Date energy balls are an easy to make, no-bake recipe perfect for breakfast or a quick snack! They are made using medjool dates which add natural sweetness to every bite. Best of all, this recipe only takes 20 minutes to make start to finish!
This post was originally published on September 14, 2020. It was republished and updated with a new recipe and photos on December 18, 2025.
These tasty bites use basic pantry ingredients that all get blended together in a food processor, creating a compact treat your taste buds will love! These are the perfect things to reach for when you're feeling low on energy and need a little pick-me-up! Personally, I enjoy eating them for a quick breakfast alongside a steaming mug of coffee.
I'm honestly not always the biggest fan of breakfast food, but I've really grown to like oatmeal over the last few years and find it to be such a versatile ingredient! If you're also fan of oatmeal for breakfast, make sure to try my PB &J overnight oats, peanut butter apple oatmeal or my vegan banana oat muffins!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It's simple and easy! There is no cooking, baking or bowl required! All you need is a food processor and your hands.
- Since this is hands-on recipe it's a fun one to make with kids! They can help dump the ingredients into the food processor and form the mixture into bite-sized pieces.
Ingredient Notes
- Medjool dates - dates are naturally sweet and full of caramel-like flavor. The first time I had a date I was shocked at how delicious it was on its own! You will need 10 pitted medjool dates for this recipe.
- Vanilla extract - enhances the flavor of the energy bites and helps develop a caramel-like favor.
- Rolled oats - make sure to look for old fashioned oats or rolled oats in the recipe. The oats add a chewy texture to each bite.
- Flakey sea salt - this is totally optional but it really adds a delicious finishing touch! The salty-sweet favor is incredible.
Substitutions and Variations
- Protein powder - add in a scoop of your favorite protein powder. I would recommend a vanilla flavor for this recipe!
- Nut butter - add in 2 tablespoons of peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter or your favorite!
- Maple extract - swap in maple extract for the vanilla extract for a fun flavor variation
- Gluten-free - make sure to use certified gluten-freeoats.
- Walnuts - add in ¼ cup of chopped walnuts.
- Chocolate chips - add in ¼ of mini chocolate chips.
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1: Soak the dates in a bowl of warm water for 5 minutes (optional). Drain water.
Step 2: Add all of the ingredients to a food processor.
Step 3: Process until the dates are broken down. The mixture will look dry, but you should it should stick together when you pinch it.
Step 4: Form the balls and top them with flakey salt.
Hint: if the oat mixture still seems to dry, slowly add in water, one teaspoon at a time until it becomes the right texture.
Emily's Top Tips
"When shaping the date bites, make sure to squeeze the mixture together in your hands so it is compact. This will make it easier to roll them into a ball shape. Another quick tip is to make a double-batch and freeze half of them for later!"
Frequently Asked Questions
I recommend storing them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. They may be stored at room temperature as well for up to 3 days.
Yes you can freeze energy balls for up to 3 months. I found this to be a great way to pack them for lunch or an afternoon snack as they will be thawed out by the time you eat them.
You may need to add more water to the mixture and process them again until it is sticky. Alternatively, if the mixture has become too wet, it will not form a ball shape. If the mixture is too wet, add more oats until the desired consistency is reached.
Date Energy Balls with Oats
Equipment
- Food Processor or blender
Ingredients
- 10 medjool dates pitted
- 1 ½ cups rolled oats (Old Fashioned Oatmeal)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons ground flax seed
- ½ cup unsweetened coconut flakes
- ¼ cup of water (plus more if you're soaking the dates)
Instructions
- Remove the pit from the dates. If the dates feel dry, soak them in a bowl of warm water for 5-10 minutes. Drain the water.
- Add the pitted dates, oats, vanilla extract, salt, cinnamon, flax seed, unsweetened coconut flakes and ¼ cup of water to a food processor.
- Process until the dates have broken down and the mixture feels sticky to the touch. You should be able to "pinch" the mixture together so it forms a peak. If the mixture is too dry, add more water, 1 teaspoon at a time until the desired consistency is reached. If the mixture appears too wet, try adding more oats 1 tablespoon at a time until.
- Scoop about 2 tablespoons of the mixture into your hands. Squeeze it gently so it sticks together, then roll int into a ball shape. Repeat until you use up all of the mixture. (Approximately 12-14 balls).
- Sprinkle the energy balls with a pinch of flakey salt.
Gabby says
I was looking for healthy snacks for work and this was it!
As a full time employee and full time student I don't enjoy cooking or baking of any kind. I appreciated how simple and fast the energy bites were.
I chose to use a regular peanut butter and followed Emily's suggestion to leave out the agave. It worked perfectly! The energy bites were still sweet but not too sweet. I ate all 9 and then finished the box of dates before I could make another batch. I am looking forward to making another batch for work. (A word to the wise--definitely double batch.)
I'm thinking about trying the banana oat muffins next!
Emily Toshiko says
Gabby thank you so much for the kind review! I'm so glad you found these energy bites perfect for work. Double batch is definitely the way to go; they always disappear so fast!
Cathy says
Wow! I made these this afternoon and they are delicious! They are so easy to make and filled with nutritious ingredients; I honestly didn't think they would taste as good as they do! They definitely satisfied my sweet tooth.
Emily Toshiko says
The dates add so much flavor! I'm so happy you enjoyed them!