Chocolate Coconut Energy Balls With Dates (No-Bake Bliss Balls)

 Sinfully indulgent but beautifully healthy! These chocolate coconut energy balls with dates are the easiest way to satisfy a sweet tooth. Naturally gluten-free, this date ball recipe is a combination of healthy fats and protein rolled into a bite-size chocolate!

Energy balls have become a staple in my house (learn more about how and why to make homemade energy balls). Having a stash in the freezer makes grabbing a snack to entertain my two-year-old that much easier.

In addition, as a Certified Nutrition Coach, these chocolate coconut date energy balls made a pretty fueling breastfeeding snack too. They're loaded with healthy fats, energy and a chocolate flavor moms love 😉

You’ll fall in love with these because:

• They’re grab-and go
• Kids love them
• They don’t freeze solid so you can actually eat them right out of the freezer
• They have all the flavor of a treat but enough healthy ingredients to balance it out
• The balls make a fun party dessert

Ingredients You'll Need

The ingredients in these chocolate coconut energy balls have one goal: energy!

While the dates provide a source of energy (sugar) and keep them sweet, the fats in them help to stabilize the sugar rush.

Dates: the base of the bliss balls and what provides the most energy. Use a food processor to make a paste and it'll help everything stick together.

Walnuts & Hemp Hearts: a great dose of fats and Omega-three fatty acids which help fight inflammation

Cacao Powder: though cocoa powder can be used, cacao powder has more nutritional benefits and make these coconut date balls a powerhouse.

Maple Syrup: you only need a hint of maple syrup as these gluten-free energy balls are already pretty sweet.

Regular Oats: used to help bind the date energy balls so they’re easy for grab-and-go snacks.

Shredded Coconut: dust the energy balls with coconut so they’re not sticky and look like mini snowballs.

Collagen powder: a crucial ingredient to help balance out the sugars and provide a more stable source of fuel.

One thing you'll notice about these date energy balls is that there's no nut butter! Though peanut butter is typically used in no-bake balls, nut butter isn't needed in this recipe as there are already so many healthy fats.

How To Make Energy Balls With Dates From Scratch

1. Grind walnuts in a food processor into almost a flour.
2. Add the dates into thhe food processor and process/blend until combined and smooth.
3. Scrape the mixture into a bowl and add in the cacao, hemp hearts, collagen powder, and maple syrup.
4. Add in the oats and half of the coconut and mix again.
5. Use your hands to roll the batter into balls and press into the coconut flakes.
6. Freeze to set.

How To Store The Date Balls

The coconut date balls can be stored in the fridge or the freezer. Personally, I store our energy balls in the freezer because dates don't freeze solid. This means that I can grab them right out of the freezer to eat.

And since they last longer in the freezer it only makes sense.

I keep them in the fridge for around seven days but in the freezer for a couple of months.

How To Make Them Nut-Free

Schools in Canada don't allow nuts and so I find myself making two batches of everything: one for school and one for home.

 Since nuts (and nut butter) are such an amazing source of nutrients, I definitely don't want to omit them from our diets!

To make these date energy balls nut-free, simply substitute the almonds in the recipe for pumpkin seeds.

Important Teaching Tips

I know many of the time people get put off making simple snacks like this because they don't have the ingredients mentioned or they're not sure of them. So I'm trying my best to give them more substitutions.

You can make this date balls recipe vegan by eliminating the collagen powder. It's not crucial to the recipe.

However, I obviously find it extremely beneficial. That said, from the nuts and seeds these chocolate coconut energy balls have lots of plant-based protein. Though, if eliminating the collagen, I would add an extra 1-2 tablespoons of oats to the recipe to help it all bind.

Otherwise, they'll be extra sticky. Still delicious, just sticky.

What about chocolate? Cacao powder is chocolate in its purest form. I use it because it is minimally processed but also because there are so many benefits to cacao powder (like calcium, iron, etc). I can't recommend it enough (plus, who doesn't want to make more things chocolate?!).

However, if you don't have it on hand, cocoa powder works in its place. Cocoa powder is slightly sweeter than cacao because it's a bit more processed but it will still make the energy bites chocolate!

If you're making these balls into dessert, adding mini chocolate chips into the mix is always a hit!

If you adore the chocolate peanut butter combo, sub in one tablespoon of the maple syrup for peanut butter instead.

Time Saving Hack

Lastly, save yourself time on this energy balls recipe if you need it, and don't roll the balls into the coconut.

While the chocolate coconut energy balls look cute rolled into the coconut (like snowballs!), it is an extra step. if you're short on time simply mix the coconut into the energy ball mixture instead.

Lastly, save yourself the time if you need it and don't roll the balls. While the chocolate coconut energy balls look cute rolled into the shredded coconut (like snowballs!), it is an extra step. if you're short on time simply mix the coconut into the energy ball mixture instead.

Choosing Collagen Powder

It’s no surprise that these energy balls are made with collagen powder!

All the protein without the bloat.

I use collagen powder for amping up protein and boosting gut health.

Learn about the difference between collagen and bone broth as how to increase protein intake.

Honestly, as a busy mom collagen powder just makes it easy to eat more protein and not feel like I’m living off chicken and eggs.

And more protein means more energy, more natural beauty, and feeling your BEST.

Plus, in recipes like this, you can sneak protein into your kids as it’s one of the purest sources.

I grab my collagen from Perfect Supplements because they source their collagen from pasture-raised (grass-fed) cows. So, I trust it.

Grab some collagen powder and use code mamabear10 to save some money.

 

Frequently Asked Questions About Energy Balls With Dates

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