These date balls are called bliss balls for a reason! They're easy to make using simple ingredients and taste absolutely delicious. They're chewy, sweet, and the best way to get healthy superfoods in your family's diet. Perfect for snack time, lunch boxes, or an energizing afternoon pick-me-up.
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📋 About the Recipe
- Just 10 minutes of prep work. If you're looking to switch to healthier snack options, you'll love these homemade date balls. They're easy to whip up in just a few minutes and can be stashed away in the refrigerator to eat all week long.
- Naturally sweetened. Date balls are the perfect snack or treat to satisfy a sweet tooth without an overload of refined sugars. Their natural sweetness comes from whole dates, and a final sprinkle of mini chocolate chips. They're also naturally vegan, gluten-free, and easy to make nut-free.
- Easy to make a double batch. And trust me - you'll want to! These date balls are so delicious, they disappear fast! Make as many batches as you'd like and stash the extras in the freezer - or try other flavors listed in this roundup of 21 must-try bliss balls recipes!
If you love dates, you'll also love my Apple Cider and Date Coffee Cake! They're also the perfect addition to a Spooky Halloween Snack Board.
🛒 Ingredients
A few notes about the ingredients:
- Oats - For the best, chewy texture, I recommend using old fashioned rolled oats. Do not use quick oats or steel cut oats, as this would alter the texture. For an alternative to oats, check out this Chocolate Bliss Balls recipe that uses sliced almonds instead.
- Peanut butter - Nut butter adds creaminess, healthy fats, and protein. I recommend using runny, natural peanut butter. It contains more moisture than conventional peanut butters. If your peanut butter is extra thick, a little water will likely be needed to help make the mixture sticky.
- Cocoa - Unsweetened cocoa powder or cacao (also called baking cocoa or dutch processed cocoa) adds a boost of anti-oxidants and rich chocolate flavor without any additional sugar. Just like in my Instant Pot Hot Chocolate, it's important to note that unsweetened cocoa is very different from hot chocolate mix. When purchasing cocoa in stores, check the ingredients. There should not be any added sugars.
- Dates - I typically use Medjool dates but you can also use deglet noor dates. If it's your first time using whole dates, they're very sweet and have a brown sugar or caramel-like taste. They're also very soft and gooey - the perfect sweet fruit to make sticky, bite-sized balls. Look for fresh dates in the unrefrigerated produce section near other fruits.
- Chocolate chips - Mini chocolate chips are optional, but they make these date balls reminiscent of cookie dough and add a delicious crunch. I highly recommend using mini chocolate chips over regular-sized chocolate chips. The big ones are too heavy and tend to fall out.
⁉️ Substitutions and Alterations
- Add coconut: If you want to keep these date balls free of added sugar, replace the mini chocolate chips with unsweetened, shredded coconut and make coconut date balls. It will add a similar natural sweetness and add a delicious coconut twist!
- Use another nut butter: Almond butter, cashew butter, or sunflower seed butter are all great options.
- Add protein powder: If you're looking to boost the protein content, replace the cocoa with 1 to 2 scoops of your favorite protein powder.
- Dip them in chocolate: If you're looking to turn these chocolate date energy balls into a sweeter snack or dessert, you can add a chocolate drizzle or dip them in melted chocolate. Finish with a pinch of sea salt or roll them in crunchy nuts like crushed peanuts for the final touch!
📓 Instructions
- Pulse the main ingredients. Place the oats, peanut butter, cacao, vanilla, dates and salt in the bowl of your food processor. Pulse until a fine crumble forms.
- Add water. Pulse again until the mixture turns sticky and starts to combine.
- Incorporate chocolate chips. Scoop the date mixture into a mixing bowl and pour in the mini semisweet chocolate chips. Use your hands to incorporate chocolate chips into the mixture.
- Form into balls. Using a cookie scoop, form small date balls, about 1 to 2 tablespoons each.
- Refrigerate. Place the date balls on a cookie sheet and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to set.
- Enjoy! Once chilled, enjoy these date balls immediately.
❄️ How to Store
To store: This healthy snack will keep for up to 10 days when stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
To freeze: For longer term storage, these snack balls can also be stored in the freezer for up to 2 months. Keep them in a zip top bag with excess air removed.
When ready to eat again, place the balls in the refrigerator overnight, or allow them to come to room temperature on the kitchen counter. You can also just pop them in your mouth, while still slightly frozen!
🔍 Recipe FAQs
Although dates may look like dried fruit with their slightly wrinkly exterior, they're technically considered fresh fruit. With that being said, they will keep for several weeks, even months when stored properly. If the dates have gone bad, they will have an off-putting odor.
Sugar crystallization can take place on the exterior of dates (looks like little white spots), but this is not a sign of spoilage - they are still safe to eat as long as they smell sweet and lightly aromatic.
Dates will keep when stored at room temperature for a couple of weeks, but for long term storage, it is best to keep your dates in the refrigerator. When kept tightly sealed, dates can last in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.
Over time they will lose their moisture and become hard, but they can be rehydrated again in a bowl of warm water until soft again.
Absolutely! These energy balls are packed with good-for-you ingredients. They're rich in fiber, healthy fats, protein, and sugars from whole fruits. They're the perfect on-the-go snack to keep you energized throughout the week.
I wouldn't recommend it. Dates are quite sticky and can be difficult for even the best blenders to break down. For best results, opt for a large cup food processor.
💭 One More Tip
Make sure to remove the date pits! Accidentally leaving them can cause major damage to your food processor blade. If you'd like to err on the safe side, purchase pitted dates! Most grocery stores have them stocked near the regular dates.
🍴 Related Recipes
Share your cooking with me! If you make this recipe, I'd love to know! Tag @yourhomemadehealthy on Instagram or leave a comment with a rating and some feedback at the bottom of this page!
Date Balls
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup old fashioned oats
- 1 cup natural peanut butter
- 4 tablespoons cacao or unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup pitted dates (about 12 dates)
- Pinch of salt, if your peanut butter is unsalted
- 4 tablespoons water
- ¾ cup mini semisweet chocolate chips SEE NOTE
Instructions
- Add all ingredients besides water and chocolate chips to the bowl of your food processor. Pulse until it forms fine crumbles.
- Add water. Pulse again until the mixture turns sticky and starts to combine.
- Scoop date mixture into a mixing bowl. Pour in chocolate chips. Use your hands to incorporate chocolate chips into the mixture.
- Using a cookie scoop, form small balls of the mixture, about 1 to 2 tablespoons each.
- Place balls on a cookie sheet and put in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to set.
Notes
- I highly recommend using mini chocolate chips because they stick inside the balls better than regular sized chips. The regular sized chocolate chips are much heavier and tend to fall out.
- If your mixture isn't coming together, slowly add more water until it becomes sticky and starts to combine.
- Remember to remove the pits from the dates! The pits are very hard and unpalatable.
Nutrition
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Nora says
These are incredibly delicious! I am obsessed and will be making them the second I run out of the first batch!
Alana Lieberman says
Yay! They're a favorite in our house too 🙂 So glad you love them!