Date energy balls without oats are grain-free protein bombs made with roasted nuts and seeds that can be enjoyed for breakfast, a snack or dessert! Yes, dessert, but be mindful and eat only one a day.
If you haven’t noticed, I have an undeniable love for ball-shaped food like meatballs, ladoos, truffles, etc. 😁In my defence, this is an easy way to divide our respective shares. I don't know about you, but I found that F is not very mindful of his partner when it comes to food on the table. So, if I don't eat with him or make portions, I don't get enough of my share! 😆
Anyways, today's recipe is a variation of my dates energy bars but without oats. These no-bake energy balls are grain-free and protein-rich!
Ingredients
You don't have to use all the listed nuts and seeds. You can just stick to using one kind or use a variety of nuts based on what you have in your pantry.
- raw nuts like almonds or pistachios or peanuts or cashews or pecans, etc.
- seeds like sesame seeds or chia seeds or flaxseeds
- pitted dates
- any flavour like cocoa powder or cinnamon powder or cardamom powder
- salt
- desiccated coconut
See recipe card for quantities.
How to make it?
Please note that I have updated this recipe (Jan 2023) to skip the process of roasting the nuts and seeds to increase the shelf life.
The basic recipe that I use for date-based energy balls without oats starts with 1 cup of tightly packed pitted dates and a ½ cup of nuts with a pinch of salt. Sometimes, I do add a small portion of seeds.
Add them into a food processor or grinder and process to coarse dough that is not too sticky. As you process, the natural oils of the nuts will bring the mixture together. You should be able to make smooth balls without any mess.
Tip
Don't forget to pit the dates before measuring or adding them to the processor.
Variations
- For nut-free version, replace the nuts with more seeds like sesame, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, etc.
- For energy balls without dates, you can check our my sweet rice and coconut balls recipe.
Equipment
A food processor or a mixier grinder.
Storage
These energy balls are best kept refrigerated and will last for 1-2 weeks. You can store them in the freezer for up to 3 months.
FAQ
Energy balls are usually made with a combination of nuts, dried fruits, seeds and sometimes nut butter or protein powder making them a grab-and-go bite of good fats and energy.
Any soft sweet dates like Mabroom, Medjool, Sukary, Kudri, etc. will work. If the dates you have are dry, then make sure to soak them in warm water for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove, pat dry, pit, measure and use in the recipe.
Energy balls are healthy but generally not a low-calorie snack. The healthy fats in the roasted nuts and flaxseed make these nutritious and filling. Unlike most protein energy balls; this recipe does not call for oats or nut butter or sugar making this grain-free and refined sugar-free.
If you are interested to know more about dates other than Medjool, then do read this article in Visit Saudi.
📖 Recipe
Date Energy Balls without oats
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups raw nuts (almonds, cashews, pecans, walnuts, etc.)
- ¼ cups seeds (chia, sesame, flax, etc.) optional
- 2 ½ cups tightly packed pitted dates (mabroom, sukkary, kudri, medjool, etc.)
- a pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon cocoa powder or cinnamon powder or cardamom powder
- ½ cup desiccated coconut optional
Instructions
- Add pitted dates, nuts, salt, ground spices or cocoa powder and seeds into a large mixer grinder jar or a food processor. Grind to a fine coarse texture until the mixture comes together and is not too sticky.
- Scoop a tablespoon of the dough and form it into smooth balls between your palms. If the dough is sticky, you may grease your palm lightly with coconut oil.
- Roll the balls over a bowl of desiccated coconut and enjoy them right away or store them for later.
- Keep the energy balls refrigerated for 1-2 weeks or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Notes
- If using peanuts, make sure they are pre-roasted or ready-to-eat ones.
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