Healthy and delicious Energy Bites made with dates, walnuts, almond butter and dried cherries are great for when you need a pick-me-up. Sweetened with just a bit of maple syrup and rolled in coconut, these will become a new favorite.
By about 10 am, I need a SNACK, I work out early in the morning and by 10, my breakfast is gone. Energy bites are perfect for bridging the gap between meals. Anyone that knows me knows that I have to eat something every couple of hours. These have been my go-to snack for the past few months.
There are lots of date ball recipes out there but I’ve never found one that I’m crazy about. I started messing with a recipe with my favorite ingredients and ended up with these. There’s no added sugar except the maple syrup that’s in the Maple Almond Butter. I used Justin’s, which is my favorite, it has just enough maple syrup to make it seem like a treat. If you don’t have it on hand, just add about a teaspoon of maple syrup.
Pro Tip: Have your almond butter separated, I have a tip for blending almond butter so that it’s smooth and creamy.
What you need for date energy bites
- Sorry, but you really need a food processor to make these. I don’t know how you could get the dates and walnuts fine enough without a food processor.
- Dates come in so many sizes, you need about 2 cups of pitted Medjool dates. The pits come out very easily if you buy pitted dates. If the dates have a white residue on them, that’s just sugar that forms as they age. They are still fine to eat but they might be a little dry. If so, just add a little more almond butter.
- You can use what ever type of nut you like, I think walnuts are a great choice.
- You will also need dried cherries, almond butter with maple syrup, cocoa powder and salt.
- Since I love coconut, coating them in toasted coconut was a no brainer. However, you could coat them in nuts or cocoa powder or leave them without a coating at all.
How do you MAKE energy bites
Step 1: I find that it works a little easier if you chop the walnuts a bit first in the food processor and then add the dates and process until the nuts are very small and you have a paste.
Step 2: Add dried cherries, almond butter, cocoa powder and salt and process until it all comes together. Roll into balls. If it doesn’t roll into balls easily you may need to add a bit more almond butter. Don’t forget the salt, it really helps the flavors pop. I’ve thrown in bits and pieces of any dried fruit I have on hand and it all works, but I prefer the sweetness from dried cherries.
Step 3: Coat the balls with unsweetened toasted coconut and then refrigerate or freeze.
I think you’ll find that these have just enough sweetness to feel like you’re treating yourself but with so many healthy ingredients that your body will thank you. I store them in the freezer and then grab a few for my morning snack.
More recipes with DATES
What do you do with the dates that are left over. You could stuff them with blue cheese and wrap them in bacon, or try goat cheese and prosciutto, the natural sweetness of the dates make everything a little better.
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Energy Bites
Ingredients
- 2 cups large pitted dates
- 1 cup walnuts
- 1 cup unsweetened dried cherries
- ¼ cup maple almond butter (or add a teaspoon of maple syrup if using regular almond butter)
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsweetened coconut
Instructions
- Toast coconut until golden brown, it will not take long.
- In a food processor, add chopped walnuts or process whole walnuts first. Then add pitted dates and process until the nuts are chopped very small. Add the rest of the ingredients except the coconut. Pulse a few times then process for 1-2 minutes, until it starts to come together. If it does not easily form into balls, add a little more almond butter.
- Using a 1 tablespoon ice cream scoop or your hands, roll into 34 walnut sized balls. Roll in toasted coconut and refrigerate or freeze.
Nutrition
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