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5-Ingredient Cashew Energy Balls

Cashew energy balls are a sweet, nutty, kid-friendly snack. It’s a perfect naturally sweet treat, vegan, dairy-free, Whole30, Paleo, gluten-free, and only requires 5 ingredients.

Are you trying to add more homemade snacks to your meal plan? Are you often intimidated by long, complex recipes with ingredients that are hard to find?

Here is a straightforward recipe that you will want to try. These guilt-free cashew balls will be a great place to start when adding simple snacks to your recipe collection.

cashew energy balls

What’s one of the best parts about this recipe? There are only five ingredients!

Plus, you’ll be able to find them all right at your regular grocery store.

tower of energy balls

These are great energy balls to try if you’re trying to lose weight or just maintain a healthy diet. Each guilt-free cashew ball has only 58 calories.

You could easily enjoy them as a snack or a sweet little addition to any meal!

The cashew and date flavor pairs great with coffee or tea. They are also a tasty side to a lunch salad or cozy soup.

holding cashew energy bite

You will be able to put these energy balls together in no time at all. They require a simple list of ingredients and just a few short steps.

You definitely don’t need to be a master chef or baker to put these together.

Once you’ve tried these energy balls, then you can try some others. There are a lot of enjoyable and flavorful options out there.

close up of one cashew ball

Ingredients You’ll Need

 

Cashews – These nuts are a great source of healthy fats and protein. They are also a terrific source of magnesium.

Their softer texture will be hard to match with other nuts. Try not to substitute another nut for cashews in this recipe.

Soft dates – Dates provide the natural sweetness in this recipe. Dates are packed with health benefits, including being high in fiber and antioxidants.

Shredded coconut – Adding shredded coconut to energy balls is a great way to add tropical flavor and naturally add sweetness. You want to use unsweetened coconut like this to keep the sugar content at a low level for this recipe.

Vanilla extract – It adds delicious natural flavor without adding any artificial ingredients. You want to use pure vanilla extract, not imitation vanilla.

Sea salt – Believe it or not, sea salt is an essential ingredient while baking and making sweets. The salt elevates all of the other flavors in the energy balls.

ingredients in bowls

How to Make Cashew Energy Balls

First, collect and measure out all of your ingredients.

Place the cashews in a food processor and blend until they are crumbly.

cashews in food processor

Now, add all of the other ingredients. Pulse the food processer a few times so that everything is equally combined.

blended ingredients in food processor

Next, you’ll need to roll the mixture up into bite-sized balls. You can do this with your hands, or you can use a cookie scoop.

It’s handy to have some cooking oil or non-stick spray around, whether you are using your hands or a cookie scoop. You can spray your hands or the inside of the scoop to help the mixture from getting too sticky.

rolling ball of dough

After the balls are rolled, you will need to chill them before eating them. This step helps prevent the energy balls from crumbling when you try to eat them.

plate full of rolled cashew balls

Let the energy balls chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Then you can take them out and start enjoying these delicious little snacks!

bowl of cashew energy balls

Do Energy Balls Give You Energy?

Energy balls have their name for a reason, right? They are little bites made with whole, healthy ingredients that are meant to fuel your body.

Often times we need a little boost of energy during the day. Sometimes it’s in the morning to help get us started, and other times in the afternoon to push us through those last few hours of the workday.

Regardless, it’s necessary to have the right tools available to help you gain that energy. Sugary energy drinks and candy bars are not the answer.

It’s actually quite simple to choose a healthier option when you have recipes like this. You could make these one time per week and have a stock of energy bites for the next few days.

You can easily count on the ingredients as sources for the energy that you need.

many cashew balls stacked

Why are These Energy Balls Guilt-Free?

Imagine that you did only have candy bars and energy drinks available to help you regain that energy? You would likely feel a “crash” soon after and a sense of regret in your choice.

These energy balls are considered “guilt-free” because they will actually help you feel better! Not only will they help you restore your energy, but they will make you feel healthy and full – the right way.

The ingredient list is so small and uncomplicated. Plus, there are no “bad ingredients” listed.

There are no added sugars and only healthy fats. There are also no artificial ingredients.

Another plus is that each ball has less than 60 calories! So, you can easily enjoy a few and not feel guilty about it.

top view of cashew balls

How Long Do Energy Balls Last in the Fridge?

These energy balls will last up to two weeks in the fridge. But I doubt they will last that long!

You could also freeze the guilt-free cashew balls for up to 3 months.

For the balls to stay fresh, you have to keep a few things in mind. You will need to choose a good storage container.

Something like this would work really well. A flat container works best because you do not want to stack the balls on top of each other.

If you did this, the balls might stick together. Alternatively, you could place a piece of parchment paper between each layer if you have a deeper container.

cashew energy balls

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cashew energy balls
cashew energy balls

5-Ingredient Cashew Energy Balls

Cashew energy balls are sweet, nutty, kid-friendly, and yummy. They're vegan, dairy-free, Whole30, Paleo and made out of 5 ingredients. A great snack or dessert!
4.66 from 20 votes
Prep Time 25 minutes
Additional Time 30 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Course Recipes
Cuisine American
Servings 27 energy balls
Calories 58 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup raw cashews
  • 1 cup soft dates
  • ¾ cup unsweetened shredded coconut
  • ¼ tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/8 tsp sea salt

Instructions
 

  • Add cashews into the processor and pulse until they become flour-like.
  • Then, add in the rest of the ingredients and pulse until one smooth texture.
  • Roll the dough into small balls. Or use a cookie scoop to just scoop them out.
  • Store in a refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving.
RECIPE VIDEO

Nutrition

Serving: 1energy ballCalories: 58kcalCarbohydrates: 6.1gProtein: 1.2gFat: 3.7gSaturated Fat: 1.7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1.6gSodium: 12mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3.9g
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment below with your rating! I love the feedback and respond to every comment!
Recipe Rating




gretchen

Sunday 4th of February 2024

can you add hemp seeds to this?

Karo @ AllNutritious

Saturday 10th of February 2024

I think they would work well here and add even more nutritional value to the energy balls!

Kristin leGrand

Monday 23rd of October 2023

I thought no vanilla on whole 30 due to alcohol in vanilla then containing sugar-is there a vanilla with no alcohol

Karo @ AllNutritious

Wednesday 25th of October 2023

Hello Kristin, there has been a change to that: https://whole30.com/whole30-extracts/ Vanilla extract is Whole30-friendly.

Lyndi Kay

Friday 4th of August 2023

Could you spread them into a pan and cut them into bars……would they hold up?

Karo @ AllNutritious

Monday 7th of August 2023

Hey, I don't think they would :)

Andrea

Sunday 10th of April 2022

Delicious and so easy to make. I added some cocoa nibs for crunch. I only got 15 balls and did them as small as I could without being the size of green peas. But it’s fine. I have 3 for each day of the week to go alongside an apple!

Karo @ AllNutritious

Wednesday 13th of April 2022

Nice suggestions! Thank you :)