Simple and delicious Lemon, Cashew and Coconut Energy Balls make the perfect healthy snack! A blend of medjool dates, cashews, chia seeds and lemon zest for that beautiful aroma and flavour. Gluten free, dairy free and vegan friendly.

I make energy balls / bliss balls when I feel like being creative and having some fun in the kitchen…without having TOO much fun. There’s a bit of blending and a bit of rolling, but you haven’t committed yourself to an overly difficult talk and you can eat the results immediately. Know what I mean?

These little energy balls have the perfect balance of creaminess from the cashews, caramel sweetness from the dates and a distinctive zest from the fresh lemon. They are such a great little treat to have stashed away in the fridge or freezer. Perfect as a snack or even a dessert, they taste that good! I love keeping them in the freezer and eating them cold; they are a really nice texture frozen and I think it brings out the flavours really well.

What you need to make these energy balls

This is a classic bliss ball recipe, and it’s nice and simple too.

• Medjool dates
• Cashews
• Desiccated coconut
• Chia seeds
• Protein powder or quick oats
• Lemon
• Salt
• Vanilla extract

A little tip on using Medjool dates: if you’ve kept them in the fridge and they’re a bit hard, before using them in this recipe, spread them out on a tray and pop them into an oven at the lowest temperature (about 40 degrees) just for ten minutes. They will be so soft and easy to blend!

Are these made in a food processor?

Yes, this recipe does require a food processor to blend up the dates and cashews into a kind of paste, so that you can roll them together. You could also maybe get away with using a very large, powerful blender, though I find that food processors do a better job of combining the ingredients quickly and effectively.

I use a Magimix food processor; I’ve had it for years and I still love it!

If you need an energy ball recipe that doesn’t require a food processor, check out my No Food Processor Protein Balls.

Can I substitute any of the ingredients?

If you don’t have Medjool dates, you could use the equivalent weight (180 grams) of another variety of dates. Medjool dates are quite soft. If your alternative are firm, then I suggest soaking them in hot water and draining before using in this recipe so that they blend better with the cashews.

You could also use a mixture of nuts in this recipe if you prefer e.g. half cashews and half almonds, or half cashews and half pecans would both be pretty lovely.

However you make these energy balls, I hope you enjoy them (and seriously, try them in the freezer). If you make them, don’t forget to let me know – drop me a comment below or take a snap and tag me @moniquecormacknutrition on Instagram!

Lemon, Cashew and Coconut Energy Balls

Simple and delicious Lemon, Cashew and Coconut Energy Balls make the perfect healthy snack! A blend of medjool dates, cashews, chia seeds and lemon zest for that beautiful aroma and flavour. Gluten free, dairy free and vegan friendly.

5 from 1 vote

Print
Pin
Rate

Course: Snacks and Bites

Cuisine: dairy free, gluten free, grain free, vegan

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 20 energy balls

Calories: 102kcal

Ingredients

• 180 grams Medjool dates (9-10 dates)
• 1 1/4 cups raw cashews
• 1/2 cup desiccated coconut
• 1/2 cup vanilla or unflavoured protein powder *or quick oats can be substituted
• 2 tbsp chia seeds
• 1 lemon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp vanilla extract (optional)

EXTRA

• 1/2 cup desiccated coconut, for rolling

Instructions

• Place dates, cashews and coconut in a food processor. Pulse until the cashews have broken up quite a bit and are starting to make a crumbly paste with the dates and coconut.
• Add in the protein powder, chia seeds, salt, vanilla and the zest and juice of the lemon. Blend again until everything is well combined, sticking together and the cashews are now a fine crumb.
  
• Scatted the extra desiccated coconut over a tray. Scoop out heaped teaspoons of the mixture and roll into balls, dropping them into the desiccated coconut as you go to coat them.
  
• Place the balls in the fridge to firm up a bit after you’ve finished rolling them. Store them in the fridge for up to a week, or pop some in to the freezer for a much longer life; they’ll keep in there a few months. I quite like eating them right from the freezer!
  

Notes

*I like to use a neutral flavoured protein powder in this recipe as it’s quite sweet and flavoursome already. My favourites are either a neutral brown rice or pea protein.

I’m so thrilled to see these energy balls featured over on the roundup 21 Paleo Bliss Balls by Paleo Grubs!

Have you made this recipe?I love seeing your creations! Take a photo and then tag me @nourish.everyday on Instagram!

Nutrition

Calories: 102kcal (5%) | Carbohydrates: 11g (4%) | Protein: 4g (8%) | Fat: 5g (8%) | Saturated Fat: 2g (13%) | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 6mg (2%) | Sodium: 67mg (3%) | Potassium: 151mg (4%) | Fiber: 2g (8%) | Sugar: 7g (8%) | Vitamin A: 15IU | Vitamin C: 3mg (4%) | Calcium: 32mg (3%) | Iron: 1mg (6%)