Fudgy, dark chocolate energy bites made with wholesome ingredients? Yes, please!
Ready your food processors, friends. Let’s make the tastiest snack on the block!
These energy bites are made with 7 simple ingredients in less than 30 minutes!
The base is my favorite natural sweetener: dates!
- I love dates because they’re nature’s caramel and boast minerals like zinc, potassium, magnesium, and iron!
- Walnuts come next, which add protein and are high in omega 3 fatty acids.
- Cacao powder adds rich chocolate flavor as well as phytonutrients, magnesium, and iron.
- Almond butter provides even more protein as well as vitamin E, manganese, and biotin.
- And hemp seeds add omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, iron, magnesium, and zinc. Plus, they’re a perfect protein, boasting 20 amino acids, including the 9 essential amino acids.
I think we can all agree that this is one healthy snack.
The texture of these bites is close to a truffle!
They’re so chocolaty and rich and moist. And when you roll them in cacao powder, they even get a little fudgy and sticky. I mean, this is a dreamy scenario.
I hope you all LOVE these energy bites! They’re:
Fudgy
Chocolaty
Rich
Perfectly sweet
Super healthy
Easy to make
& Kind of amazing
These bites would make the perfect snack or a healthier dessert. I love having two (or three) in the afternoon for a little energy boost alongside a cup of tea. They would also make a great topper for Overnight Oats, 5-Minute Smoothie Bowls, or Dark Chocolate Quinoa Breakfast Bowls!
For more energy bites, check out our Peanut Butter & Jelly Energy Bites, Mango Energy Bites, and 5-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cup Energy Bites!
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram. We love seeing your creations. Cheers, friends!
- 1 cup packed (200 g) pitted dates (medjool is best)
- 2 cups (240 g) raw walnuts
- 1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp (38 g) cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder, plus more for rolling
- 3 Tbsp (28 g) hemp seeds, plus more for rolling
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 3 Tbsp (48 g) creamy almond butter (or other nut or seed butter)
- 1 Tbsp (15 ml) melted coconut oil (optional: for extra fudgy texture)
- Add dates to a food processor and pulse/mix until small bites remain or a ball forms. Scoop out and set aside.
- Add walnuts to the food processor and pulse into a fine meal. Then add cacao powder, hemp seeds and sea salt. Pulse a few more times to combine. (Don’t overmix or the walnuts will turn into butter.)
- Add the dates back in along with the almond butter and melted coconut oil (optional). Mix/pulse to combine. The result should be a moist dough-like mixture. If too wet, add a bit more cacao powder or hemp seeds.
- Refrigerate for 10 minutes. Then scoop out rounded Tablespoon amounts (I like this scoop) and carefully form into balls. The dough will be somewhat fragile, so use the warmth of your hands to gently form/roll them into balls. There should be about 20 energy bites total.
- Roll in extra hemp seeds or cacao powder (optional). Note: The bites get a fudgy, sticky outer texture when rolled in cacao powder – which I liked. But for less sticky energy bites, stick with hemp seeds!
- Store leftovers in a well-sealed container in the refrigerator up to 1 week or in the freezer up to 1 month.