No-Bake Energy Bites

5 from 7 votes

Naturally sweetened with dates and filled with whole grains and healthy fats, these no-bake Energy Bites take just minutes to make and are unbelievably delicious!

Prep Time10

Soaking5

Total Time15

Course: Snack

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Author: Kristen Chidsey

Equipment

Food Processor

Ingredients

½ cup pitted whole dates
½ cup rolled oats old-fashioned or quick-cook
½ cup dry roasted unsalted nuts or ¼ cup nut butter of choice
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 small pinch sea salt omit if nuts are salted

Instructions

Place ½ cup pitted whole dates in heat-safe shallow bowl and cover with hot water. Let the dates soak for 5-10 minutes, or until softened. Drain off the dates, reserving the liquid.
Place the soaked dates into a food processor that has been fitted with an s-blade. and process lightly until the dates form a thick paste.
To the date paste, add ½ cup rolled oats, ½ cup dry roasted unsalted nuts (or ¼ cup of nut butter), 1 tablespoon chia seeds, 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1 small pinch sea salt (omit if nuts are salted). Pulse the mixture together until the mixture just comes together, adding up to 1-2 tablespoons of the reserved soaking liquid to the mixture if needed.
Using a small cookie scoop, scoop out about 1 tablespoon of the mixture onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Once all the dough is portioned out, use moistened hands to roll the the mixture into a ball.
Let harden in the fridge for at least 10 minutes. Once hardened, transfer the energy balls to an airtight container. Store in balls in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Notes

Storage: Store leftover oatmeal balls in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Oats: Only rolled oats work. Do not use steel-cut oats and be sure your oats are certified gluten-free if needed.

Nuts: Use any variety of nuts you like. But if using raw nuts, you will want to toast them first on a sheet pan for 15 minutes at 325℉ (160℃).

Nut Butter: In place of the nuts, feel free to use ¼ cup of natural creamy or crunchy peanut butter, cashew butter, or almond butter.

Nut-Free Option: Use ¼ cup of soy butter in place of the nuts.

Optional Mix-Ins: Add up to 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, or ground nutmeg. You can also add up to ¼ cup of raisins, dried cranberries, mini chocolate chips, or shredded coconut if desired. It is best to wait to add chocolate chips after processing the oatmeal balls.

Add Protein Powder: Remove 2 tablespoons of the oats from the measuring cup and then replace that with 2 tablespoons of protein powder to the mixture.

Nutrition