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These No-Bake Almond Joy Energy Balls are inspired by the ever popular Almond Joy chocolate bar but without all the gunk! They pack a serious nutrition punch and are also gluten-free, vegan AND paleo.

Almond joy energy balls stacked on a wooden platter. Cream towel with almonds scattered in the foreground.

I haven’t talked much about my pregnancy here on the blog (or elsewhere for that matter) but with just 6-8 weeks out we’re definitely in full-blown baby mode around here. We’ve got ALL.THE.CLASSES and appointments and I’ve been warned that baby will be here before we know it. Our journey to pregnancy wasn’t easy and definitely taught me that you cannot prepare for everything, but if there’s one thing I know I can prepare for it is food.

I’m well aware that once baby is here sleep goes out the window (TBH I’ve barely slept this pregnancy!) and you just have to learn to function on little sleep. While I’m not my best self when I’m sleep-deprived, I’m far worse when I’m sleep-deprived AND hungry. And so I’ve spent the last few weeks food prepping and filling a chest freezer I ordered from Costco with healthy meals and snacks. These almond joy energy balls are one of those recipes!

I’ve actually made a couple energy ball recipes because they’re a) super easy to make and b) an awesome snack at all hours of the day. So for those middle of the night feeds I can count on C to grab me a few of these to prevent hangry spells. Whether you’re pregnant, postpartum or just a busy human, I hope these almond joy energy balls bring you all the joy and nourishment you need.

Here’s What You Need

  • Dates – the base of this recipe! The dates add a delicious natural sweetness to the recipe and the stickiness holds the bars together. 
  • Almonds – can you have almond joy without almond? No! If you don’t love almonds you can swap for a different nut though. 
  • Unsweetened cocoa powder – adds a delicious chocolate flavor without adding sugar. 
  • Coconut flakes – I recommend using unsweetened coconut flakes so you don’t have a ton of added sugar. Shredded coconut works as well. 
  • Sea salt – to bring the flavors together
  • Vanilla extract – a flavor enhancer. You can also sub with almond extract if you prefer.
  • Almond milk – I recommend using unsweetened almond milk!

How to Make Almond Joy Energy Balls

STEP 1: Process the coconut flakes in a food processor for about one minute – you just want to break them up a bit. Make sure you don’t over-process or it will become coconut butter. Remove the flakes and set aside in a bowl.

Food processor with shredded coconut inside.

STEP 2: Place the dates in the food processor and process until they have broken up and come together in a big, sticky ball. 

Food processor with a date and nut mixture inside.

STEP 3: Break up the date ball a bit with your hands and then add in the almonds, cocoa powder, the coconut flakes you didn’t process and salt. Process for several minutes, scraping down the sides as needed. Add in the vanilla extract and almond milk and process until the mixture comes together in a ball. If it doesn’t do this, add in another tablespoon of almond milk. 

These No-Bake Almond Joy Energy Balls are inspired by the ever popular Almond Joy chocolate bar but without all the gunk! They pack a serious nutrition punch and are also gluten-free, vegan AND paleo.

 

 

STEP 5: Remove the mixture from the food processor and roll into roughly 2 dozen balls. Roll each ball in the coconut flakes you processed earlier.

Almond joy energy balls sitting in a bowl of shredded coconut.

STEP 6 (Optional): place balls on a baking sheet and flash freeze in freezer for 15-20 minutes. This ensures the balls won’t stick together when you place them in your container.

Almond joy energy balls lined on a baking sheet.

What if my energy ball isn’t sticking together?

This likely means that your dates weren’t sticky enough! If you notice this before you start the recipe, you can soak the dates in hot water for 20 minutes to rehydrate them. If you notice this while mixing the energy balls, don’t stress! Add in 1 tablespoon of almond milk at a time during processing until the mixture comes together. 

How to Store Energy Balls

Store your energy balls in an airtight container in the refrigerator for several weeks. You can also freeze for longer storage if you’d like! Just take them out of the freezer 10-15 minutes before eating.

Print

Almond Joy Energy Balls

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3.8 from 4 reviews

These No-Bake Almond Joy Energy Balls are inspired by the ever popular Almond Joy chocolate bar but without all the gunk! They pack a serious nutrition punch and are also gluten-free, vegan AND paleo.

  • Author: Davida Lederle
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Total Time: 10 minutes
  • Yield: 2 dozen balls 1x
  • Category: Snack
  • Method: Blend
  • Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

Scale

Instructions

  1. Put 1/2 cup of coconut flakes into the food processor and process to break up flakes slightly. Do not over-process or it will become coconut butter.
  2. Remove flakes and set aside in a bowl.
  3. Place dates in the food processor and process until they have broken up and then come together into a ball.
  4. Break up date ball with hands and add in almonds, cocoa powder, 1/4 cup of coconut flakes and sea salt.
  5. Process for several minutes, scrapping down the sides as needed.
  6. Add in vanilla extract and 1 tbsp of almond milk.
  7. Process until mixture comes back together into a ball. If it doesn’t do this, add in 1 more tablespoon of almond milk. It should look like the photo above.
  8. Remove mixture from the food processor and roll into roughly 2 dozen balls.
  9. Roll each ball in the coconut flakes you processed earlier.
  10. Optional: place balls on a baking sheet and flash freeze in freezer for 15-20 minutes. This ensures the balls won’t stick together when you place them in your container.
  11. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for several weeks or the freezer for several months.

*If your dates aren’t sticky soak them in hot water for 20 minutes and then drain before using.

Angled shot of almond joy energy balls stacked on a wooden platter.

More energy ball recipes to try:

Meet the Maven

Hi! I'm Davida and welcome to my corner of the internet. I'm a wellness blogger, yoga teacher, certified herbalist, and green beauty lover.

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63 Comments

  1. Delicious & easy recipe especially with some cinnamon added.
    FYI, I try not to actual print recipes very often but your recipes are impossible to print because of the ads. I understand the importance of using ads. However, they cover up steps and therefore offering a print option is useless and frustrating. This has happened with all of the recipes of yours i’ve tried.

  2. Hubby and I love them as do a few of our friends that have tried them. I add more cocoa powder tho for a more chocolatey flavor. I like how we can pretty much eat as much as we want – they’re just dates! But our minds think it’s chocolate LOL! Great recipe!






  3. I have made these several times and they are delicious. Everyone loves them! Great for a meal, a snack, or dessert.






  4. Would love to try these as my Daughter needs more protein in her diet. But, alas she can’t have dried fruits as she has a fructose malabsorption.