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Healthy energy balls with Medjool dates are no-bake, raw bites packed with wholesome ingredients like oatmeal and sunflower seed butter.
Tasty little protein balls, enjoyed as a snack or for breakfast, are not new at my house, but the way they're sweetened is. Instead of honey or agave nectar, we used Medjool dates.
Where have these delicious dates been all my life? I should have known how much I'd love them because I'm a big fan of raisins.
But Medjool dates are even better. They're larger, plumper, and sweeter than other dates, with an almost caramel-like taste. You can gobble them up like pieces of candy!
Even better, dates are an incredibly delicious, all-natural sweetener, too!
Now, I make jars of date paste to store in the refrigerator, effortlessly sweetening treats like chocolate date balls and rice krispie date balls or whipping up date cream cheese frosting.
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Ingredient Notes
Here's what you'll need to make Medjool date energy balls:
Of special note:
- Medjool dates - Buy them pitted or make a slit down the center and remove it. Deglet Noor dates can be used but are not as sweet. Honey, agave nectar, or maple syrup will also work.
- Oatmeal - We used old-fashioned rolled oats because they're the least processed. Quick oats will work, but don't use steel-cut oats because they are too hard.
- Ground flaxseed - Buy already ground flaxseed meal, or buy whole flaxseed and process it in a coffee grinder. A high-speed blender or food processor will work for larger quantities. Chia seeds are a good alternative.
- Sunflower seed butter, peanut butter, almond butter, or any nut butter you enjoy will work in this recipe.
- Coconut flakes - We used unsweetened flakes. Sweetened flakes add sugar and make the energy balls a little sweeter.
- Chocolate chips - Mini-sized chips are ideal for these little balls. Nuts or dried fruits, like raisins or cranberries, can be used for a different flavor profile.
Please refer to the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and detailed instructions.
Directions with Pictures
Follow these steps to make energy balls with dates and oats:
Step 1. Medjool dates are naturally very soft. Still, it doesn't hurt to soak them for a few minutes in hot water while assembling the other ingredients.
Step 2. Add the dates and a little soaking water to a small-sized food processor and pulse to create a date paste. Add additional water as desired to thin the consistency.
Step 3. Add oatmeal, flaxseed, coconut flakes, and mini chocolate chips to a large bowl.
Step 4. Add sunflower seed butter, pureed dates, and vanilla extract to the dry ingredients and stir to combine. The mixture will be thick.
Step 5. If the date oat mixture is soft, refrigerate it for about ten minutes to firm it up so it will be easier to work with. Next, start rolling the dough into lots and lots of balls. Depending on how small you make them and how many bites you take in between, you can make between 25 and 30 tablespoon-sized balls.
Troubleshooting
- If the mixture doesn't stick together, add another tablespoon of nut butter.
- If the mixture is too soft, refrigerate the dough for 10-15 minutes before rolling it into balls. You can also add additional oatmeal, flaxseed, or coconut flakes.
Storage
Store Medjool date energy balls in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 2 weeks or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Although the individual ingredients in these balls don't require refrigeration, they are best cold. They tend to get sticky when stored at room temperature for too long.
To prevent the balls from sticking to each other, separate the layers with parchment paper.
More Healthy Medjool Date Recipes
Would you like more easy, healthy, carb-conscious recipes?
📋 Recipe
Energy Balls with Medjool Dates
Ingredients
- 8 Medjool dates pits removed; yield is ½ cup of date paste.
- 1 cup Rolled, old-fashioned oats uncooked; or quick oats
- ½ cup ground flax seed
- ⅓ cup unsweetened coconut flakes or sweetened flakes
- ⅓ cup mini chocolate chips
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup sunflower seed butter or peanut butter, almond butter or your favorite nut butter
Instructions
- Fill a glass container with hot water. (I heat about 2 cups in the microwave for about 1 ½ minutes.)
- Add dates to the water, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside for 5-10 minutes. This will soften the dates and make them easier to puree, but it may not be necessary if the dates are very soft.
- Remove dates from the water and place them in a small food processor. Add about 1 tablespoon of soaking water.
- Pulse until smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary. Add additional water to thin the consistency of the mixutre, if desired. When finished, set the pureed date paste aside.
- Combine oatmeal, flax seed, coconut flakes, and chocolate chips in a large bowl.
- Add pureed dates, vanilla extract, and sunflower seed butter to the dry ingredients and stir to combine. The mixture will be thick.
- If the date oat mixture is soft, refrigerate it for about ten minutes to firm it up so it will be easier to work with.
- Form oatmeal date dough into tablespoon-size balls. Depending on how small you make them and how many bites you take in between, you can make between 25 and 30 tablespoon-sized balls.
Notes
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published on January 22, 2016, and has been updated to improve the reader experience.
Andrea says
The nutritional information seems strange. The recipe says it makes 30 balls which seems impossible. I got 15 out of the recipe it states 79 kcal which would translate to 79,000 cal? That also doesn’t make sense 1 g of protein? How is this information calculated?
Marjory Pilley says
Hi! The number of balls will vary based upon they amount of batter, how they are rolled and compacted. I often end up making larger balls because there are less to roll and I always eat more than one! We utilize a plugin to estimate the nutritional values which uses the commonly used Spoonacular API to make the calculations. One kilocalorie is equal to 1,000 calories (small “c”) and one calorie (big "C"). So the calculation for calories is correct per ball. I hope that helps.
Mdshorty says
love this recipe...Quick, easy and very tasteful. this is my go to for a quick pop of energy before I go to the gym.
Katie says
These are so good! I’ve made them prior to pregnancy for a healthier snack. But now that I’m pregnant, it’s one way for me to get my dates in!
Marjory Pilley says
Yay! I'm so glad you enjoy them and congrats! I wish I had a known about them!
Denise says
Super easy to make. Takes like a no bake cookie but much healthier. Whole family loved them! Would never guess these were made with dates! Definitely will makes these again!
Hilary says
I love these date balls so much! I have been eating them while I have been pregnant for the last couple months for energy and for the oxytocin effect in dates for delivery. I have made 4 double batches. I normally put in Lilly's milk chocolate chips to help with limited sugar intake and natural peanut butter for protein. So GOOD! Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Tulips says
Hi , thanks for the lovely recipe
How long does it stays fresh in the refrigerator?
Thx
Marjory Pilley says
Hi! Store in the refrigerator for about a week and they can be frozen up to 3 months.
Holly says
I made these last week and am making them again tonight. They taste just like a no bake cookie! I did leave out the flax seed since I didnt have any, but it didnt change the consistency. My husband loves them as a quick, sweet snack. Thanks!
Marjory Pilley says
Thanks so much for your feedback. I'm so happy you enjoyed them!
Sarah says
The dates seem to overpower the chocolate chips, so next time I will not use them and will sub dried fruit like banana chips, mangos, etc. or add more coconut. Coconut matches better with dates for my taste buds. Otherwise, a good recipe
Karen says
Just made these. I used homemade almond butter which was still warm, so I kept batter in frig about 30 mins before forming the balls. The date paste wasn’t perfectly smooth, but I figured an occasional small chunk didn’t matter. Very tasty! A keeper.
Stacey says
So easy and delicious! My family loves them. Thank you!
Suzi says
I make these all the time! They are so good! I omitted the coconut, added cocoa powder, and used almond butter. Perfect to go snacks for our active family. Thank you!
Marjory Pilley says
Thanks Suzi! Love your chocolate version!
Faythe says
I can’t eat oatmeal. Any suggestions for a substitute ?
Marjory Pilley says
Try a crispy cereal like we did in this recipe to make Date Balls with Rice Krispies! https://www.dinner-mom.com/date-balls-with-rice-krispies/
Jp says
These are so fast and easy to make, great for a snack with coffee
Andi’s Mom says
These are sooo good! I saved the recipe a while ago but just had dates I wanted to use and these are perfect!
I omitted the chocolate chips and added chopped almonds.
Perfect healthy snack!
Dawn Edwards says
You're hot water tip was fantastic! We're a celiac household with our second having to most recently remove dairy. This was a fun healthy snack that we could all make together. Both kids are SUPER excited about this and gave your recipe two thumbs up! Thank you for your post!
Marjory Pilley says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Be sure to check out the post on making date paste - you can make up a big batch and keep it in the fridge to sweeten and make all kinds of things!
Ricco says
Can I bake these so that they don't have to be refrigerated? I want to send in the mail to Colorado
Marjory Pilley says
Hello! I have not tried baking this recipe. My initial reaction is that they would need a little more oatmeal or other dry ingredients added first. You may want to look at the Banana Everything Cookie and make some modifications to that recipe.
Elizabeth says
Turned out just right but I made 15 so they pretty big. I also sprayed my hands with cooking spray and that helped a lot.
Marjory Pilley says
Great tip!!! Thanks for sharing!
Stephanie says
This is my go to powerball recipe. It has all the good stuff to satisfy my sweet tooth and help in my transition to a vegan diet and my cancer recovery. I have it always open on my phone.
Marjory Pilley says
I'm so glad it is helpful and wish you all the best! Once you have the basic recipe down, it's easy to make variations by subbing out different types of nut butters, seeds. fruits, etc. But, this is our go-to version too and we have it almost every week. 🙂
K Snyder says
I made date paste per your recipe. Maybe I need to reread your post but exactly how much date paste is equivalent to 8 dates? 🙂 please & thank you!
Marjory Pilley says
8 dates will yield about 1/3 cup to 1/2 cup of date paste. Enjoy!
Kelly Snyder says
5 out of 5 agreed these were really, really good. I altered a little by adding chia seed & hemp seed. Glad I found this gem of a recipe!
Marjory Pilley says
Great additions! ?
Suzanne K says
I love this recipe! I was wondering if for a change you think it would work with cashew butter and Craisins? How would you alter the recipe? I tried one I found with those ingredients but it wouldn’t hold together. Wondered about using the date paste as I think that’s a key ingredient in holding these together.
Marjory says
Absolutely! Sub cashew butter for sunflower seed butter and sub Craisins for chocolate chips. Keep the amounts of the oatmeal and other ingredients the same. The date paste serves as the sweetener AND helps hold everything together along with the nut butter. You can make the date paste ahead of time and store in the refrigerator (just did a post on that-see link in post) If you go that route, then use about 1/2 cup of the date paste and add more to taste if desired. 🙂
Gene Prudhon says
My first attempt at date balls found me mixing the dates into a paste by hand. Hard and messy work. I've purchased a pound of date paste and look forward to using this recipe.
Marjory says
Enjoy! A pound of date paste in the fridge sounds like a TERRIFIC idea to me! So many ways to use it!
Jenaco says
These are great. I used flax seeds and hemp seeds as I didn't have chia seeds. Great recipe and a great snack for my sporty kids.
Marjory says
Thanks so much for your comment and tip on hemp seeds!
Lynn says
These are so delicious! My kids love them and so do I. I used 10-11 dates the second time I made them because 8 didn’t seem to be enough to keep them together the first time. I also use enjoy life mini chips to make them dairy-free.
Marjory says
Thanks for your comment and tip. I'm so glad you enjoyed them!
Jen says
How long will these keep in the fridge?
Marjory says
Store protein energy balls in the refrigerator for up to a week. They can also be stored in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Ttrockwood says
I just had a tester from a batch i made for my best friend who is a new mommy, they're fantastic! I used 1/4c ground flax and 1/4c chia seeds, and added a good sized pinch of salt. Instead of coconut inside i used hemp seeds. But my nut butter was extra drippy so the balls were still very "wet", so i rolled them in some coconut!
Really delicious, and i love that these are easily made vegan!
Marjory says
I'm so glad you enjoyed them! Love the variations.
Darla says
These are very good& helps with my sugar fix! But I had never bought or eaten a date so I didn't realize they had seeds. When I chopped them in my processor it cracked it! Note to self ! Take out seeds before adding to processor!
Marjory says
Oh no! I'm glad you liked them. You can buy them without the seeds too!
Maggie says
I keep a jar of these handy. A quick burst of energy to get me through a busy day. The kids love them as well. Great snack before/after soccer.
Marjory says
I"m so glad you like them!
Melanie says
These turned out great, even without the coconut. I added some to my kids' lunchbox and they loved them. Thank you for the recipe.
Marjory says
Thank you so much for your feedback. I'm glad you enjoyed them.
Erin says
I love your tips and tricks! I only recently found Medjool dates. Yum! 😀 And these balls look so delicious!
Sam says
Medjool Dates are so amazing. So sweet. So perfect. I love these to tide me over. Better than most other "snacks" 😀