No-Bake Energy Bites

5 from 4 votes

No-Bake Energy Bites are a 4-ingredient, 15-minute treat that tastes like indulgent cookie dough but is packed with wholesome, nutritious goodness—no oven or microwave needed!

Prep Time15

Total Time15

Course: Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American, Healthy, Vegetarian

Keyword: no bake energy bites

Servings: small bites

Author: Chelsea Lords

Cost: $4.69

Equipment

Small blender or food processor

Ingredients

1 cup cashews dry roasted and salted (with sea salt), see note 1
7 pitted Deglet Noor dates 1/3 cup, I like Sunsweet brand; you can find these in a grocery store by dried fruit, see note 2
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup miniature chocolate chips.
1/8 teaspoon salt optional

US - Metric

Instructions

Add cashews to a very high-powered food processor or blender (you’ll need a miniature blender; I use the “twister jar” and my Blendtec) and pulse until crumbly, but not powdered.
Add all the dates and pulse until the mixture begins to turn into a thick dough. Add vanilla (if desired, add the pinch of salt here too) and pulse again until combined into a very thick and smooth mixture. (Take time to thoroughly blend to avoid unpleasant sharp chunks of cashews.)
Remove from blender or food processor and transfer to a bowl. Allow dough to slightly cool—it usually heats up quite a bit from being blended. Once cooled, gently stir in the chocolate chips.
Tightly kneading the mixture, roll into small bite-sized pieces—I get about 10–12 balls from this mixture.

Video

Notes

Note 1: I highly recommend roasted and salted cashews in these balls. If using raw cashews, the energy bites are lacking in flavor.

Note 2: The dates should be soft (old and hard dates won’t blend correctly). If they aren’t soft, soak them in water for 30 minutes, then thoroughly dry.

Storage: Transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge. To freeze, space the No-Bake Energy Bites on a lined plate or tray in the freezer. Once firm (about 1–2 hours), transfer to an airtight bag or freezer container. They last up to 6 months in the freezer.

Nutrition