Ever since we had a kid start real school, snacks have become a top three planning item for House Macheesmo. I like snacks like these No Bake Energy Balls with Dates that not only work as after-school snacks, but also I can add them to a lunch box!

Many versions of energy balls like this have shredded coconut in them as a binder, but I thought they were way too sweet so I added crackers instead. The crackers work great as a binder and are easy to crush and mix-in even without a food processor!

These energy balls can be made almost as an after-thought and keep great in the fridge for a week or so.

What Ingredients to Use in Energy Balls?

I like to use dates for sweetness in energy balls like this. The Medjool dates are very common and can be found pitted in most grocery stores. After that you can kind of customize these to your liking.

I like to add some sort of nut to the mix. I chose walnuts but you could use peanuts, pecans, or any similar nut.

For the binder, like I said, I chose crackers, but coconut works well also and makes for a sweeter finished energy ball.

Energy Ball basics
The basics.

Making the Energy Balls

You have two options when it comes to making these energy balls.

Option one: Add the dates and nuts to a food processor and pulse until they are combined and stick together. Then add the other ingredients and pulse until everything is combined evenly.

Option two: If you don’t have a food processor or just don’t want to get it dirty for a snack recipe, just finely chop everything and add it to a bowl.

I went with option two for this version!

Chopped energy ball ingredients - dates walnuts

Add the salt, vanilla, and hemp seeds (optional) and then mix together everything until it sticks together.

Mixture for energy ball

Then just roll the mixture out into balls that are about tablespoon sized. You should get about 16. You could make them smaller if you wanted, obviously.

I like them to be about 2-bite sized.

No Bake Energy Balls with Dates

These No-Bake Energy balls are really delicious and give you a nice boost of natural sugars without any added sugar.

Give them a shot the next time you need a snack for your family!

Energy Balls with Dates

No Bake Energy Balls with Dates

4.25 from 4 votes
Author: Nick Evans
Servings: 16 Servings
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 1 minute
Total Time: 10 minutes
Need a quick and easy snack? Try these energy balls with just a few ingredients! Easy to mix up even without a food processor! No bake. No added sugar. Vegan!

Ingredients 

  • 12 pitted medjool dates, finely chopped
  • 1 cup walnuts, finely chopped
  • 6 RItz crackers, crushed
  • ¼ cup hemp seeds
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

  • Finely chop the dates, walnuts, and crackers. Stir together in a bowl and add the hemp seeds, vanilla and salt.
  • Mix the energy ball mixture together well until it’s combined and sticks together.
  • Roll out about 16 energy balls, each about a tablespoon.
  • Store the energy balls in the fridge for a week. Add to lunches or use as after school snacks!

Nutrition

Serving: 1ball | Calories: 87kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 83mg | Potassium: 68mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 18IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 1mg
Course: Snack Time
Cuisine: American

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Here are a few other great snack recipes!