This vegan date ball recipe is sweet, delicious and healthy! They’re great to make in large batches and store in the freezer to eat whenever you want an energy boost. They also make for a quick grab-and-go snack that is full of nutrition. Date-based snack balls are great to make for work/ school lunches (depending on the nut/ allergy policies).
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Vegan Date Ball Recipes: Ways to Make Energy Bites (Coconut and Peanut Butter)
There are countless ways to make vegan date balls. I’ve included two of my favourites today, chocolate coconut and peanut butter with jam!
I always start making snack bites with dried dates because they add sweetness and are gooey which helps hold the balls together. Dates also provide exceptional nutritional value including fibre and potassium.
Just use the base recipe (dates, oatmeal, almond flour) and use any additional ingredients that achieve the taste you want. Some great options for vegan date balls are:
- Shredded coconut
- Powdered peanut butter
- Any type of nut or seed butter (cashew, almond, sunflower seed etc.)
- May require extra oatmeal to hold together if using a nut or seed butter that’s more liquid in texture
- Any type of nuts or seeds
- May want to chop up larger nuts before using; almonds, walnuts, pecans, chia seeds, hemp seeds, ground flax seed are my favourite!
- Dried fruit (raisins, apricots, strawberries, ginger, pineapple, blueberries, cherries etc.)
- Coco/ cacao powder
- Chocolate chips or cacao nibs
- Cinnamon or pumpkin spice
As you can see, the possibilities and flavour combinations are endless. Use the ingredients you enjoy and try out different combinations!
How to Store Vegan Date Energy Bites
These energy bites can last in an airtight container in the fridge for a couple of weeks (but I doubt you’ll take that long to eat them!). I prefer to store them in the freezer; they are edible straight out of the freezer and are tasty when cold. Eating them from the freezer will also be the least messy. As these warm to room temperature, they may soften and stick to your fingers!
These vegan energy bites are a great snack to pack for lunches. If the intention is to make these for school snacks, just use allergy friendly ingredients. If almonds/ almond flour isn’t allowed, use additional oat flour.
Let me know how your vegan date balls turn out and which of these two flavours you prefer (or your own)!
Easy Vegan Date Ball Recipe (with Coconut and Peanut Butter)
Equipment
- Food processor
Ingredients
PB and J
- 1 C dried dates chopped
- ½ C dried cranberries (or strawberries)
- 3 tbsp powdered peanut butter
- 5 tbsp almond flour (aka ground almonds)
- 4 tbsp oat flour (gluten-free if needed)
- 1 tbsp hemp seeds
- Additional hemp seeds for coating optional
Chocolate Coconut
- 1 C dried dates chopped
- 1 tbsp cocoa powder
- 2 tbsp almond flour (aka ground almonds)
- 4 tbsp oat flour (gluten-free if needed)
- 2 tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut
- Additional coconut for coating optional
Instructions
- For either recipe, soak the chopped dates in hot water for 10 minutes, then drain out the water. I boil a kettle for the "hot" water (the hotter the water, the softer the dates will be).
- Place the dates with the remaining ingredients for that recipe (excluding the hemp seed or coconut for coating) into a food processor. Blend until smooth. This takes some time as you need to scrape the edges of the food processor down a few times to ensure everything is incorporated.
- Remove the mixture from the food processor and roll into balls.
- If coating the bites with hemp seeds or coconut, sprinkle a layer of the coating onto a plate and roll the bites around in the coating until covered.
- Store in the fridge or freezer. Will last in the fridge for up to one week and in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Vegan Breakfast Cookies Recipe (Gluten-free)
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