balls/bites Featured gluten-free paleo snacks vegan

Almond Joy Energy Balls

November 4, 2021

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

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.

Keywords: almond joy, almond joy balls, energy balls, almond joy energy balls

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

More energy ball recipes to try:

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  • Reply
    Cheers to Health & Happiness
    February 4, 2018 at 4:32 pm

    These are so good! Very simple to make & exactly what I hoped for; absolutely decadent. All of the energy, none of the regret. Making Blueberry Muffin Balls next. Thank you for posting this recipe & excellent job on the precise how-to video!⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

  • Reply
    Heidi
    January 22, 2018 at 11:22 am

    Amazing!! Really these give me the chocolate coconut fix i need as well as nutrition. I made this just as instructed but also made it with adding about 1/2 cup ground flaxseed and another tbsp of unsweetened vanilla just for a lil more nutritional benefit. Thank you for the recipe!
    H

  • Reply
    Anaya
    January 21, 2018 at 10:02 am

    I just made these and they are fantastic. All I had were roasted salted almonds so I dropped the salt and they taste great. For those who had issues with grinding the whole almonds, what I did was grind them in my coffee grinder and then added tot the date mixture in the food processor. I hope that tip helps.

  • Reply
    Julie
    December 23, 2017 at 12:19 pm

    Finally had a chance to make these last night. Absolutely wonderful! Thing is, I think I burned out the motor on my food processor. I kept smelling smoke and then finally I noticed a few little wisps coming up. I have a Cuisinart pro classic, which, despite its name, clearly can’t handle a recipe like this. So, I’m wondering if anyone can recommend reasonably priced food processors that can handle chopping sticky dates and lots of nuts etc. Thanks so much.

  • Reply
    Rebecca
    June 23, 2017 at 6:13 am

    Hi there i’m gonna be doing these later but i need to ask a couple of questions. Is it ok to use regular milk instead of almond? is it ok to use dessicated coconut instead of coconut flakes? And about the almonds should they be blanched,roasted or raw? and should they be ground or crushed? Thanks =)

  • Reply
    Coco
    June 14, 2017 at 5:53 pm

    These sound absolutely amazing. Would love to make them for a post breakfast/lunch snack. What is the calorie breakdown for these though? How many calories would one be? #CalorieCounter

  • Reply
    Jamie Liverseidge
    May 18, 2017 at 5:20 pm

    Wow, I just made these and they barely made it on the pan to go into the fridge!! So delicious!! Trying my best to eat healthy, but my sweet cravings are out of this world and this hits the spot without the guilt! 🙂 I attempted to use my blender instead of a food processor and I do regret it, figured the 3hp would be enough but the blades totally gummed up and stopped moving! Next time I’m going to try to add some flax seed and hemp seed to add to t the health factor. Thanks so much for the recipe!!:)

    • Reply
      Davida @ The Healthy Maven
      May 23, 2017 at 6:07 pm

      Of course! So happy you enjoyed!

  • Reply
    Albert Trotter
    March 16, 2017 at 1:39 pm

    nice one…looks delicious

  • Reply
    Katie
    January 14, 2017 at 4:31 pm

    I am not a cook, nor a baker….so these no bake balls are right up my alley. I have made them twice and both times they are gone within a day! My 18 month old keeps BEGGING for more…before he has even had a chance to swallow. My 8 year old and 6 year old think its pretty cool that there are dates in them and that it still doesnt taste disguisting. This is one of the few recipes that actually tastes EXACTLY as described…..just like almond joys! Thank you for sharing this gem and not keeping it a family secret. I will have to check out more of your stuff!

    • Reply
      Davida @ The Healthy Maven
      January 16, 2017 at 11:04 pm

      So happy to hear you enjoyed! One of my favorite recipes on the blog!

  • Reply
    Elinore
    September 28, 2016 at 11:25 am

    Wow! Just made these and they are AMAZING!!!!! I have a new favorite sweet treat. Husband and kid agree. Thank you!

    • Reply
      Davida @ The Healthy Maven
      October 1, 2016 at 5:58 pm

      So happy to hear you enjoyed!

  • Reply
    Sarah
    September 7, 2016 at 9:37 pm

    Could you use anything in place of a food processor? A nutri bullet or something like that?

    • Reply
      Davida @ The Healthy Maven
      September 9, 2016 at 10:35 am

      I wouldn’t recommend it with a nutri bullet. Unless you have a high-speed blender like a vitamix, I wouldn’t risk breaking your equipment!

  • Reply
    Sam
    June 15, 2016 at 4:27 pm

    I made this with cocao instead of cocoa powder. Not sure if that caused taste to be off? What are your takes on this?

    • Reply
      Davida @ The Healthy Maven
      June 17, 2016 at 1:38 pm

      It could very well have been the cacao but also check the expiration on your almonds as sometimes rancid almonds can really affect the taste. Do you store them in the fridge?

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