Vegan No Bake Vegan Energy Balls Recipe with tahini, za’atar, and dates are very easy to make. They are packed with protein making them a healthy snack on the go.
Version 1 of this post was originally posted on March 2nd, 2019 at 11:21 AM. Post has been revised on July 26, 2019
Have you had one of those weeks where you were too sick to even have enough energy to walk to the kitchen?
I had one of those weeks and I kicked myself for not having some healthy energy bites or even granola bars handy.
So, I made a quick energy bites recipe today that didn’t take too much effort or ingredients. It gave me energy to get some work done
Recipe Tips
- If possible, use dates that have been kept in the refrigerator. I find that they blend will with the other ingredients in the food processor
- If you have time, refrigerate the bites after you make them. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes to 2 hours before eating them
- They are great for snack prep or even back to school lunches. So, make a big batch on Sunday and use it all week
- Coat the matcha only when you are ready to eat. It turns the bites a dark color if they are kept too long.
What are energy bites?
Energy bites are small balls packed with nutritious ingredients designed to provide, well, energy.
Energy bites AKA Energy Balls are supposed to be really quick to put together and are mostly centered around getting protein. I am one of those people who could really use these bites on a daily basis, but, I am always too lazy to make them myself
In this recipe, the tahini and the dates provide quite a bit of protein. I always have homemade tahini because I love using it on salads or as dips. Recently, I made a basil pesto tahini sauce for my roasted cauliflower salad and it was beyond delicious.
If you don’t want to make tahini at home, the store bought one is also very good. I recommend this one by (affiliate link) Joyva Sesame Tahini
Dates are not always available in your pantry? You can sub it with maple syrup.
No Bake Energy Bites Recipe
I think all energy bites should be no bake because I am too lazy to bake them. Easy no bake energy balls is the way to go!
All I had to do was blend them in my tiny food processor and that was it. Ideally, I should have refrigerated them for about 2 hours before eating them, but, they were perfect right out of the blender.
If you like protein packed desserts, then you will definitely love this two-bites protein brownies recipe by Fit As A Mama Bear.
What to coat these bites
The best part about these energy bites is that you can coat them with so many different ingredients. The problem was that I had so many ideas and I just couldn’t narrow down my focus
So, I tried 4 different coating ingredients and they all tasted good. I am going to let you pick your favorite and let me know what you think
P/S: You don’t need to coat them because they taste perfect just by themselves. But, coating these vegan energy balls made them look pretty for the camera 🙂
Coating with hemp seeds
Ok, if I had to pick a favorite, I think hemp seeds were the perfect coating. They are light and they stick easily. Plus, the hemp seeds don’t fall off once they have been refrigerated.
Hemp seeds not only add nutrition to a recipe, they also make the dish look delicious. I used them on top of my pineapple smoothie and sprinkled them over oven roasted Brussels sprouts.
If you aren’t a fan of hemp seeds, try it with chia seeds. The taste will be altered slightly, but, still taste really good.
Coating these bites with Coconut
I took shredded sweet coconut and blended it up a little. Then, I coated the energy bites in them and refrigerated it. That’s it!
Shredded sweet coconut flakes can be found in any grocery or box stores (baking aisle). They are cheaper there than in any online stores. They even have non-GMO and vegan friendly sweet coconut.
You can also use toasted coconut to coat these protein balls. It will add an exotic flavor to them.
Also, you can make 5-ingredient Coconut Bliss Balls by The Buttered Home. They are absolutely delicious and mouthwatering.
Coating Energy Bites in Chocolate
I used my favorite new Dutch chocolate powder. Its Juice Plus+ Complete’s Dutch+. I put it in my chocolate smoothie bowl and it’s my favorite smoothie recipe of all time
You can use any Dutch chocolate powder to coat the energy bites
Coating with Matcha Powder
Ok, I am going to be honest here. Coating with (affiliate link) Matcha may not be for everyone
There is a little bitterness to the bites which I really liked, but, I don’t know if everyone else will like it. So, try it and let me know if you liked that slight bitter taste
Also, the Matcha makes the bites darker by the minute. I recommend refrigerating without coating the Matcha and then coating it when you are ready to eat
If you like to try more Matcha recipes, I have pancakes, hazelnut butter, tzatziki and sparkling water
Answering your questions
As I was researching the history of dates, I kept seeing how important they are in Middle Eastern cuisine. So, I thought Za’atar would feel right at home in these vegan energy bites.
Za’atar has become my favorite spice to use in almost everything. It was perfect for spicing up mixed nuts, it made my tabouli recipe taste a million times better than I expected and my breakfast potatoes with zucchini had a very awesome taste.
Here is the my homemade za’atar recipe.
No, I don’t recommend freezing the energy bites because it has oils and that just doesn’t taste well when I bite into a frozen energy bite
Instead, I recommend placing them in an air-tight glass container and refrigerating them. They will be good for about 1 month
You can also store them in your pantry in a cool, dark corner. They will be good for about a 1-2 weeks
– Peanut Butter
– Chocolate Chips (no more than a 1/2 cup)
– Pecans, walnuts or cashews
– Oatmeal or quick oats
– Banana (Fresh or dried chips)
– Pumpkin Puree
– Almond Butter or any nut butter
– Coconut Oil
– Vanilla Extract
So, make these no bake energy bites with dates today and come back to tell me what you thought. Be sure to rate the recipe below when you make it
What’s your favorite energy bite ingredients?
Energy Bites with Dates
Ingredients
- 10 pieces dates pitted
- 1 tsp za’atar
- 2 tsp flax seed meal
- 1½ Tbsp almonds whole, unsalted
- 1½ Tbsp pistachios shelled, unsalted
- 1½ Tbsp tahini
- 2 tsp sesame oil See Notes
- 1 tsp agave optional
- 1 tsp lemon zest optional
Instructions
- Line a small tray with parchment or wax paper and set aside
- In a blender, add dates, za’atar, flax, almonds and pistachios
- Roughly grind these ingredients for about 1 minute
- Add the remaining ingredients
- Blend on high until everything is mixed
- Use a Melon baller or a round spoon to scoop out a small amount of the mixture
- Make a ball out of this small scoop and place on a parchment paper
- Make balls out of the remaining mixture and set on the parchment paper
- Coat with your favorite coating ingredient
- Refrigerate for 2 hours
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Version 1 of this recipe
From time to time, I will go through old recipes to update the content. Sometimes, I update just the images and sometimes, I give the recipe a complete makeover
Version 1 of this recipe was perfect in every way, so, I didn’t change the images or recipe. Updated the text of this recipe and made it easier to read.
Update on 9-20-19 – Some of the text in this post was edited for grammar and ingredients. Images and recipe remain the same
My bf is a huge snacker lol so I made these for him last week to bring to work to snack on something healthy. He loved them! Thanks for the recipe.
Thank you, Aline. I am so glad to hear that.
These are a staple at my house. So nice to make ahead of time then have on hand!
Thank you, Katie.
I love the use of the za-atar, definitely different from any energy ball I have ever made, and worked so well!
Thank you, Donna. 🙂