Chocolate Almond and Date Energy Bites Recipe • theVintageMixer.com #energybites #rawbrownie #dates #healthydessert

Chocolate, Almond and Date Energy Bites

Written by Becky
I’ve been blogging for a long time you guys.  This post is originally from 2011. That’s right, I have been making these energy bites a.k.a. date and nut balls, raw chocolate truffles, raw brownie bites, or whatever you want to call them, for over 6 years.  So, you’ll trust me when I tell you that this recipe is a good one, right?!  They’re made with ingredients that are all really good for you yet, they taste like a real treat.  We snack on one or two in the afternoons or after lunch for a sweet bite. Here’s my original post from 2011 (new photos!)
 Chocolate Almond and Date Energy Bites Recipe • theVintageMixer.com #energybites #rawbrownie #dates #healthydessert

I love visiting a friend I haven’t seen in a while and exchanging all of the rich details of our lives that we’ve missed out on recently.  This usually includes our latest recipes.  On a recent trip to Austin, I visited Christina, a friend from high school days.  We recalled memories of old cars, getting in trouble with the cops (yes, I did have a little rebellious streak in me once upon a time), new jobs, new friends, and, as always, food.

We exchanged lots of fun ideas for eating healthy.  She keeps lots of cut up (ready-to-eat) raw veggies in her fridge along with some spinach dip for a easy healthy snack.  For the sweet cravings that we all have, she makes these little magical date and chocoate balls.  Her recipe inspired this post.

Chocolate Almond and Date Energy Bites Recipe • theVintageMixer.com #energybites #rawbrownie #dates #healthydessert

Josh and I first made these together and all the batter that survived my husbands scavenging was then rolled in rich cocoa powder, resulting in beautiful truffle-like delicacies.

The recipe is simple, but you do need a food processor.  If you don’t have one, find a friend that does because they are worth it.  Also, Christina recommends using Medjool Dates, because they are less dry.  You can find Medjool Dates locally at any health food store or in the bulk isle of most grocery stores. If you need a sweet treat like I do but don’t want to go for the cookie or brownie mid-day, these are for you!

More Energy Bite & Granola Bar Recipes:

Nut and Seed Energy Bites with Cherries

Peanut Butter, Honey, and Oat Protein Bites

Healthy Raw Cookie Dough Bites

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Bars with Date Caramel

Homemade Coconut Cream Pie Lara Bars

Healthy Granola Bars with Nuts, Seeds, and Cherries

Chocolate Almond and Date Energy Bites Recipe • theVintageMixer.com #energybites #rawbrownie #dates #healthydessert

Chocolate Almond Date Energy Bites

Try these Vegan Chocolate, Almond, and Date Energy Bites for a healthy chocolate snack.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Snack
Cuisine American, Gluten Free, vegan
Servings 24 balls

Ingredients
  

  • 1 1/2 cups medjool dates, pitted and coarsely chopped
  • 1 cup almonds (walnuts work well too)
  • 2 tbsp or more of cocoa powder or cacao powder (plus more for finishing)
  • a pinch or two of sea salt
  • 1/8 tsp cinnamon (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon agave (to bind the mixture)
  • 1/8 tsp fresh ground ginger (optional)

Instructions
 

  • Remove the pits and coarsely chop your dates. In your food processor, process the almonds until they are a coarse-like powder.  Add cocoa powder, salt, cinnamon, and ginger. Add the chopped dates and process until everything is finely chopped.  Gradually add agave nectar until the mixture is sticky enough to clump together or until it starts to form a ball in the food processor.  Form little balls out of your mixture. You can also spoon out the mixture into mini silicon muffin baking tray then refrigerate until they harden. Once they are all rolled into balls you can then roll them in a small bowl of cocoa powder (optional). This step just makes the balls have a more polished look to them.  These can be kept in the refrigerator in a well sealed container for up to 2 weeks or frozen for a few months.  Enjoy as a healthy sweet snack!

Notes

You can sub walnuts for almonds and you can choose to finish the bites by rolling them in cocoa powder or just leave them without a chocolate exterior.

Tips: You can also choose not to roll the bites in cocoa powder at the end which saves some time and effort, and makes for less chocolate-y fingers when consuming them. And to speed up the rolling-out step a friend of mine suggested using silicon baking cups so you just spoon out the dough into the mini baking cups then refrigerate. You can then pop them out and put them in an air tight container to store them. See photos below for details.

Chocolate Almond and Date Energy Bites Recipe • theVintageMixer.com #energybites #rawbrownie #dates #healthydessert

Chocolate Almond and Date Energy Bites Recipe • theVintageMixer.com #energybites #rawbrownie #dates #healthydessert

Comments (16)

  1. Lovely pictures, these look delicious! I especially like the addition of ginger. I'd be interested in playing around with different spices in the truffles!

  2. These look incredible. Medjool dates are treasures. I think I may make these to take to work to share with everyone.

    Thanks for commenting on my blog, it introduced me to your jewel of a blog. I will be subscribing to your RSS!

  3. Hey! These are great! I had dried plums on hand and honey, so I subbed those for the dates and agave… worked wonderfully for me! This is a yummy natural treat for me, as I take on the challenge of no refined sugar for the month of October….eek! 🙂

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