Healthy Energy Balls Recipe

Indulge in healthy snacking with this easy, no bake Healthy Energy Balls Recipe! Made with just 9 ingredients, these simple bites are flavor-packed and nutritious!

An easy, no bake snack or dessert recipe

Do you experience the dreaded afternoon slump? If you tend to feel dragged down after lunch and prior to dinner, perhaps this easy, no bake, healthy energy balls recipe is the key!

These walnut and date energy balls infuse healthy, high protein ingredients to create a delicious treat that satisfies the taste buds while also giving you a kick of energy. They’re perfect for healthy snacking, but they can also be enjoyed as dessert (or even breakfast)!

Between the walnuts, dates, almond butter, cinnamon, vanilla, and chocolate, there is certainly no shortage of flavor in these bites. Gone are the days of bland protein balls! Say hello to a platter of energy bites that you’ll look forward to snacking on.

Ingredients in this healthy energy balls recipe

This recipe uses 9 total ingredients. Most of the included items are pantry staples! Below is everything you’ll need.

• Walnuts: First up for these energy balls is 1.5 cups of walnuts. Walnuts are packed with protein, making them a great base for this recipe.
• Oat flour: Next up is 1.5 cups of oat flour. This will thicken up the balls while also providing extra protein and helping them achieve the correct texture.
• Dates: 12 dates will add a sweet flavor to the energy bites. The dates should be softened in warm water for 10 minute before using in the recipe.
• Almond butter: Next, add 1/2 cup of almond butter to give the dates a yummy flavor and contribute to the texture.
• Salt: 1/2 tsp of salt is a must! Don’t skip this one.
• Cinnamon: Add even more flavor with 1/2 tsp of cinnamon.
• Vanilla: Follow the cinnamon with 1 tsp of vanilla extract. This ingredient makes a huge difference in the recipe.
• Mini choc chips: Throw in 1/2 cup of chocolate chips to round out the flavor and give the balls a chocolatey bite!
• Topping: Last but not least, sprinkle flaky sea salt on top.

Tools used to make these no bake protein balls

When it comes to kitchen tools, these no bake energy balls keep things simple. All you really need is a food processor, but having a spatula and small cookie scoop on deck will make things a bit easier!

If you don’t have a food processor handy, a blender should do the trick.

For measuring ingredients, you will need the following sized measuring cups: 1/2 tsp, 1 tsp, 1/2 cup, and 1 cup.

How to make this healthy energy balls recipe

Ready to get started? You can expect this recipe to take around 40 minutes of total time from start to finish. That includes the time spent chilling the dough in the fridge. When all is said and done, the batch yields 20 bites.

First, add the walnuts to a food process and blend until they become fine crumbs.

Then, add the oat flour, drained dates, almond butter, salt, cinnamon, and vanilla extract.

Blend until the mixture is smooth and a ball forms. All of the ingredients should be easily held together when pressed.

Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes and then mix in mini chocolate chips. 

Using a small cookie scoop, roll the dough into balls with about 2-3 tbsp of dough per ball.

Top with flakey salt and store in the freezer or fridge. 

Out of an ingredient or two? Here are some swaps that may come in handy.

• Walnuts: Out of walnuts? Try cashews instead!
• Oat flour: To swap out oat flour, almond flour should do the trick.
• Almond butter: Almond butter can be replaced with any nut butter. Peanut butter, cashew butter, or even sunflower seed butter will do the trick.
• Mini chocolate chips: You can switch up the flavor by using dark chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, butterscotch chips, or whatever you’d prefer!
• Bonus: If you’d like to add even more flavor to the balls, you could do so with coconut flakes, chia seeds, maple syrup, or honey. You can also amp up the protein with added protein powder!

Note: Changing the ingredients may alter the texture and/or flavor.

Are energy balls healthy for you?

They sure are! These no bake energy bites are filled with nutrient rich ingredients like oats, walnuts, dates, and almond butter. Exact nutrition information will vary based on the ingredients that you use, but these bites are undoubtedly jam packed with vitamins and minerals. They’re a healthy choice when you need a little energy boost.

How many energy balls should you eat in a day?

There’s no exact right limit, but I find around 2 per day to be satisfying. They make a great afternoon snack!

Why are protein balls healthy?

These oat flour protein balls are healthy because they’re made with good ingredients like nuts, oats, dates, and almond butter. Nutrients include protein, potassium, magnesium, fiber, and complex carbs.

How long can you keep energy balls in the fridge?

These healthy energy balls will stay nice and tasty in the fridge for around a week. They’re a great meal prep snack! Be sure to keep them stored in an airtight container.

You can also freeze the bites for enjoying later on! Freeze for up to one month.

How to make these vegan

Aiming for vegan energy bites? Achieve this easily by using dairy-free chocolate chips!

If you liked this recipe, you’ll want to try these!

Want to meal prep some more energy or protein balls for the week ahead? Try some of these! Some are geared toward energy, while others serve as a tasty sweet treat.

• Healthy Peanut Butter Snowballs
• Oatmeal Raisin Energy Balls
• Peanut Butter Protein Balls
• Healthy Cake Batter Balls

Recipe by Erin Antoniak and Photos by Bake and Bacon