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    Home » Recipes » Cookies, Snacks and Desserts

    Published: Nov 2, 2016 · Modified: Sep 26, 2022 by Mariska Ramondino · This post may contain affiliate links

    Healthy Energy Balls with dates and oats (GF+7 Variations)

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Pumpkin Spiced Energy Bites.
    Festive energy bites.

    These healthy energy balls come together in as little as 20 minutes with 7 simple ingredients and get you a whopping 25 delicious energy-snacks.

    They are made with dates and oats contain healthy fats, proteins and are refined sugar-free.

    And they are so easy to customize!

    A large plate filled with small date energy bites, served in cute little small paper cupcake holders.
    Jump to:
    • Why you'll love this high-energy snack
    • What you'll need & Substitutions
    • How to make these healthy energy balls
    • Nuts versus nut butter
    • You can make it nut-free
    • Make dairy-free or vegan-friendly energy balls
    • Other spices or flavors you can use
    • Adjust the level of sweetness
    • Substitute the dates
    • Other Add-ons
    • Make them a Festive Treat
    • How long do energy balls last
    • Meal prep idea
    • More healthy snacks you might want to try
    • 📖 Recipe

    Why you'll love this high-energy snack

    • This recipe gets you 25 delicious, gluten-free, and healthy energy bites.
    • You can easily make them ahead and double or triple the batch because they stay well for a few weeks in the fridge or longer in the freezer.
    • Medjool dates give these energy bites a natural caramel-like flavor. But, I'll share substitutions.
    • When refrigerated, they slightly harden and develop a lovely nougat-like texture.
    • They are a satisfying post-workout snack, on-the-go snack, and even healthy enough for breakfast. 
    • And you can easily make them nut-free and turn them into a nutritious school snack.
    • Make them dairy-free and vegan with the swap of one ingredient.
    • Play around with warm spices and flavors or dress them up so they can become a beautiful fall treat that brightens any Holiday table. 
    • The wholesome ingredients make it a healthy treat when enjoyed in moderation.

    Let's make them!

    Energy balls sprinkled with seeds served on a small plate next to a cup and Asian teapot.

    What you'll need & Substitutions

    You have options!

    Oats, cinnamon, coconut oil, raisins, cashews, dates, and hazelnuts displayed on a table.
    Make it with coconut oil and your favorite nuts.
    Ingredients like oats, dates, nuts, butter, spices, and raisins spread out on a table.
    Make it with butter and your favorite nuts.

    You only need a few essential ingredients, and some add-ins can be swapped based on what you have on hand or what you prefer flavor or diet-wise.

    • Butter or coconut butter (to keep it dairy-free and vegan-friendly);
    • gluten-free steel-cut oats;
    • For extra flavor add cinnamon—see more options below;
    • A medley of nuts like whole cashews, pecans, almonds, or hazelnuts (see options below to make it nut-free);
    • A natural sweetener like Medjool dates and black raisins (see variations below).

    How to make these healthy energy balls

    Toasting the Oats

    • For about 5 to 7 minutes, toast the raw oats in some melted butter over medium-low heat until they are a few shades darker.
    • They will smell almost like popcorn—no kidding.
    • It gives them a lovely crunchy texture with a buttery consistency and makes them easy to process in the blender.
    • You want to go for steel-cut oats because it adds a depth of flavor, rich nuttiness, and a subtle sweetness to these energy bites.
    • If preferred, you can add one teaspoon of coconut sugar while toasting—optional but perfect if you want to make these treats into a Holiday worthy bite.
    • Allow the oats to cool just a tad before you process them into the blender.
    • But don't cool completely. The toasted grain might harden into clumps, and then it will be hard to get them out of the pan.
    A large wooden spoon holding toasted oats and resting on top of a pan filled with toasted oats.

    Blending all the ingredients

    • Use a Vitamix, a Nutribullet type of blender, or a food processor.
    • I recommend adding in the toasted oats first to ensure that they will be processed entirely, followed by the spices, soft dates, raisins, and nuts.
    • The mixture should have a beautiful smooth consistency.

    Note: The color of the mixture may vary based on the color of the toasted oats, the type of natural sweetener, and the nuts used.

    Smooth dates oat energy balls batter in a blender.

    Form Balls

    Use a spoon or one tablespoon measurement of the mixture and roll it into balls. Repeat until done.

    Smooth dates energy balls batter served in a wooden bowl and one tablespoon measurement resting on top filled with an energy ball.
    A close up of a wooden bowl filed with energy balls.

    Chill & Serve

    Usually, I place them on a large plate slightly separated from each other to prevent them from sticking and let them completely cool somewhat in the fridge before serving.

    Chilling is optional, but I highly recommend it.

    If you want to store them immediately for later, place them in an airtight container, preferably separated with parchment paper between each layer.

    Nuts versus nut butter

    I usually make these energy balls with cashews and pecans. Don't have any on hand? Use other nuts you like, such as almonds or even almond butter instead.

    Note: if you opt for a nut or seed or tahini butter instead of whole nuts, the texture will be slightly softer.

    A hand holding half of a sesame seed covered energy bite.

    You can make it nut-free

    For those who have nut allergies, sunflower butter is a great alternative, and I have used it many times myself in this recipe.

    Make dairy-free or vegan-friendly energy balls

    To make it vegan-friendly, you only have to swap real butter for coconut butter or coconut oil. That's it!

    Other spices or flavors you can use

    Want to change it up?

    Use pumpkin pie spice or Dutch Speculoos—it gives you that warm autumn smell and and lovely fall flavors.

    They also taste incredible when adding Chai spices, apple pie spice, cacao or unsweetened cocoa powder.

    All good options.

    A small opened bottle of chai spices.

    Adjust the level of sweetness

    The Medjool dates and half a cup of black raisins usually are plenty enough to sweeten these snacks naturally.

    But feel free to pump up the number of raisins to one cup or leave them out for a less sweet taste.

    You can also add a few pinches of Stevia Powder or some coconut sugar according to your taste while you toast the steel-cut oats for a sweeter experience.

    Like it less sweet, use only the Medjool dates or whatever dried fruits you substitute it with, and leave out any raisins.

    Substitute the dates

    If you don't have any dates or raisins on hand or like to play with different flavors, then try the following natural sweeteners :

    • dried figs
    • dried prunes
    • dried apricots
    • dried cherries
    • or only use dried raisins instead

    At home, we prefer Medjool dates, raisins, or dried apricots. Of course, your flavors will differ based on what you choose, so pick a dried fruit you love.

    A hand holding a bitten energy ball with dates.

    Other Add-ons

    Before you refrigerate, roll the energy balls a few times through a bowl filled with either

    • sesame seeds
    • fine unsweetened coconut shreds
    • hemp seeds
    • ground flax seeds

    They'll stick to the energy balls and add a nice nutritional touch.

    A hand grabbing an energy ball sprinkled with dried coconut flakes and served in tiny paper cupcake holder.
    Energy bites rolled into fine coconut shreds.

    Make them a Festive Treat

    Serve in mini cupcake holders to become the best version of themselves during the Holidays. 

    A side view of a table filled with coconut sprinkled energy bites served in small cute paper cupcake holders.

    How long do energy balls last

    They stay well for a few weeks in the fridge or a few months in the freezer.

    However, you do have to let them sit on the counter after freezing, so they can soften a bit before serving.

    Meal prep idea

    They're a lovely rotational make-ahead snack because they are easy to pull together, store well, and are portable.

    An open container filled with energy balls next to a snack box with two energy bites and fruits.

    I hope you enjoy these gluten-free energy bites as much as my family does!

    More healthy snacks you might want to try

    • Creamy Coconut and Protein-rich dark chocolate-covered bites.
    • Rice Crispy Cupcake Treats—the healthy way, of course. They are super fun to make with your kids too.
    • No Flour Peanut Butter Cookies—they are a real treat.
    • Healthy flourless brownies—they are irresistable!
    • Lupini beans—absolutely addictive!

    I always love to hear if you tried out this recipe and if it worked for you. Also, don't forget to SUBSCRIBE to my Monthly Newsletter!

    📖 Recipe

    A hand grabbing an energy ball sprinkled with dried coconut flakes and served in tiny paper cupcake holder.

    Healthy Energy Balls

    Mariska Ramondino
    This energy balls recipe contains a warm spice, natural sweeteners like dates, raisins, and toasted steel-cut oats (gluten-free, with a vegan-friendly option). Pair them with your favorite cup of coffee or tea, or make them festive to join the Holiday table.
    4.75 from 4 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate this Recipe
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 5 mins
    Total Time 20 mins
    Course Power Snacks
    Cuisine American
    Servings 25 energy balls

    Ingredients
     

    • 4 tablespoons pure butter (I love Kate's Creamery 100% pure butter), or coconut butter/oil (to keep it dairy-free and vegan-friendly) 70 grams
    • 1 cup gluten-free steel-cut oats 160 grams
    • 2 ½ teaspoons cinnamon spice or Pumpkin Pie spice for fall flavors
    • ½ cup whole cashews 70 grams
    • ½ cup pecans 80 grams
    • ½ black (jumbo) raisins 90 grams
    • 10 fresh, pitted Medjool dates (about one cup packed) 235 grams

    Instructions
     

    • In a saucepan, melt the butter or coconut oil over medium heat.
    • Stir in the oats and combine them with butter or coconut oil.
    • Cook the oats for about 5 to 7 minutes, frequently stirring, or until they are lightly toasted (you can hear the oats pop a little at the end.)
    • Stay with the oats because they can burn quickly! Remove the pan from the stove.
    • Allow the oats to cool a little.
    • In a blender (or food processor), add the toasted oats, then the cinnamon spice, nuts, raisins, and dates.
    • Blend until a smooth batter is formed.
    • If using a Vitamix, mix using a high-speed setting while using the tamper to push the ingredients around. Then continue to blend until you have a beautiful brown and smooth mixture. You'll use the tamper to process the thick mixture through the blades.
    • Take the mixture immediately out of the blender and transfer it into a bowl (be careful, it can be hot.)
    • When cool enough to handle, roll a spoonful into a small ball and repeat until all mixture is used.
    • Enjoy immediately or store in the fridge in an airtight container!

    Notes

    Storage: they stay well for up to two weeks in the fridge in an airtight container or 3 months in the freezer. Let them sit on the counter for a bit after freezing, so they can soften before serving.
    Nuts: instead of cashew or pecans, you can use a medley of nuts you have on hand. Almonds and blanched hazelnuts are a great substitute here. Nut butter can work too, but the texture of the energy balls will be softer instead of chewy.
    Nut-free: sunflower or tahini butter are great alternatives.
    Spices & flavors: change it up by using different spices like Dutch Speculoos, Chai, Pumpkin Pie spice, apple pie spice, or cacao or unsweetened cocoa powder for a more chocolatey taste (read energy ball variations in the post).
    Medjool dates alternatives: dried figs, dried prunes, dried apricots, dried cherries, or only raisins. I love Medjool dates as it gives these energy bites that lovely caramel-like taste.
    Nutritional information: calculated using almonds, cashews, and coconut oil.

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      Nutrition (% Daily value)

      Serving: 1energy ballCalories: 96kcal (5%)Carbohydrates: 13g (4%)Protein: 2g (4%)Fat: 5g (8%)Saturated Fat: 2g (13%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 5mg (2%)Sodium: 15mg (1%)Potassium: 93mg (3%)Fiber: 2g (8%)Sugar: 7g (8%)Vitamin A: 72IU (1%)Vitamin C: 0.04mgCalcium: 14mg (1%)Iron: 1mg (6%)

      Disclaimer: This nutritional data is calculated using third party tools and is only intended as a reference.

      Tried this recipe? PIN it for laterMention @mychefsapron or tag #mychefsapron!

      This post was originally published in November 2016 and has been updated with new pictures and more information.

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