As I have mentioned in previous posts, I am a true chocolate lover. Every day I discover new chocolaty combinations that make my taste buds explode, and the rest of me just melt. My current favorite concoction includes lots of melted dark chocolate stirred into warm quinoa. I know it may sound odd, but the combination is incredible.
As much as I love rich desserts, sometimes it’s nice to make nutritious treats that can serve as quick, energy-boosting snacks. These chocolate energy bites are rich in protein from the nuts/seeds, carbohydrates from the dates, and antioxidants from the cacao. They are also super simple and fun to make, especially if you choose to roll them in toppings! Enjoy!
Chocolate Energy Bites
These chocolate energy bites are packed with natural protein from the nuts/seeds, energizing carbohydrates from the dates, and antioxidants from the cacao. They are also super simple and fun to make, especially if you choose to roll them in toppings!
Ingredients
- 1 cup nuts or seeds of choice
- 1/4 cup cacao or cocoa powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup Medjool dates pitted and chopped (dried figs work too!)
- 2-4 tbsp water
- 1/4 cup cacao nibs or chocolate chips
- Melted chocolate cacao powder, and hemp seed hearts, optional for coating
Instructions
- Place seeds/nuts in a food processor, and process until finely ground. Pulse in cacao, vanilla, and salt.
- Pulse in the chopped dates and then water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough comes together nicely (you may need to stop a few times and scrape down the sides and separate the dough if it forms a ball).
- Pulse in the cacao nibs or chips.
- Roll pieces of the dough into small, tablespoon-sized balls. You may top them with melted chocolate, roll them in cacao, hemp hearts, shredded coconut, or any other toppings of choice.
- Place your energy bites in a container in the refrigerator or freezer for at least 30 minutes, then serve!
Notes
Note: these energy bites keep best stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to a week!
Those energy bite look yummy! I’ve been gluten free for 10 months now but haven’t experimented much gf cooking. Will be giving these a go!
Thank you, Michelle! I hope you enjoy them!
Hello there! Do you use Twitter? I’d like to follow you if that would be okay.
I’m definitely enjoying your blog and look forward to new posts.
I do, the link is at the top right corner of the blog! Thank you!
How many calories are in the raw chocolate bites?
Thx mel
I like to focus more on nutrient density, but they are about 80-90 calories each, depending on if you roll them in toppings, etc. I hope this helps!
Just made these with my 3.5year old daughter. She had a ball (pardon the pun!) and can’t wait to dig in once they’re out of the fridge!
Aww that is so wonderful to hear! I hope you both enjoy them!!
Quick question, I want to make a large batch for when my boyfriend is at work. Is it possible to freeze the remaining balls until they are ready for consumption? I wanted to make enough to last him a month or two… Can’t wait, this looks like the perfect recipe!
I haven’t attempted to freeze them yet, but I am sure it would work well! I would say to defrost them in the refrigerator the night before you would like to eat them, or at room temperature in a container if you want to grab some in the morning and take them with you to work to eat later on. I hope this helps!
OMG I LOVE IT AND ALL MY FAMILY INCLUDING 4 YEARS OLD AND 15 MONTHS OLD 🙂 THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!
Awesome, I am so happy to hear that!!!
I made these a few days ago……DELICIOUS! I kept them in the freezer and just took one out when I was hungry. They do not freeze but stay at a very desirable hardness.
I will be making them again and again. The perfect before and after workout snack.
Many thanks!
Awesome! Thanks for the kind feedback, Jennifer- so glad you love them!
hello Christina,
just made them but the dough was very sticky;was almost impossible to roll them evenly,,,any advice on how to fix that? thanks
Eleni
Hi Eleni,
The dough should be fairly sticky before you put them in the fridge to harden, but not so sticky that they can’t be rolled! I would say not to add any water in the last step, and if it’s still too sticky to try adding a bit more cocoa, nuts/seeds, or even a bit of flour (any dry ingredients) to make the dough a bit firmer. Hope this helps!
Thank you! Will do! They taste marvellous anyway!
I made these with my three year old daughter using half sunflower seeds and half flaked almonds, cacao and dark chocolate chips then rolled in desiccated coconut. Very rich and tasty, my daughter loves them and always enjoys helping make these kinds of things where she can get her hands dirty and taste test everything. Great recipe 🙂
That variation sounds delicious! It’s wonderful to hear that you make these with your daughter, and I’m so glad you both enjoy them 🙂
incredible, like no other recipe out there, thank you!
Awesome, so glad you like it! 🙂
Still the best raw bites recipe around. I love the simplicity, and how you can change it up based on what you have in the pantry! Thanks again for sharing 🙂
I am so happy to hear that! I love making recipes that can be modified based what you have on hand. Thank you so much for the feedback 🙂
Oh my god these are scrummy thank you for the recipe i made mine half seeds and half almonds …..rolled in cacao and the other batch in cacao …..lovely as i am currently trying to loose 8 stone and am 1 stone down in just over 3 weeks so these will help me keep going through out the day 😍
Abs
That combination sounds delicious! I’m so glad you are enjoying them 🙂
These taste great! What makes them “energy” bites? What is is the nutritional value?
I’m glad you like them! They are packed with protein, healthy fats and carbohydrates and superfoods, so they have a dense nutritional value 🙂
Amazing, really delicious!
Absolutely delicious recipe. Thank you, Christina! I make some similar ones (hemp protein powder, cacao powder, peppermint essential oil + coconut oil), I made yours yesterday, also yielded 16 and cannot stop (literally) going to the fridge! Plus, I work from home… not cool. But these are so, so tasty! I made half rolled in unsweetened coconut shreds and half in raw cacao powder. Thanks again, will add your blog for quick delicious recipes 🙂
Thank you so much for the positive feedback, Annie! The similar ones that you make sound delicious, and I love the idea of adding the peppermint essential oil! I have the same problem, energy bites never last long in my house! 🙂
These are great! I used a mixture of walnuts and salted almonds, and they came out delicious!
That combination sounds delicious! Thanks for the positive feedback 🙂
Thank you for yr recipe. I have just made this for the classroom healthy treat tomorrow. My girls’s classroom don’t allow any refined sugars to be brought to school which I am very happy.
I mixed with hemp seeds bc not ebough pumpkin seeds,it gives nice crunchy texture although the husk linger in yr mouth. My first time using hemp seeds. Hope all the kids like it. I like it. My girls will have to try it in the school as they are already in bed.
Hemp seeds are wonderful! I am so glad that you like them, I hope the kids do too!
I’ve made these so many times! By far the best energy bites I’ve made, and I’ve tried a lot. I appreciate that you didn’t use coconut oil!
My favorite uses all walnuts and I add a dash of maple syrup. I also press some of the oil out as I’m rolling the balls, but not too much or they can be dry.
Thank you for the recipe! Five stars!
Thank you so much for the positive feedback! The combination of walnuts and maple syrup sounds amazing! 🙂