These Chocolate Coconut Energy Balls are naturally sweetened only with DATES, yet they taste sweet and decadent, similar to an almond joy.
They are the perfect paleo/whole30 friendly afternoon snack, and since they pack a huge nutritional punch, they’ll give you a great burst of energy!
Plus, they’re super easy to make.
If you follow my blog, you know that I’ve done a Whole30 challenge. These were the perfect little morsels to get me through the tough times.
For those of you unfamiliar with the program, the Whole30 is not just a diet. It’s supposed to help you form new habits, train your body to not crave the “bad-for-you” stuff, and hopefully pinpoint exactly what kinds of foods don’t work well with your body.
The Whole30 definitely helped me develop more healthy habits that I’ve continued to follow well past the program!
And these AMAZING energy balls as a midday snack are definitely one habit I can get on board with- I love keeping them in my fridge for a sweet treat without the guilt.
These delicious chocolate coconut energy balls are the perfect edible pick-me-up in the middle of the day, and are 100% Whole30 and Paleo approved.
They are sweet, decadent tasting, and energy boosting. And, they are the perfect healthy thing to contribute to a party or potluck. My toddler also gobbles them up whenever I make them!
I find that the ritual of a midday break/light snack is super beneficial for me and my mental health during the day. Here’s why:
- It helps fight midday hanger. When I get home from a long day at work, or after a day of wrangling my kids while also somehow trying to cook, write blog posts, and take pretty photographs, I’M STARVING. That means going in for the tortilla chips before I even think about making dinner, no matter how quick and easy that dinner is. And don’t even try to stop me. With a snack like these energy balls, I should be able to make it without accidentally snapping at my kids or feeling super stressed.
- It enables a brain break. My brain gets so tired toward the late afternoon. I need a mental break from work. The ritual of taking a break, and sitting down for a fifteen minute break to sip a delicious beverage, munch on these chocolate coconut energy balls, and maybe read my favorite magazine or a few pages from my book is unbelievably rejuvenating during a work day.
This recipe for chocolate coconut energy balls makes 16, so you can stock your fridge, and they are SUPER easy to make.
And this may be a little dangerous to say out loud, but they taste almost exactly like Almond Joy candy bars. Smooth, creamy, chocolatey, coconuty, nutty, and sweet… but only sweetened with dates! That’s right- pure, natural dates.
These little bite-sized morsels really are a nutritional powerhouse to completely satisfy you. All you need is one, and you’re set!
Just add some pecans to your food processor and pulse until roughly chopped. Feel free to use almonds, cashews, or other nuts if you want.
Add chopped, pitted dates, some unsweetened coconut, coconut oil, cocoa powder, a pinch of salt, and just a little bit of water to make it all come together. Turn your food processor on until it is well-mixed and holds together when you press it.
Using a tablespoon measure, roll the mixture into uniform ball shapes and roll in some more unsweetened coconut.
Place on a parchment covered sheet and refrigerate until more solidified (because coconut oil can melt or soften at room temperature, you’ll need to keep these refrigerated so they stay together).
After about thirty minutes, you can transfer the energy balls to a container or plastic bag to keep stored in the fridge.
I also love how versatile this recipe is. Don’t like pecans? Use almonds or walnuts. Nut allergy? Use sunflower seeds. Can’t find dried dates? Try figs.
The key is the consistency. If you watch the recipe video, you’ll see a point in which I squeeze the energy ball mixture together and it stays that way.
You want all the ingredients to be very small, and you want there to be a good liquid to “stuff” ratio so that they hold their shape.
Are you doing a Whole30 challenge? I have an entire archive of paleo and whole30 recipes, or recipes that are easily adaptable to be compliant.
Make sure you check it out!
And if you love these chocolate coconut energy balls, you’ll love this Coconut Granola with Almonds and Cardamom and this Two-Ingredient Vegan Chocolate Banana Ice Cream.
Try out these Gingerbread Energy Balls, too!
Recipe below! Enjoy :-)
Chocolate Coconut Energy Balls with Pecans and Dates
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup pecans
- 15 whole pitted dates roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut divided
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 1/2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon water (if needed)
Instructions
- Put pecans (1/2 cup) in food processor and pulse until roughly chopped.
- Place 1/4 cup of the shredded coconut in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Add the remaining ingredients except for the 1 tablespoon water to the food processor. Turn food processor on until very well mixed. If mixture seems too dry to stick together, add the water.
- Using a tablespoon measure, spoon out mixture and roll in balls.
- Coat each ball in the reserved 1/4 cup shredded coconut.
- Place on a parchment covered baking sheet and refrigerate for at least thirty minutes, until they harden.
- Store in the fridge in an airtight container or plastic bag for up to two weeks.
Notes
- Make it nut free: Substitute the pecans with sunflower seeds.
- Other substitutions: You can use almonds, walnuts or hazelnuts instead of pecans.
- A note on yield: I got 16 energy balls out of this, but the dates I used were big and the scoop I used was tiny. You may get a different total amount than I did depending on the size of your dates and how big you make them!
- The provided nutrition information does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. Feel free to calculate it yourself using this calculator or by adding the recipe to Yummly.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition Information Disclaimer
The provided nutrition information is my best estimate and reflects one serving of the recipe (total servings indicated at top of recipe card). It does not include any added sodium from seasoning to taste, any optional ingredients, and it does not take brands into account. I use an automatic API to calculate this information. Feel free to calculate it yourself using one of these tools:
Sharon Cardinal
I made these yesterday. The dough had a sticky texture. To roll them, I had to coat my hands in a bit of vegetable oil. My yield was 9 balls using a tablespoon measure. I coated some balls in powdered sugar and some in cocoa powder because my partner doesn’t like coconut. They are still pretty soft after being in the fridge overnight. Like a fig newton without the cookie outside. I like the taste. Sweet, but not overly so. Satisfying and suitable for a midday snack. The gingerbread balls are next on my list!
Elizabeth Lindemann
Thanks for sharing your experience! Glad you liked them. Regarding the stickiness, I wonder if your dates were just extra sticky? Or, did you add the coconut oil to the mixture? If you omitted since your partner doesn’t like coconut, that may have affected the stickiness, especially since it helps it to solidify in the fridge. You can always add some almond flour or something to help them hold together more. Hope that helps and good luck with the gingerbread balls!
Marco
I love those but the nutrition is incorrect, they are not just 67kcal and only 6g of carbs. Just dates themselves and nuts have much more… 😉
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you like them! So, the nutrition information is calculated using an API and is based on individual servings. So the calories and carbs are for only one energy ball. I did double check everything and it all seems to be in order – for the whole batch, it’s 1079 calories. That said, feel free to cross reference with any other nutrition calculator you want – there are some linked in the bottom of the recipe card as alternatives. Hope that helps!
Gay Egan
This looks amazing. Could you recommend a substitute for the coconut oil? I’m not yet convinced of coconut oil’s health benefits.
Elizabeth Lindemann
You can just leave it out if you want! I wouldn’t use another oil because coconut oil is solid at a cooler temp so it helps keep the balls together – other oils may cause them to fall apart.
Annie
I made 2 batches of these last night and my husband loved them! The ratios were just right and they held together perfectly. I feel like an accomplished candy maker now, and will probably be making these for gifts and parties! Thank you for this recipe!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Ariela
Just made these amazing brilliant healthy balls. They are so yummy. I will be making more as I know they will be popular. I will also try making it with other nuts as you suggest – Thank you 💖
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked them!
Lexi Starlight
How long can they last in fridge?
Elizabeth Lindemann
I’d estimate at least a week!
Barbro
Yummy and super easy to make
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Carol
Can I replace the coconut oil with water?
Elizabeth Lindemann
I wouldn’t. The coconut oil helps bind it together a bit because it solidifies at cool temps. But I think you can just leave it out if you prefer!
Alice
Super easy and delicious
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked it!
Soma
Hi! I’m wondering how you calculated the nutritional info. When I enter this recipe into myfitnesspal, it comes up as being double the carbs and the only adjustment I made was to do 11 dates as I didn’t want it to be as sweet. Any help is appreciated! Thanks!
Elizabeth Lindemann
Good question! I use a built-in API nutrition calculator with the recipe software I use, and sometimes it doesn’t come out completely accurate (which I talk about on my Nutrition Disclaimers). I did just take a look at this though and I’m wondering – when you put it in the my fitness pal app, did you specify UNSWEETENED coconut? I think that’s the only thing that makes me think it would come up with double the carbs, since sweetened coconut has a lot of added sugar. If not, it might just be a discrepancy between the nutrition calculators. You can always manually add up the carbs from the nutrition facts on the packages of the products you are using. Hope that helps!
Shabnam
These are brilliant! Made exactly as written and will put into a regular cycle. Thank you!
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you liked them!
Stephanie
Can you freeze these if you make a big batch? If so for how long?
Elizabeth Lindemann
I’ve never tried freezing these but I think it would work well! I recommend flash freezing them (place on a parchment covered baking sheet and freeze until solid for about 30 minutes), then place them in an airtight bag. My guess is they would be best for about 3 months. I bet they would be delicious almost straight out of the freezer on a hot day!
Kathy in OR
This has become my new go-to for a sweet snack over the last year. I do use more dates than called for, maybe because my pitted dates are small, and only 1 TBS of cocoa powder because more seemed too overpowering. Lately I have been leaving out the salt because once or twice I thought they were too salty. But they are easy, delicious, and so much healthier than most sweets.
Elizabeth Lindemann
So glad you like them!