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Date Almond Coconut Protein Balls

Power up with these Date Almond Coconut Protein Balls. They taste like an indulgent candy bar but are packed with healthy, energy boosting ingredients instead of empty calories.

Date Almond Coconut Protein Balls
Date Almond Coconut Protein Balls.

Leftover Halloween candy might be inevitable. However, if you do yourself a solid and regularly mix up a batch of energy balls, you might just find yourself grabbing a ball instead of reaching into the candy jar. My Basic Energy Balls are a great place to start. But I've got all kinds of satisfying easy energy bites on my site. Try these Blueberry Almond Energy Balls, Cashew Date Chocolate Sesame Energy Balls, Prune Almond Energy Balls and many more!

Every year I buy too much Halloween candy. No trick or treaters stop by until 9 pm. It's usually a handful of teenagers who are taller than me, wearing Superman tee shirts holding out king-sized pillowcases to fill with fistfuls of candy. I always give them the bulk of the haul. But save a bit with the hope that adorable pint-sized pumpkins and itty bitty Batmen show up. They never do. Do kids even Trick or Treat anymore?

 Now we are left with a bucket of unwanted candy and nowhere to put it. We pick at it, casually eating up the good stuff over the course of days/weeks until the sight of candy makes our tummies turn. I finally break down and send it packing to the lost land where unwanted Halloween candy goes to die, my husband's office.

If you love Almond Joy, you will go nuts over this healthy alternative

This year, to help wean you off the Halloween candy haunting your house, I've come up with much healthier alternative. These Date Almond Coconut Protein Balls taste like an indulgent candy bar, but they are far from it. In the best way possible.

Date Almond Coconut Protein Ball ingredients
These balls use minimal ingredients but they are big on flavor and texture.
dates in food processor
The sticky Medjool dates are the binding agent in these energy balls. Whirl them up into a paste to blend the ingredients together.

Date Almond Coconut Protein Balls are full of nutritious ingredients

Medjool Dates

Sticky and naturally sweet, medjool dates are the brilliant base that binds these energy bites together. Antioxidants run rampant in these bronzed jewels. Dates are stuffed with vitamins and minerals, making them a fine friend to bone health. And dates have a low glycemic index. Meaning natural sweetness with no blood sugar spikes.

The naturally sticky nature of dates is an ideal binder for these Date Energy Balls. Once the dates are blended, all of the other ingredients rally around that smooth and dreamy base.

Almonds

The simplicity of raw almonds makes them a versatile ingredient that adds texture and flavor dimension to a basic energy ball or satisfyingly crunchy granola bar. In these powerful bites, almonds are coarsely ground in a food processor. Giving each bite a gently, nutty crunch. A bit of almond extract is added to the mix to enhance the almond flavor and mimic that Almond Joy essence.

Almonds bring big plant protein points alongside some of those good unsaturated fats. These fiber rich nuts have a healthy amount of nutrients for happy, healthy body fuel.

More Energy Ball recipes to power you up

Protein Powder

A powerful punch of Bob's Red Mill Protein Powder gets mixed into the Date Almond Coconut Protein Balls making them extra hearty and sustaining. I prefer the Bob's Red Mill protein powders as they are filled with protein, fiber and probiotics!

There are lots of protein powder options out there in the world. I say find one that works for you and incorporate it into your energy bites.

coarsely ground almonds and protein powder
First chop the almonds in a food processor until they are a coarse meal. Add a couple of tablespoons of the Protein Powder to keep the almonds from turning to butter.
Chai Protein Powder by Bob's Red Mill
This Chai Protein Powder from Bob's Red Mill really packs in the good stuff.

Cocoa Powder

A bit of unsweetened cocoa powder blends right in with the medjool dates adding warm cocoa notes to the sticky sweet base. Plus, quality cocoa powders contain antioxidants and nutrients.

Unsweetened Coconut

Texture baby! Unsweetened coconut is a superb source of fiber with a kiss of natural sweetness. The coconut combined with the warm cocoa, sweet dates and crunchy almonds gives these Date Almond Coconut Protein Balls instant Almond Joy energy. Coconut really ties the room together here.

cocoa powder for energy bites
Cocoa powder adds rich notes that get sweetened up from the dates.
Coconut added to date energy balls
The coconut adds dimension, nuttiness and texture to the Date Almond Coconut Protein Balls.

Flaxseeds

Flaxseeds may be small but they pack a punch of nutrient density. These tiny seeds are full of protein, they contain essential fatty acids and flaxseeds are an excellent source of dietary fiber.

Salt

A bit of salt always seems to round out a recipe. Just a pinch helps the other flavors in these Date Energy Bites shine.

All of those energizing ingredients work together to get you up and moving. I personally think they are the best energy balls I've made to date!  Just one Date Almond Coconut Protein Ball and you'll have all the power you need to get your butt to the gym and melt away all of those fun-sized candy bars. 

energy ball mix with dates, almonds and coconut
Once things are all blended together it should look textural but sticky.
shape energy bites into balls with a cookie scoop
Using a 2 tablespoons sized cookie scoop to form round power balls.

Energy balls take very little energy to prepare but the return on investment is substantial

With just 8 simple ingredients and about 8 minutes of work (ok maybe 15), you wind up with 2 dozen energy enhancing opportunities. Those are great odds. It's hard to argue with a healthy treat that can be prepared in a matter of minutes. These Date Almond Coconut Protein Balls are always worth the investment.

Protein Balls rolling in coconut
Give the ol' balls a roll in the shredded coconut for depth of flavor and texture.
shaping Date Almond Coconut Protein Balls
Line the Date Almond Coconut Protein Balls up on a lined baking sheet and chill them until ready to serve.
Date Almond Coconut Protein Energy Balls
Top the Date Almond Coconut Protein Balls with a bit of the ground almond to give them a special finishing touch.
Date Almond Coconut Protein Balls
Date Almond Coconut Protein Balls all rolled up and ready to rumble.
Date Almond Coconut Protein Energy Balls
It's impossible not to bite into at least one of these Date Almond Coconut Protein Balls when you're rolling them up.
Date Almond Coconut Protein Balls by Baking The Goods
Chomp Chomp! Date Almond Coconut Protein Balls.
flavorful and textural date energy balls
So much flavor, texture and energy packed into one little ball.
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Recipe

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Date Almond Coconut Protein Balls

Date Almond Coconut Protein Balls

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Description

Power up with these Date Almond Coconut Protein Balls. They taste like an indulgent candy bar but are packed with healthy, energy boosting ingredients instead of empty calories.

Ingredients

Units
  • Medjool Dates: 2 ½ cups (pitted)
  • raw almonds - 1 cup
  • Bob's Red Mill Protein Powder - ½ cup
  • unsweetened (shredded coconut - 1 cup)
  • unsweetened cocoa powder - ¼ cup
  • flaxseeds - ¼ cup
  • almond extract - ½ teaspoon
  • sea salt - ½ teaspoon

Instructions

  1. Combine almonds and 1 tablespoon of Bob's Red Mill Protein Powder in a food processor. Pulse until the almonds are coarsely ground. Remove 3 tablespoons and set aside.
  2. Add the pitted Medjool dates, protein powder, ½ cup of the coconut, cocoa powder, flax seeds, almond extract, and sea salt to the food processor.
  3. Pulse to combine, then use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides. Continue to blend the mixture for a minute or two, until the mixture is sticky and blended.
  4. Use a 2 tablespoon sized cookie scoop to measure and roll each scoop into a smooth ball.
  5. Roll each ball in the remaining coconut to coat and garnish with a small sprinkle of the ground almonds.
  6. Serve and store in the refrigerator.

Notes

Store the Date Almond Coconut Protein Balls in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

  • Prep Time: 20 minutes

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  1. Hannah says

    Do you know the nutritional values per ball?

    Reply

    • beckysue says

      Hi Hannah. Unfortunately, I don't. However, I believe there are a number of websites and apps that can analyze and calculate recipes when you plus them in. I just tried this one: https://happyforks.com/analyzer/result Hope this helps!

      Reply

  2. Dianna Hess says

    Could I use another nut and get the same protein amount or similar flavor, as my husband is allergic to most tree nuts. He can eat pistachio or peanuts only, he loves dates and I think he would find these tasty treats.

    Reply

    • beckysue says

      Hi Dianna. I am not sure about the protein amount but I suspect pistachios would taste great in these Protein Balls. You could try adding more of the protein powder if that's a priority. 🙂

      Reply