Lemon Energy Balls
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Published May 31, 2016, Updated Jun 12, 2023
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Snack healthy with these lemon energy balls! Made with almonds, dates, lemon and coconut, these little bites are tasty, portable and take only 10 minutes to make!
I have to be honest with you… I’ve never really been a huge fan of lemon-flavored baked goods or treats. I’m more of a chocolate and peanut butter lady, but lemony flavored desserts are growing on me. Hello, lemon poppyseed muffins.
When you combine lemon with sweet ingredients (like dates!) the tangy lemon flavor adds a pop of brightness without being too sour. The end result is quite refreshing!
So basically, whether you’re a lemon-lover or just on the fence, I think you’ll adore these balls! They take about 10 minutes to whip up and are perfect for snacking on throughout the week. I love having a couple before or after a workout or as a mid-afternoon pick-me-up.
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. 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 are the perfect on-the-go snack. My peanut butter no bake energy balls are oat-based and so yummy.
Ingredients in Lemon Energy Balls
These lemon energy balls are date-based and have a flavor similar to lemon Larabars. Here’s what you need to make them:
- almonds – raw or roasted, but look for almonds without salt added.
- 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.
- unsweetened shredded coconut flakes – be sure to get unsweetened shredded coconut, not the sweetened stuff.
- fresh lemon juice
- lemon zest
- vanilla extract
- sea salt
How to Make Lemon Energy Balls
It doesn’t get much simpler than this recipe! Add the almonds, dates, lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla and sea salt into a food processor. Pulse until the almonds are chopped and a soft dough-like consistency forms. You may need to stop and scrape the sides of the processor a few times.
Put the shredded coconut into a small bowl. Use your hands to roll the nut mixture dough into balls and then roll each ball in the coconut until evenly coated.
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 Ball Recipes
- No Bake Peanut Butter Energy Balls
- No Bake Protein Balls – 4 Ways
- Blueberry Muffin Energy Balls
- Cranberry Energy Balls
- Apple Pie Energy Balls
- Pumpkin Pie Energy Balls
- Cherry Energy Balls
Lemon Energy Balls
Ingredients
- 1 cup almonds, raw or roasted (no salt added)
- 1 cup 10-12 pitted Medjool dates*
- juice from 1 lemon, about 2-3 tablespoons
- zest from 1 lemon
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ⅓ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
Instructions
- Process: Add almonds, dates, lemon juice, zest, vanilla and sea salt into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the S-shaped blade. Pulse until almonds are chopped and a soft “dough” forms, you may need to scrape the sides of the processor a couple times between pulses.
- Form balls: Once mixture is combined, use your hands to form the dough into balls, using about 1 Tablespoon of dough for each ball.
- Roll in coconut: Put shredded coconut into a small bowl and roll each ball into the coconut until evenly coated. Enjoy right away or store for later.
- To store: 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.
Delicious! I actually think they got even better over time. In my haste to make these, I added the coconut with the rest of the ingredients. As they were still a bit sticky after I had rolled them into balls, i was able to roll them in a bit more coconut. So all worked out well!
Yay! So glad these lemon energy balls turned out great for you, Susannah! Thanks for the review and star rating. I so appreciate it!
Love these lemon energy balls! I made them today and they remind me of lemon bars made with wholesome ingredients! I rolled my energy balls in toasted coconut
Yay!! So happy to hear these energy balls were a hit, Emily! Thanks so much for trying them out and coming back to leave a review. It means the world to me!
First let me say the dough tastes delicious! My food processor had a really hard time chopping up the whole almonds. I switched to my dry Vitamix. It took a while to blend. Once finished the dough was sticky and hard to form into balls. I tried rolling them in poppy seeds and protein powder, so they would be less sticky. Not sure where this simple recipe went wrong for me?
Hey Mel – So sorry to hear you had troubles with this recipe! These energy balls are definitely harder to make in a blender. What food processor do you have? Did you change anything about the recipe? They definitely shouldn’t have been too sticky where you couldn’t form them into balls. You definitely want the dough sticky so it’s easier to form into balls vs dry and crumbly.
I doubled the lemon juice and used 6 dates. I only had sweetened coconut as well. Came out great!!!
I love lemon!! I doubled the lemon juice and had 6 dates but followed the recipe other than that. I love them!!!
Yay! So glad you enjoyed these lemon balls, Diane! Thanks for the review. I so appreciate it!
My good friend shared w me a sampling of energy balls she had made, and eating is believing! I was instantly hooked, having been looking for a quick but healthy snack to have on hand and grab on the go. I made the lemon and blueberry balls this weekend, and they are stored in my freezer … I love the taste, and they seem to have digestive benefits too! So easy to make and the burst of lemon is a winner!
Ahh that makes me so happy to hear, Denise. I’m so glad you loved these lemon balls! Thanks so much for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. I really appreciate it. <3
Hi we have to live in a nut free house because of allergies, what alternatives to nuts could be used in this and other recipes please, I’m eager to make some of your recipes as they look delicious, thanks x
Hey Claire – You could try swapping the nuts for seeds like pumpkin or sunflower seeds. I also have these samoa energy balls that are nut-free and these sunbutter energy balls you can try. Also, for any of my energy balls you can try swapping in seeds for the nuts or seed butter for the nut butter.
I don’t have have almonds, can I use walnuts instead? These look delicious! Thanks!
Hey Katie! Yes, you can use walnuts instead of almonds. Can’t wait to hear what you think of them!
I just made these today and they were absolutely delicious. They make such perfect snack for when I’m hungry. I love the sweet and sour flavor of the energy balls!
Ahh that makes me so happy to hear, Della! I’m so pumped you’re loving these lemon balls. Thanks for making them and for coming back to leave a comment + star rating. <3
Could these be made with protein? How would you adjust to make them a protein energy ball?
Hey Kelly – I would use this protein ball recipe as a base. You could swap the rice cereal for oats if you prefer and for a lemon variation I would swap the chocolate chips for coconut flakes, the peppermint extract and water with lemon juice and zest. And I would probably do a vanilla protein powder instead of chocolate. Let me know if you try it!