These easy to make cacao and almond energy balls are the perfect chocolaty and healthy treat or snack. They are vegan, gluten-free and refined sugar-free.
I love making healthy snacks! They're great to have in hand for when the munchies kick in. For more ideas, check out these matcha coconut truffles, these gluten-free no-bake cookies, or these chocolate coconut balls.
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Ingredients list
- Pitted dates – soaked in hot water
- Almonds
- Shredded coconut
- Cacao powder (fairtrade)
- Cacao butter melted
- Vanilla essence
- Salt
Cacao and almond energy balls - snack healthy!
They are super easy to make, just put all the ingredients in the food processor, pulse, make the balls and enjoy!
I am the kind of person that can’t live without chocolate snack, but I always seek for the healthy version. That’s why I love making a big batch and storing them in the fridge to have a healthy chocolate-like snack on hand. They’re lifesaver when munchies time kicks in! 😛
Notes for this recipe
Soak the dates
Dates tend to be a bit dry, so I like to soak them to make them more juicy and soft. They will also blend in better with the rest of the ingredients. So I highly recommend not skipping this step 😊
Soak the dates in hot water for 5 minutes. Then drain the water completely.
Cacao butter VS coconut oil
You can substitute the cacao butter for coconut oil if you prefer, or simply don't have butter on hand!
I find the cacao butter gives the balls a more chocolate-like flavour, but they will be delicious either way.
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Cacao And Almond Energy Balls
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Rolling time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 20 balls 1x
- Category: Snack, dessert
- Cuisine: Australian
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These easy to make cacao and almond energy balls are the perfect chocolaty and healthy treat or snack. Vegan, gluten-free and refined sugar-free.
Ingredients
1 cup of pitted dates - soaked in hot water for 5 minutes
1 cup of almonds
1 cup of shredded coconut + a bit extra for coating
¼ cacao powder (fairtrade)
3 tbsp cacao butter melted
1 tsp vanilla
1 pinch of salt
Instructions
- Soak the dates in hot water for 5 minutes. Once they’re soft, drain the water completely
- Put the almonds in the food processor and pulse until they’re coarsely chopped
- Add the rest of ingredients to the food processor and pulse until evenly combined (the paste should stick together easily)
- Roll the dough into small balls (approx. 1 tablespoon size) and coat with shredded coconut
Notes
- You can substitute cacao butter for coconut oil, but I find the cacao butter gives a more chocolate-like flavour to the balls
- Store in a glass jar in the fridge and enjoy 😊
Kate says
LOVE IT! The cacao butter does make a difference!
Belen says
My favourite energy balls !
Blanca says
So good, thanks for sharing !!
Fiona says
These energy balls are my go-to snack before going to the gym or running when I want an extra energy boost! So delicious and full filling but without the heaviness so it’s a perfect pre-workout snack for me
Thanks for sharing Ali!