Date-sweetened energy balls are my favorite, especially Double Chocolate Coconut Energy Balls. They are the perfect amount of sweet and leave lots of room for delicious fillings like cocoa, coconut, and chocolate chips. They’re also super easy to make since a food processor basically does all of the work.
I love to keep energy balls in the fridge as a healthy snack. If we don’t have something healthy around, I just seem to end up reaching for the bag of chocolate chips themselves. Totally avoiding sweets and treats isn’t my thing apparently. And to be honest, I think my mood improves pretty drastically with just a hint of sweetness. Nothing over the top. It doesn’t have to be a cupcake a day or anything. But an energy ball, raw cookie dough bite, or homemade granola bar after a meal is right up my alley. If that sounds appealing then these energy balls are for you!
Dates
Choosing dates is important. When I first started baking with vegan ingredients, I noticed that many recipes called for dates. They’re incredibly healthy when stacked up against other sweeteners. And they somehow manage to always be sweet, but not TOO sweet. (If you know what I mean.)
Medjool dates are perfect for baking. They are plump, juicy, and have an amazingly sweet flavor. They’re sweet fruit perfection. They can often be found in the produce section of your supermarket, in a clear container. Ours always tend to come in 2lb portions.
Deglet Noor dates are the most common type of date and usually also one of the cheapest. They have a slightly less sweet flavor and tend to be drier in texture. You also need more of them, since they’re smaller than a Medjool date. These dates are great for cooking, but if you have the option – stick with the Medjool variety for baking and definitely for raw treats like these energy balls.
With any type of date, there is always a time where we get a dry batch. Or maybe you just don’t use them a lot, the container wasn’t sealed properly… yadda yadda. Whatever the reason for your tough, dry dates, there’s a simple solution. Soak the dates in boiled water for 3-5 minutes to soften them up. Then they’ll be ready to use in any of your favorite recipes – like this one!
These Double Chocolate Coconut Energy Balls are
- Chocolatey
- Coconutty
- Rich
- Flavorful
- Satisfying
- Healthy
- Vegan/GF
- Perfect for meal prep
- Delicious!
If you make these Double Chocolate Coconut Energy Balls, let us know how it went with a comment or rating below. And follow us on Instagram for more vegan recipes all the time #plantednoshery. However you found our little slice of the food blog world, we’re so glad you’re here. Enjoy!
Double Chocolate Energy Balls – Date Sweetened
Ingredients
- 4 Medjool dates, pitted
- 2 tbsp Almond milk can sub any plant based milk
- 2 tbsp Almond butter
- 4 tsp Coconut flour
- 1 tbsp Coconut sugar
- 2 tsp Cocoa powder
- ¼ tsp Sea salt
- 2 tbsp Shredded coconut, unsweetened optional for rolling
- 1 tbsp Dairy free mini chocolate chips optional to mix in
Instructions
- In a food processor fitted with the "S" blade, add the pitted Medjool Dates and almond milk. Pulse until dates are finely chopped. Stop to scrape down the sides of the container as needed.
- Add the coconut flour, almond butter, cocoa, salt and coconut sugar. Pulse until a sticky dough forms. Remove the "S" blade and fold in the chocolate chips with a spatula (if adding them).
- Form the dough into balls with your hands or a cookies scoop. The dough is sticky, but should easily roll into balls. If it's too sticky to handle, mix in another tsp of coconut flour.
- Roll the balls in unsweetened shredded coconut, and enjoy immediately or pop them in the fridge to firm up slightly and cool. They are delicious either way – Enjoy!
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