These Energy Balls are easy and delcious! Made with dates, coconut, pecans and a hint of garam masala spice, they are a tasty vegan and gluten-free snack that can be made in 10 minutes! No baking is required!
Meet my new little buddies—Energy Balls! These delicious little guys will give you a boost of energy when you need it most—think breakfast on the go or an afternoon pick-me-up. The best part is that these vegan, grain-free bites are not only made with simple ingredients (you probably already have everything on hand), but they can be made in 10 minutes flat!
Why you’ll love this Energy Ball Recipe!
These energy balls are entirely grain-free and made without oats. They are also vegan.
We also add a secret ingredient that truly elevates! Garam masala spice gives them a subtle exotic flavor, which I love, but know that this is totally optional; they are just as good without it. Dried cranberries add a pleasant tanginess. I should admit I’ve been a bit of an energy ball skeptic for a while now, but these little guys are truly so satisfying, both in flavor and texture, that I’ve even been switching them out for my nightly chocolate fix and sleeping a little better for it.
Energy Ball Ingredients
- Raw pecans– chopped, adds the best nutty texture.
- Coconut- use coconut flakes or unsweetened shredded.
- Medjool Dates – find soft ones for the recipe!
- Dried cranberries- add a delicious tangy flavor.
- Coconut oil– adds richness and binds.
- Vanilla Extract- mellows and rounds out the flavor.
- Garam Masala – what makes them truly shine- optional, but elevates!
How to make Energy Balls
Step one. Pit the dates and place them in a food processor.
Step two. Add the coconut, craisins, pecans, coconut oil, vanilla masala spice, pinch of salt and pulse until well chopped.
Step 3. Using wet hands, form them into ping-pong-sized balls and place them on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and chill in the fridge or freezer until firm.
Storing energy balls
Once chilled and firm, feel free to store the vegan energy balls in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Or freeze for up to 3 months.
More Favorite Snack Recipes
- Seed Bars
- Coconut Bacon
- Stuffed Dates with Pistachios
- Homemade Coconut Almond Bars (Kind Bars)
- Coconut Macaroons
- The BEST Vegan Breakfast Cookies
Energy Balls ( Vegan, Gluten-Free, No-Bake)
- Prep Time: 10
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 12
- Category: Vegan Snack
- Method: stirred
- Cuisine: Gluten Free, Paleo
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These Energy Balls are easy and delcious! Made with dates, coconut, pecans and a hint of garam masala spice, they are a tasty vegan and gluten-free snack that can be made in 10 minutes! No baking is required!
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw pecans pieces
- 1/2 cup flaked or shredded coconut ( unsweetened)
- 1/2 cup dates, pitted
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garam masala spice (optional)
Instructions
Add pecans and coconut into a food processor and pulse until crumbled. Add the remaining ingredients and pulse repeatedly until well combined. For the best texture – leave the texture course, rather than making it too smooth.
Roll into 12 small ping-pong sized balls and place on a parchment-lined sheet pan to firm up and cool in the fridge or freezer. Once chilled you can stack in a storage container, or place in a ziplock bag, and continue storing in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, or freeze.
Notes
Makes 12 vegan energy balls
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 ball
- Calories: 91
- Sugar: 5.9 g
- Sodium: 48.9 mg
- Fat: 7.1 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 7.5 g
- Fiber: 1.2 g
- Protein: 0.8 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
thank you they were so incredibly moorish and so easy to make
Glad you gave them a try Jacqui! Thanks for the review and rating. 🙂
Absolutely delicious! Next time I might warm the coconut oil – mine was hard at room temp(cold house) and I might chop the dates a bit and I used dried sour cherries which I would also chop a bit before putting in the food processor. OH but the flavor is amazing!!
Thanks for the suggestions Mert- glad you enjoyed!
Are the dried cranberries supposed to be unsweetened? I can only find the sugary kind– should I use raisins instead? TY!
Hi Julie, you can use either sweetened or unsweetened dried cranberries, or raisins!
YUM. Made them today and they’re great!
Thanks Kristen, so glad you enjoyed!
I am exploring new cooking skills and you are one of my favorite sources for great ideas and recipes. We love the energy balls, but I am finding it hard to keep them from crumbling. I followed the recipe. Advice? Thank you, Sylvia
Thanks Carol- are your dates very small or very dry? I feel like the secret to keeping them together is in the dates. I use plump, moist, Medjool dates. 🙂
I had the same crumbling issue, but I solved it by adding a tablespoon of water. They held together fine with that minor adjustment.
Thanks Cathy- this makes sense! I think the moistness of the dates are important here and without that, water is the perfect solution!
I am commenting generally. Sylvia, you are inspiring and this coming from a “retired” chef. I found your website during covid, the sourdough bread recipe in particular, and have enjoyed and recommended your site to so many. You are my go-to food website.Your work here is appreciated!!!!! Thank you.
Nilda Garzelloni DoVale
Awww thanks so much! I have a lot of help. 🙂 Appreciate you sharing Nilda!
We love this snack and have made them several times.
I have everything to go in the food processor but must be out of coconut oil. Which do you think would be the better substitute: olive or canola oil?
I hope you see this post soon, Sylvia!
Oh shoot Kylie- I think the coconut oil really makes these and keeps them together better.
Very tasty! I had to add a lot more dates to get it to stick together. My coconut was small flakes and I think if they had been larger chips it would have worked better. I added a bit of orange zest which complemented the dates and the masala.
I definitely want to make these, but I’m allergic to dates…what else can I use (staying away from sugar too)
Dates are pretty essential here, so I might go a different route.
I discovered these by accident last night, and made them today. WOW! So simple and the perfect sweet treat to keep on hand. These are delicious! Thank you
Yay!🙌
These are awesome! Once again, thank you Sylvia for sharing a wonderful EASY recipe!
Thanks and gald you liked it!
I love these energy balls, I like to substitute chopped candied ginger for the cranberries. The ginger and gram marsala complement each other for a super delicious bit.
Thanks!
This combination sounds delicious. I’m going to try!
Awesome Hannah!
Super simple and a total winner! Love these.
Yay Mollie! So happy you liked them!
UNBELIEVABLE!! Added 1.5 T fresh spirulina from Go Spiral Farms. Also added a handful of small dark chocolate chips. Love these and am adding all ingredients to the shopping list as they will be a staple in our fridge. Guilt Free Treat!!!
Awesome! Great to hear!
These are AWESOME!!! A guilt-free treat. I buy fresh spirulina from Go Spiral Farms. Added in 1.5 T spirulina and a large handful of baby dark chocolate chips. Adding all ingredients to my next shopping list as these will be a staple in our fridge. Thank you!!!
I made the first batch without the garam masala because my husband is allergic to the cinnamon in the store bought bottle I had. They were wonderful, I’m so glad you said it was okay to omit the spice. But…we ate them all in a matter of minutes (willpower? no, thank you.) So I made a second batch after making your garam marsala recipe without the cinnamon. Wow! Wow! Wow! I honestly think I could never eat chocolate again if I kept either versions of these on hand.
Easy to make, and as always with any of the recipes on this site, a delicious unexpected hint of exotic flavouring with the addition of spice.
I have loved this website for years and haven’t made a recipe yet that I didn’t love! Thank you Sylvia!
Awwww- thanks Emily! Really appreciate the kind comment!
Really nice tasting energy balls. I usually make a similar recipe based on cocoa and almonds, but I was curious to try something new. And wow…taste buds are blown away ! I also tried a version with mixed spice, and it was equally good.
This looks delicious and it has my favorite ingredients: coconut + pecan 🙂