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My Go-To Energy Ball Recipe

February 13, 2019 by Lindsay 21 Comments

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My Go-To Energy Ball Recipe is perfect for kids, nursing moms, athletes and anyone looking for a healthy snack. They’re full of fiber, protein, and healthy fats and easy to prep ahead of time to keep your freezer stocked.

Go-To Energy Ball Recipe great for kids or snack for breastfeeding moms

Hi friends!

Today I’m sharing my go-to energy ball recipe and I already know you’re gonna love it. I shared it on Instagram a few weeks ago and many of you have already tried and loved them! They’re super easy to make, packed with protein, fiber and healthy fats and perfect for stocking your freezer. I’ve become especially reliant on them while nursing. I find myself constantly starving having healthy, calorie-dense snacks like these on hand have been a total lifesaver while I’m feeding a tiny human and trying to keep my calorie intake up.

An added bonus? My kids also love them. They’re the perfect make-ahead snack that I can prep ahead of time on the weekend and have on hand to grab for them when they’re cranky and hungry.

go-to energy ball recipe, kid-friendly, breastfeeding snack

This recipe is gluten-free and can be made dairy-free if you use non-dairy milk and dairy-free chocolate chips (I like Enjoy Life). I use peanut butter in mine but you could swap another nut butter or try sunflower seed butter for a nut-free version.

Here’s how you make them:

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My Go-To Energy Ball Recipe

My easy go-to energy ball recipe made with dates, hemp, peanut butter and flax
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4.7 from 15 reviews

My Go-To Energy Ball Recipe is perfect for kids, nursing moms, athletes and anyone looking for a healthy snack. They’re full of fiber, protein, and healthy fats and easy to prep ahead of time to keep your freezer stocked.

  • Author: Lindsay

Ingredients

Scale

6–8 pitted Medjool dates (approx 1 cup)
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup pepitas
1/4 cup hemp seeds
1/4 cup ground flax
1/2 cup peanut butter
2–4 Tbsp milk (dairy or non-dairy) or water
chocolate chips

Instructions

  1. Place dates, oats, pepitas, hemp and flax in a food processor and process until well chopped.
  2. Add peanut butter and process until mixed.
  3. Add 2 Tbps milk or water and process until the mixture starts to clump into a giant ball. Add more liquid 1 Tbsp at a time as needed.
  4. Add chocolate chips, pulse a few times to mix, then scoop or roll into balls.
  5. Store in the freezer!

Notes

Sub another nut butter or sunflower seed butter for peanut butter if desired.

You can eat these directly out of the freezer.

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @theleangreenbean on Instagram

I’m not lying when I say we go through about two batches of these per week.

My Go-To Energy Ball Recipe is perfect for kids, nursing moms, athletes and anyone looking for a healthy snack. They're full of fiber, protein, and healthy fats and easy to prep ahead of time to keep your freezer stocked.

Let me know if you try them! If you like these, you might also like my Lemon Energy Balls and my No Bake Peppermint Chocolate Bites.

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

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Filed Under: Snack Tagged With: Dates, Ground Flaxseed, Hemp Seed, Milk, Oats, Peanut Butter, Pepitas

About Lindsay

Lindsay Livingston is a Registered Dietitian and new mom from Columbus, Ohio. On her blog, she shares simple, healthy recipes, nutrition tips, workouts and snapshots of her life. Follow her on Twitter @LeanGrnBeanBlog and Instagram @TheLeanGreenBean and be sure to subscribe via RSS or email so you never miss a post!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kim says

    March 2, 2019 at 7:39 AM

    Lindsay, these are SO good and have been a lifesaver to me as a busy mom. Thank you!!!

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      March 3, 2019 at 8:00 PM

      so glad to hear it!

      Reply
  2. Kari Ikemoto Exter says

    May 15, 2019 at 8:11 PM

    Love this recipe! I have a patient who can’t eat dates – what would you recommend to use instead of dates?

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      May 16, 2019 at 7:13 AM

      unfortunately those are pretty crucial to this recipe i think. you could try more oats and some honey to help them stick

      Reply
  3. Georgia says

    September 23, 2019 at 5:52 AM

    The best energy balls I have ever had!!! What an amazing flavor amd texture. I should have made a double batch because I want to eat them all by myself. My three year old loves them as well. Thank you so for this recipe!

    Reply
  4. Caroline says

    March 9, 2020 at 1:06 PM

    So yummy!! Wish I wouldn’t have waited so long to try them.

    Reply
  5. Meghan says

    June 8, 2020 at 12:00 PM

    So easy to make and yummy!

    Reply
  6. Maddie R says

    July 2, 2020 at 1:22 PM

    I make these every couple weeks. They are the best energy ball recipe ever! I tried another one once and it didn’t even come close. Glad I found this!

    Reply
  7. Cheri says

    April 12, 2021 at 9:29 PM

    I just made these and stored them in the freezer for 30 minutes before cutting them into little pieces. So delicious! The dates really make it sweet and yummy without all the added sugar. They were approved by my two young kids and my husband. The best part is how easy this was to make. Just put everything in the food processor, pulse it together, and then press it into the pan. This will be my new go to as well!

    Reply
  8. Katrina says

    June 8, 2021 at 4:48 PM

    We’ve been making energy bites for years with roughly the same ingredients but instead of mixing them in the food processor we would stir them by hand. I decided to give this recipe a shot and much prefer it to our normal energy bites. The dates are a nice addition and processing everything together is so much simpler. Goodbye old version, this is my new go-to as well!

    Reply
  9. Caroline says

    January 2, 2022 at 1:53 PM

    They are so good, I have been making them every month for the past two years! My whole family enjoys them!

    Reply
  10. Emily Mavodones says

    February 12, 2022 at 11:48 AM

    Delicious protein balls! I love that they’re entirely sweetened by dates aside from a few chocolate chips. My kids loved them too! These will definitely be added to our regular weekly rotation.

    Reply
  11. Chase says

    April 25, 2023 at 1:09 PM

    My favorite energy ball recipe. My little kids love it and I love that it’s not too sweet like some other recipes I have tried. Love the ingredients too! Thanks for a yummy recipe!

    Reply
  12. CAS says

    May 13, 2023 at 11:09 AM

    Made for (and with) my 18m old, just minus the chocolate chips. Very easy recipe, hold together well with 3 tsp water. Several did not make it to the freezer, I barely got to some of roll them!

    Reply
  13. Robin McLawhorn says

    May 18, 2023 at 8:36 AM

    Easy! I love having a filling snack to pull out right after school, so my kids don’t raid the pantry. Bonus to-go breakfast for me too.

    Reply
  14. Annatje Borchelt says

    January 31, 2024 at 8:59 PM

    can you please supply the full nutritional info, including fiber?

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      February 8, 2024 at 6:52 AM

      sorry, i don’t have that info available.

      Reply
  15. Anne says

    March 19, 2024 at 10:32 AM

    Consistency is too thick….very frustrated, tried to blend in food processor, then Ninja, then stand mixer. Finally gave up and trying to save by mixing by hand. Ugh…

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      March 21, 2024 at 3:00 PM

      Sorry to hear that! I make these in my food processor every time and have never had an issue. Did you pulse up the dates, nuts and seeds before adding the peanut butter? And were your dates soft enough to chop? If they’re a bit hard you can soak them in hot water for 10-15 minutes first.

      Reply
  16. Jessica Jarvis says

    March 27, 2024 at 3:19 PM

    I am truly surprised by how nice these are. My toddler has a sweet tooth and we’re trying to cut out processed treats so made these on a whim today and they’re a hit.

    I put the recipe into chatgpt, on the basis that my mix (almost exactly as in the recipe bar some sunflower seeds and using whole milk) made 34 equal-ish balls. The nutritional value is:

    Nutritional Value Per Ball:
    • Calories: 59
    • Carbohydrates: 6.85g
    • Sugars: 3.73g
    • Protein: 1.88g
    • Fat: 3.18g
    • Fibre: 1.12g

    Vitamins and minerals found in the ingredients (cannot give exact measurements without knowing brands etc but useful to know)

    Vitamins:
    • Vitamin E
    • Vitamin B6
    • Vitamin D
    • Folate
    • Niacin
    • Ribofavin
    • Vitamin B12

    Minerals:
    • Calcium
    • Iron
    • Magnesium
    • Zinc
    • Phosphorus
    • Copper
    • Omega-3 Fatty Acids

    Reply
  17. Hannah B says

    April 30, 2025 at 8:59 PM

    These are delicious! I used M&M’s instead of chocolate chips because it’s what I had. The kids have enjoyed them and I actually picked this for my dessert! That’s about the highest compliment I can give! Another winner you need to try!

    Reply

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Lindsay Livingston The Lean Green Bean Healthy Living Tips and Tricks

I'm a Registered Dietitian and mom of three from Columbus, Ohio. I use this blog to share simple, healthy recipes, nutrition tips, and an honest glimpse of motherhood!

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Questions? Comments? Email me: [email protected]

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