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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.

Healthy energy balls made with Medjool dates and oatmeal piled in a brown bowl on a colorful napkin.

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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
Directions with Pictures
Troubleshooting
Storage
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Ingredient Notes

Here's what you'll need to make Medjool date energy balls:

Labeled ingredients in measuring cups, to make recipe: Medjool dates, oats, ground flax seed, sunflower seed butter, coconut flakes, vanilla extract, and chocolate chips.

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.

The recipe card below includes ingredient amounts, step-by-step instructions, and nutritional information.

Directions with Pictures

Follow these steps to make energy balls with dates and oats:

Eight pitted Medjool dates in a glass measuring cup covered with water.

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.

Pureed Medjool dates in the base of a food processor.

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.

Oats, coconut flakes, ground flaxseed, and mini chocolate chips in a large yellow bowl.

Step 3. Add oatmeal, flaxseed, coconut flakes, and mini chocolate chips to a large bowl.

Sunflower seed butter, pureed dates, and vanilla extract mixed with dry ingredients in a yellow 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.

Energy balls made with Medjool dates and oats on parchment paper.

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.

Fingers holding an energy ball made with dates and oats over a bowl with many more rolled balls.

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.

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