Bite-sized bombs of protein, healthy fat and fiber, these no-bake chocolate chip energy balls (or energy bites) are a guilt-free snack. They're easy and fun to make and hold in the refrigerator or freezer for days. A handy little gizmo called a disher makes them fun and easy to make but you can use a tablespoon.
No-bake Chocolate Chip Energy Balls
When a friend asked me for food ideas for the grand opening of her fitness studio, it was the perfect opportunity to test this recipe. Gluten-free rolled oats are the base. Healthy fat, protein and fiber come from creamy cashew butter (or tahini), hemp seeds, coconut milk, shredded coconut, flaxseed, and protein powder. An extra roll in unsweetened shredded coconut finished them off. Super!
How to Make Energy Balls Dough
Whisk together the wet ingredients and then blend in the dry. The dough is stiff. Mixing works best with a flexible silicone spatula. Freeze the dough for 30 minutes wrapped in wax paper then portion and roll into balls. Use either a tablespoon or a handy tool called a disher which make these a snap to make.
No-bake Energy Balls: Sweetness and Flavor
Maple syrup adds a touch of sweetness and moisture and cinnamon adds spice. Maca powder adds a kind of butterscotch flavor and is an adaptogenic herb good for energy (optional).
Chocolate Chip Options
The chocolate chips I use are made by Lily's. They are sweetened with stevia and erythritol. Anything that ends in an "ol" is a sugar-alcohol which gives some people digestive upset. If that's you, read on for what to swap, or use your favorite chocolate chips.
You can substitute finely chopped bittersweet chocolate from a solid bar, minimizing any unwanted additives. Using a bread or serrated knife makes chopping hard chocolate much easier.
Here's another terrific no-bake chocolate recipe for chocolate bites with cranberries and walnuts. They are like chocolate bark in a mini muffin cup. Easy and fun to make!
No-Bake Chocolate Chip Energy Balls
Ingredients
- â…“ cup canned, full fat coconut milk
- 2 tablespoons creamy cashew butter sub almond butter or tahini
- 1 ½ tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract or ¾ teaspoon paste
- 1 scoop protein powder, unflavored and unsweetened
- ½ cup rolled oats gluten-free
- â…“ cup dark chocolate chips Lily's stevia sweetened
- 3 tablespoons raw hemp seeds
- 3 tablespoons finely shredded unsweetened coconut
- 2 tablespoons ground flax seed
- 1 tablespoon maca powder optional
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup finely shredded unsweetened coconut to roll balls in
Instructions
- Combine coconut milk, nut butter and maple syrup in a medium bowl and stir until smooth. Blend in protein powder and stir together, then add the rest of the ingredients, oats, chocolate chips, hemp seeds, coconut, flax seed and cinnamon. Use a flexible silicone spatula as the mix gets sticky. Freeze the dough for 30 minutes to make it easier to handle. If you're short on time, just roll them.
- Using a tablespoon or #50 disher (see notes below) portion out 14-18 balls on a plate lined with parchment or plastic. To finish, dampen hands with a little water and roll into round balls. You can also use food handler gloves. Lastly rolls balls in the last ¼ cup of shredded coconut. Store the balls in the refrigerator or freeze.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Information
I don't usually list nutrition information in my posts, but for this recipe I calculated it, as you need to know what's in a snack. When I can get the nutrition label feature to work, I will add it. For now, here is the info: Per 2 balls: 108 calories, 7 grams fat, 5 mg sodium, 11 grams carbs, 4 grams fiber, 3 grams sugar, 5 grams protein
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