Brownie Energy Balls
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Published Sep 04, 2020, Updated Jun 12, 2023
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These no bake brownie energy balls are the perfect snack bites to have on hand when a chocolate craving hits. Only 7 ingredients needed!
I have to admit, I have a little bit of a sweet tooth. I love having a little dessert after dinner each night – it completes the meal! Can you relate? My top tip for sweet cravings is to have healthier, naturally sweetened options on hand. Which is where these brownie energy balls came about. They honestly taste like a brownie but take a fraction of the time (and ingredients!) to make! Ever since I came up with this recipe a few weeks ago, Isaac and I have been hooked. We can’t stop eating them!
These brownie energy balls are inspired by my 5-ingredient no bake brownies. This recipe requires a couple more ingredients but they’re still pantry staples in our household. I can’t wait for you to give these a try!
Types of Energy Balls
As you may have guessed, there are so many different types of energy balls and they go by a variety of names too. Some names I’ve heard: energy bites, energy balls, bliss bites, oat balls and fat bombs. In my mind, there is one thing they all have in common: they’re no bake and rolled into balls. Here are some ways they can be different:
- Protein – Some energy balls will have added protein powder to obviously amp up the protein, but also round out the snack and make it more filling and satisfying. I personally love making these protein balls.
- Date-based – Some energy balls are made with a base of dates and nuts (like these ones!). They are usually grain-free and have no sugar added because the dates add a good amount of sweetness and help hold the balls together. For the date-based balls, you usually need a food processor or blender to pulse the nuts and dates together.
- Oat-based – Many energy ball recipes have a base of oats. They are packed with fiber and healthy fats and the perfect on-the-go snack. My peanut butter no bake energy balls are oat-based and so yummy.
Ingredients Needed for Brownie Energy Balls
- walnuts and cashews – look for raw, unsalted walnuts and cashews.
- Medjool dates – You can buy medjool dates that are already pitted or pit them yourself (it’s super easy). Two brands that I like are Natural Delights and Joolies. You can find Natural Delights in the produce section of most grocery stores (near the bananas) and Joolies are offered on Amazon and Thrive Market.
- cacao or cocoa powder – raw cacao powder are minimally processed and are high in minerals and antioxidants. Cocoa powder processing depends on the brand but typically it’s roasted at high temperatures which can change some of the nutrition stats. Both are still great options for these balls!
- vanilla extract
- sea salt
- chocolate chips – I like using dark chocolate chips from Enjoy Life or Lily’s. Both of these options are dairy-free.
How to Make Brownie Energy Balls
It doesn’t get much easier than this recipe. Add the walnuts, cashews, dates, cacao powder, vanilla and salt into a food processor fitted with the S-shape blade. Process until mixture is well combined and sticking together. Add the chocolate chips and pulse once more to combine.
Use your hands to form 1 tablespoon of dough into a ball. Enjoy right away or store for later!
How to Store Energy Balls
You can store your energy balls in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer. They’ll last up to 1-2 weeks in the fridge and up to 3 months in the freezer. I like using glass storage containers or Stasher bags for storing energy balls.
More Energy Balls and Bites
- No Bake Protein Balls
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Balls
- Lemon Energy Balls
- Coconut Protein Balls
- Cranberry Energy Bites
- Cherry Energy Balls
- Blueberry Muffin Energy Balls
- Bird Food Energy Bites
- Peanut Butter & Jelly Protein Bites
Be sure to check out all of the popular no bake dessert recipes here on EBF!
Brownie Energy Balls
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup raw walnuts
- 1/4 cup raw cashews
- 1 cup pitted medjool dates, (about 10)
- 2 Tablespoons cacao powder, or cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 Tablespoon dark chocolate chips, dairy-free if needed
Instructions
- Add walnuts, cashews, dates, cacao powder, vanilla, and salt in a food processor fitted with the S-shaped blade. Process until mixture is well combined and sticking together. Add chocolate chips and pulse once more to disperse.
- Once mixture is combined, use your hands to form the dough into balls, using about 1 Tablespoon of dough for each ball. Enjoy right away or store for later.
- Place balls into a sealed storage container and store in the fridge for 1-2 weeks or the freezer for up to 3 months.
Notes
- Hard/dry dates: If your dates are hard and dry, you can soak them in warm water for 10-15 minutes to soften. Just drain them well before using.
- Crumbly dough: If your dough seems too crumbly to stick together after processing even when squeezing it together with your hands, you can try adding a couple more dates or adding 1 teaspoon of water at a time until the mixture starts to hold together well enough to form into balls. See note above.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I bought dates and was looking for good recipes and these are good and I don’t taste the dates like in other recipes! Win!!
YAY! Happy to hear you gave these a try and they turned out amazing for you, Joyce. Thank you for sharing your review & star rating, it means so much to me!
I love making these! They are so forgiving. I started out making one of your recipes and and then couldn’t decide. I had added too many nuts so it was a little oily so I added oatmeal. My husband thought they were delish! They ended up having cocoa powder, white chocolate chips and oatmeal!
Yay! I am so glad you are both loving these energy balls and they turned out great for you, Nanette. Thank you so much for sharing your review + star rating, it means so much to me!