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Energy Balls Recipe: Healthy sweets between meals

Energy Balls

Simple, delicious and healthy - Energy Balls are the perfect sweet treat for young and old. Whether as a snack in the office, as a healthy dessert or as a sweet gift idea - these energy balls are incredibly versatile and have so far always been a delicious treat for everyone. Above all, however, they are incredibly well suited for athletes, as the balls quickly provide high-quality energy. They owe this to a fine date-nut mixture. The dates are rich in potassium, while the healthy fats and proteins of the nuts provide the necessary brain and muscle power. This is also ideal for nursing moms who need lots of quick energy. There is a reason why Energy Balls are also often called "breastfeeding balls". They can be prepared in advance and can be kept in the refrigerator for a good week. Of course, you can also freeze them.

Energy Balls

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The basis for these energy-giving balls almost always is the combination of dates and nuts, which are ground in a high-speed blender until a tough, slightly sticky mass is formed. To ensure that this works in every case and also with every powerful blender, there is an insider tip: Please soak dates and nuts the night before! This will most likely prevent the high speed blender from overheating. Of course, making the energy ball mixture still remains a somewhat "sticky" affair, but it's well worth it! You'll be rewarded with delicious energy balls that have a discreet taste of cinnamon and vanilla.

Energy Balls

Energy Balls with almonds and dates
Prep Time 10 Min
Perform Time 15 Min
Total Time 25 Min
Amount 800 g
Calories 3780 kcal
Cuisine Appetizer, Dessert, Snack
Author Svenja from GrueneSmoothies.com
Energy Balls Healthy Candy
5 / 5 out of 1177 Reviews
 

Ingredients

  • 300 g medjool dates soaked, without pit
  • 175 g almonds soaked
  • 175 g hazelnuts soaked
  • 150 g cashews unsalted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract alternatively vanilla bean pulp
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • grated coconut
 

Instruction

  1. Soak the dates, almonds and hazelnuts in water with a dash of apple cider vinegar or a pinch of baking soda overnight. Soaking these ingredients is really the key tip here, as the recipe will then definitely work in the high-speed blender. Drain the next morning and dry the nuts and dates with a towel.
  2. Next, remove the seeds from the Medjool dates and roughly chop the hazelnuts and almonds with a large knife. Then put them in the blender with the dabbed dates and cashews and a teaspoon of vanilla extract. Alternatively, you can use vanilla bean pulp.
  3. Once the container is tightly closed, run it on high to maximum speed so that all the ingredients are chopped and blended. Use the tamper to push the ingredients to the blades during the blending process so that the blades don't run dry. This is unquestionably a recipe which requires some help with a spoon (when the blender is turned off) if the mixture becomes too chewy.
  4. Once everything is well chopped, you can take the mixture out of the blender with a spatula or spoon and roll it into walnut-sized energy balls in your hands.
  5. The balls are topped off with a snow-like coating of shredded coconut. Simply dip the finished balls into a bowl of shredded coconut and roll them around until they are covered on all sides. The finished balls will keep in the fridge for about a week!
  6. Enjoy your healthy energy balls!

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Have you ever made energy balls yourself? How do you like our recipe?

We appreciate your Feedback here!

Energy Balls Recipe

Carla from GrueneSmoothies.com

I fell in love with the first sip. In 2010 a friend of mine served me my first green smoothie. Since then, green smoothies are my absolute favorite breakfast. Quickly prepared, I start my day healthy, delicious and well nourished. I carry the feeling of this delicious healthy breakfast with me all day long - all the way through to the evening.
Nice side effect: Without renunciation or nutritional dogma, green smoothies regulate my desire for coffee, chocolate and all the other temptations.

Among other things, Carla gives workshops for beginners and also is responsible for social media and communication.

Add comment

42 | Comment(s)

6/2/2024
Holger
Hello Smoothie Team,

an absolutely top recipe!

Due to package size, I changed it a bit.

400 g Medjool dates soaked, pitted
200 g almonds soaked
200 g hazelnuts soaked
150 g unsalted cashews
2x vanilla bean
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tbsp cocoa
2 tbsp homemade peanut butter
200 g unsulfured apricots

Since I mixed everything together and maybe a little too long, it turned into a puree.
If you want it to stay chunky, it's probably better to chop everything individually to your liking and then mix in a bowl.

It was too much of a puree to roll into balls, but it turned out to be an absolutely fantastic spread for bread :-).

Thank you very much.

Best regards,

Holger
6/3/2024
Carla von GrüneSmoothies.de
Hello Holger,

thank you very much for the recipe feedback and for sharing your adaptation! Your Energy spread sounds great!!!

Keep it up!
Warm regards,
Carla
2/28/2024
Madleina Collenberg
They are very tasty, but I messed up something, and I can't shape the energy balls - it's way too liquid. What should I do?
2/28/2024
Carla von GrüneSmoothies.de
Hello Madleina,

that can happen when there is too much liquid from soaking. You could make the dough a bit firmer by using coconut flour or ground almonds.

Best regards,
Carla
12/16/2023
mirjam broennecke
Thank you for the great recipe!!!
The balls were easy to prepare and turned out mega delicious.
A great homemade gift!
12/13/2023
Angelika
Hello Carla,
Thank you for the delicious recipe - I tried it today and used 2 tsp of cocoa instead of cinnamon ;-))
Everything went well
Best regards
Angelika
12/19/2023
Carla von GrüneSmoothies.de
Hi Angelika,

That sounds very delicious too!

Best regards,
Carla
12/12/2023
Edith
Hello,
Can I use date paste from the Oriental store?
Best regards,
Edith
12/12/2023
Carla von GrüneSmoothies.de
Hello Edith,

I can't say for sure because I haven't tried it myself. If you want to make energy balls with a high-speed blender, it's crucial that the dough has enough moisture. We achieve this by soaking the dates and nuts overnight. If you omit the soaked dates, I'm not sure if the dough won't become too sticky and dense.

Best regards,
Carla
12/11/2023
Ursula Neumann
The 7-day tips for green smoothies were great, I tried several right away. I've been wanting to make energy balls for a while, but I wasn't sure how. What you wrote sounds really good. I will give it a try soon.
Thank you very much,
Ursel
12/12/2023
Carla von GrüneSmoothies.de
Dear Ursel,

Thank you for your comment and feedback on our detox cleanse.
Yes, definitely give the energy balls a try and let us know how you liked them.
Just a reminder, make sure to soak the nuts and dates before processing them in the blender.

Best regards,
Carla
12/11/2023
Inka
I love the energy balls and I'm very excited about the recipe. I will definitely make them before Christmas!
Thank you very much! Wishing everyone a lovely Advent season.
12/12/2023
Carla von GrüneSmoothies.de
Dear Inka,

thank you - we wish you the same. And most importantly, enjoy trying out the recipe. Please remember to soak the dates and nuts the night before.

Best regards,
Carla
4/30/2022
Sabine
Dear Carla, is the Wartmann blender also suitable for the energy balls or is the Bianco di puro s the better choice? Thank you and best regards Sabine
5/2/2022
Carla von GrüneSmoothies.de
Hello Sabine,

thank you for your question.
You can make Energy Balls with a blender - just as well with the Wartmann blender as with the Bianco Puro. BUT: Sticky, firm doughs will cause a high-speed blender to quickly go into heat protection - this happens automatically to protect the motor from heat. If you occasionally want to make energy balls with the blender, you can certainly find a way - for example, soak very hard dried fruit in water beforehand. However, this is more the discipline of a food processor.

Love,
Carla
6/13/2019
Esther
Hello all,
will this recipe work in the 2 L container of the Vitamix 750 Pro in terms of quantity?
I'm thinking about getting the 1.4 L container because besides smoothies I also like to prepare energy balls, I'm uncertain if the amount is enough for the large container.

Sunny regards
Esther
6/17/2019
Carla von GrüneSmoothies.de
Dear Esther,

the recipe should work in the standard container of the Vitamix Pro 750. But the preparation of energy balls in the blender is a "sticky" task. You must soak the dates and nuts overnight.

Have fun trying out our recipes. Please don't hesitate to provide feedback on how the preparation worked out.
Love, Carla
2/15/2019
Dagmar
Hello, I think the Energyballs are great, but my blender almost broke down.
I could have also tried to mix Pattex. Do you have a tip on how I can straighten out this sticky story?
Lg, Dagmar
2/25/2019
Carla von GrüneSmoothies.de
Dear Dagmar,
just add some water or some fresh lemon juice.
Love, Carla
11/22/2018
Janice
Hello dear ones, the energy balls taste sensational, my whole family is in love. Only one of my daughters has a hazelnut allergy. Could I use walnuts instead, or do you have a better suggestion? Thank you for your fantastic website. Regards, Janice.
11/23/2018
Carla von GrüneSmoothies.de
Dear Janice, thank you for your lovely feedback! We are happy to hear that you enjoyed the Energy Balls so much. Feel free to try the recipe with walnuts or with nuts that your daughter can tolerate. Best regards, Carla
3/23/2018
Nicole
Hello, can you use regular dates instead of Medjool dates, and if so, how many should you use instead? Best regards
3/23/2018
Carla von GrüneSmoothies.de
Of course, you can do that. Depending on the quality of the dates, I would use about 1.5 to 2 smaller dates for 1 Medjool date. Best regards, Carla
2/28/2018
Jutta Lichnock
Hello!
Proud owner of a vitamix Creation! Just made the energy balls today. But oh no, the blender automatically turned off. I think it's the overheating protection. Is that bad????
It's brand new and I want it to last longer!
It's truly a sticky situation :/
Thanks for your response
Jutta
2/28/2018
Carla von GrüneSmoothies.de
Dear Jutta, the heat protection - can happen and is not bad at all. Just a sticky test of patience.... but all the more delicious for it. Warm regards, Carla
2/13/2018
Evelyne
Dear green smoothies Team, today I tried to make the power balls. It wasn't as easy as I thought. I soaked everything according to the recipe (even the cashew nuts) and this morning I roughly chopped everything with a knife. My blender (bianco puro) couldn't handle it all. So, I divided the amount by three and continued trying to "push" the mixture into the blades with a long spoon. Pieces flew out of the blender (I couldn't reach everywhere with the black lid) or after a few seconds (on the lowest setting), my blender started to overheat. I tried helping with the spoon, but the spoon got caught with the blades and the blender stopped... Well, I persisted, and gradually, I achieved a texture that could be shaped into balls. I'm glad I managed it and wish the recipe had more detailed instructions; for example, should everything be smooth, or can there be some pieces left? Do you have any tips for me? Besides that, I'm very happy with your recipes... I never thought I would become a fan of green smoothies... keep it up.... I can hardly wait for your next 7-day detox cleanse. Greetings from Baden-Württemberg.
2/13/2018
Carla von GrüneSmoothies.de
Dear Evelyne, thank you for your detailed feedback. Making the Energy Balls is indeed a "sticky affair" - so you did everything right. I personally don't mind if there are small chunks left - but it's not necessary. It takes a bit of experimenting until you find the right consistency for yourself. There aren't really any other tips to share. Best regards, Carla.
12/22/2017
Margret
Using a blender is a hassle. Getting the mixture out of the blades is really no fun. It's much better to run the whole thing through the meat grinder a few times.
12/22/2017
Carla von GrüneSmoothies.de
...but not everyone has a meat grinder ;) It is important when making it with the blender that the dried fruits or dates are soaked beforehand. Merry Christmas!
12/22/2017
Nicole
Hello you two,
I would like to try making the balls today as well. As a gift for my family and also as a supply for myself, as I will be giving birth in the next few days ;) So, the recipe fits really well right now :D
What alternatives can I use for the coconut flakes? Do you have any suggestions?
Thank you very much and have a lovely Christmas time already :)
Nicole
12/22/2017
Carla von GrüneSmoothies.de
Then we wish you all the best. Instead of coconut flakes, you could also use roasted, finely chopped hazelnuts. That should also fit really well - or even raw cacao...
12/22/2017
Achim
... was too quick :-). Roughly how many balls does the recipe yield? 20?
1/2/2018
Lisa von GrüneSmoothies.de
Dear Achim,
it depends on the size of the balls. But you should get around 15-20 pieces.
Best regards, Lisa
12/22/2017
Achim
That sounds very interesting. May I ask which vanilla extract you use? I am still searching. Is it important for the success of the recipe to manually chop the hazelnuts and almonds first, or can I trust them soaked to my Bianco di Puro Puro?

Thank you very much!
1/2/2018
Lisa von GrüneSmoothies.de
Dear Achim, thank you very much for your questions! The vanilla extract we used is the "Organic Vanilla Bean Extract" from Taylor & Colledge. Any other (organic) vanilla extract will also work. You can also blend the soaked hazelnuts and almonds with your Bianco di Puro Puro. Best regards, Lisa
12/22/2017
Klaus
I wish you wonderful Christmas holidays and a fantastic New Year's transition in the Berlin basement.
12/22/2017
Carla von GrüneSmoothies.de
Thank you, dear Klaus. We wish the same for you!
12/22/2017
Klaus
Sounds very tasty, I will try it out.
12/21/2017
Marlene
I will try the Energy Balls tomorrow. The recipe sounds incredibly delicious - thank you so much! I always get very excited when I receive new recipes from you and have successfully tried out a large part of them with my high-speed blender - which I definitely don't want to be without.
12/21/2017
Carla von GrüneSmoothies.de
I think I'll make some more to give away tomorrow. As I said: They've all been devoured :) Thanks for your lovely feedback. Warmly, Carla
12/21/2017
Siglinde
Yes, I regularly make energy balls myself and think your recipe is good.
First, I take a look at the supplies and then create them according to my mood. Dried apples from my own harvest and vineyard peaches are used just as much as lupine flour for wrapping... so, there are no limits to your imagination here.
Wishing you all much joy in trying it out.
Warm regards, Siglinde
12/21/2017
Carla von GrüneSmoothies.de
Dear Siglinde, thank you for your feedback! You seem to be a very experienced energy ball baker. Great job! Wishing you a lovely holiday season. Warm regards, Carla.