bake snack that you can prepare ahead of time. You only need a handful of ingredients to make these date-based energy balls and they're so easy to customize! Sweet, chewy, and satisfying, these date & walnut balls are so simple but delicious.
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Servings: 8 balls
Ingredients
- ½ cup rolled oats
- 1 cup pitted medjool dates
- ¼ cup chia seeds
- 1 cup walnuts
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- pinch of salt
- ⅓ cup mini chocolate chips
Equipment
Instructions
- In a small food processor, add all the ingredients but the chocolate chips.
- Pulse the mixture together until it resembles wet sand. Stir in the mini chocolate chips.
- Using a spoon or cookie scoop, scoop and roll into balls.
- Enjoy immediately or store in the fridge.
Tried this recipe?Did you make this recipe? I’m always so happy to hear about it! I’d love to see how it turned out. Tag me at @CarmysHungry on Instagram so I can see it! If you enjoyed the recipe, I’d really appreciate a comment with a 5 star rating! ♥
Nutrition Per Serving
Calories: 237kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 7mg | Potassium: 239mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 19g | Vitamin A: 50IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 74mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutrition Disclaimer
More Snacks You Can Meal Prep
- Matcha Energy Balls
- Chocolate Covered Raspberries
- Protein Peanut Butter Cheesecake Cups
- Strawberry Yogurt Bites
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