by Lindsay 20 Comments
My Go-To Energy Ball Recipe is perfect for kids, nursing moms, athletes and anyone looking for a healthy snack. They’re full of fiber, protein, and healthy fats and easy to prep ahead of time to keep your freezer stocked.
Hi friends!
Today I’m sharing my go-to energy ball recipe and I already know you’re gonna love it. I shared it on Instagram a few weeks ago and many of you have already tried and loved them! They’re super easy to make, packed with protein, fiber and healthy fats and perfect for stocking your freezer. I’ve become especially reliant on them while nursing. I find myself constantly starving having healthy, calorie-dense snacks like these on hand have been a total lifesaver while I’m feeding a tiny human and trying to keep my calorie intake up.
An added bonus? My kids also love them. They’re the perfect make-ahead snack that I can prep ahead of time on the weekend and have on hand to grab for them when they’re cranky and hungry.
This recipe is gluten-free and can be made dairy-free if you use non-dairy milk and dairy-free chocolate chips (I like Enjoy Life). I use peanut butter in mine but you could swap another nut butter or try sunflower seed butter for a nut-free version.
Here’s how you make them:
My Go-To Energy Ball Recipe
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4.7 from 15 reviews
My Go-To Energy Ball Recipe is perfect for kids, nursing moms, athletes and anyone looking for a healthy snack. They’re full of fiber, protein, and healthy fats and easy to prep ahead of time to keep your freezer stocked.
- Author: Lindsay
Ingredients
Scale
6–8 pitted Medjool dates (approx 1 cup)
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup pepitas
1/4 cup hemp seeds
1/4 cup ground flax
1/2 cup peanut butter
2–4 Tbsp milk (dairy or non-dairy) or water
chocolate chips
Instructions
- Place dates, oats, pepitas, hemp and flax in a food processor and process until well chopped.
- Add peanut butter and process until mixed.
- Add 2 Tbps milk or water and process until the mixture starts to clump into a giant ball. Add more liquid 1 Tbsp at a time as needed.
- Add chocolate chips, pulse a few times to mix, then scoop or roll into balls.
- Store in the freezer!
Notes
Sub another nut butter or sunflower seed butter for peanut butter if desired.
You can eat these directly out of the freezer.
I’m not lying when I say we go through about two batches of these per week.
Let me know if you try them! If you like these, you might also like my Lemon Energy Balls and my No Bake Peppermint Chocolate Bites.
Enjoy!
–Lindsay–
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About Lindsay
Lindsay Livingston is a Registered Dietitian and new mom from Columbus, Ohio. On her blog, she shares simple, healthy recipes, nutrition tips, workouts and snapshots of her life. Follow her on Twitter @LeanGrnBeanBlog and Instagram @TheLeanGreenBean and be sure to subscribe via RSS or email so you never miss a post!
Reader Interactions
Comments
Kim saysLindsay, these are SO good and have been a lifesaver to me as a busy mom. Thank you!!!
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- Lindsay says
so glad to hear it!
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- Kari Ikemoto Exter says
Love this recipe! I have a patient who can’t eat dates – what would you recommend to use instead of dates?
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- Lindsay says
unfortunately those are pretty crucial to this recipe i think. you could try more oats and some honey to help them stick
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- Georgia says
The best energy balls I have ever had!!! What an amazing flavor amd texture. I should have made a double batch because I want to eat them all by myself. My three year old loves them as well. Thank you so for this recipe!
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- Caroline says
So yummy!! Wish I wouldn’t have waited so long to try them.
- Meghan says
So easy to make and yummy!
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- Maddie R says
I make these every couple weeks. They are the best energy ball recipe ever! I tried another one once and it didn’t even come close. Glad I found this!
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- Cheri says
I just made these and stored them in the freezer for 30 minutes before cutting them into little pieces. So delicious! The dates really make it sweet and yummy without all the added sugar. They were approved by my two young kids and my husband. The best part is how easy this was to make. Just put everything in the food processor, pulse it together, and then press it into the pan. This will be my new go to as well!
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- Katrina says
We’ve been making energy bites for years with roughly the same ingredients but instead of mixing them in the food processor we would stir them by hand. I decided to give this recipe a shot and much prefer it to our normal energy bites. The dates are a nice addition and processing everything together is so much simpler. Goodbye old version, this is my new go-to as well!
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- Caroline says
They are so good, I have been making them every month for the past two years! My whole family enjoys them!
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- Emily Mavodones says
Delicious protein balls! I love that they’re entirely sweetened by dates aside from a few chocolate chips. My kids loved them too! These will definitely be added to our regular weekly rotation.
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- Chase says
My favorite energy ball recipe. My little kids love it and I love that it’s not too sweet like some other recipes I have tried. Love the ingredients too! Thanks for a yummy recipe!
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- CAS says
Made for (and with) my 18m old, just minus the chocolate chips. Very easy recipe, hold together well with 3 tsp water. Several did not make it to the freezer, I barely got to some of roll them!
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- Robin McLawhorn says
Easy! I love having a filling snack to pull out right after school, so my kids don’t raid the pantry. Bonus to-go breakfast for me too.
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- Annatje Borchelt says
can you please supply the full nutritional info, including fiber?
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- Lindsay says
sorry, i don’t have that info available.
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- Anne says
Consistency is too thick….very frustrated, tried to blend in food processor, then Ninja, then stand mixer. Finally gave up and trying to save by mixing by hand. Ugh…
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- Lindsay says
Sorry to hear that! I make these in my food processor every time and have never had an issue. Did you pulse up the dates, nuts and seeds before adding the peanut butter? And were your dates soft enough to chop? If they’re a bit hard you can soak them in hot water for 10-15 minutes first.
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- Jessica Jarvis says
I am truly surprised by how nice these are. My toddler has a sweet tooth and we’re trying to cut out processed treats so made these on a whim today and they’re a hit.
I put the recipe into chatgpt, on the basis that my mix (almost exactly as in the recipe bar some sunflower seeds and using whole milk) made 34 equal-ish balls. The nutritional value is:
Nutritional Value Per Ball:
•Calories: 59
•Carbohydrates: 6.85g
•Sugars: 3.73g
•Protein: 1.88g
•Fat: 3.18g
•Fibre: 1.12gVitamins and minerals found in the ingredients (cannot give exact measurements without knowing brands etc but useful to know)
Vitamins:
•Vitamin E
•Vitamin B6
•Vitamin D
•Folate
•Niacin
•Ribofavin
•Vitamin B12Minerals:
•Calcium
•Iron
•Magnesium
•Zinc
•Phosphorus
•Copper
•Omega-3 Fatty AcidsReply
