Looking for a nutrient-dense snack? These delicious date protein balls give you lots of protein and fiber, and are lightly sweet with hints of chocolate, coconut, and date. Whip these up in your food processor in a flash!
Looking for more healthy snacks? Try these vegan protein balls and coconut protein balls.
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Ingredients
Curious what you need to make these date coconut protein balls? Here's a look at the key ingredients.
- Dates: Make sure to use medjool dates rather than deglet noor dates, as they have a slightly different flavor and are more sticky. Whitish patches on the dates don't mean that they have gone bad; it means that the sugars in the dates have crystallized. Soak the dates in hot water for 10 minutes before using.
- Nuts: You can use almost any unsalted nut in protein balls, but we chose to use almonds here. Feel free to substitute with walnuts, peanuts, or pecans.
- Seeds: We chose to use flaxseed and chia seeds, but feel free to swap these out for your favorite seeds instead.
- Protein Powder: We used vegan protein powder made from peas and quinoa, plus some cocoa powder for color and flavor. Feel free to use your favorite protein powder here.
- Binders: While the dates are the key binding agent holding these balls together, a lot of times the mixture will be dry and need additional help. Adding a couple tablespoons of water to moisten the mixture and ¼ cup of honey to sweeten it will help bind everything together.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations
- Vegan: swap the honey for agave nectar or date syrup.
- Nut Free: simply leave out the almonds.
- Extra Chocolate: use chocolate protein powder and add mini chocolate chips to the dough.
How to Make
Gather the ingredients for the date coconut protein balls.
- Pulse the almonds and the protein powder in a food processor until the nuts are finely chopped.
- Pulse the dates until they clump together.
3. Add the remaining ingredients, including ½ cup of the coconut flakes.
4. Pulse until well combined.
5. Add the almond mixture, the honey, and some water if needed. Blend the ingredients together until they form a dough that can hold its shape when rolled into a ball.
6. Roll the mixture into 24 balls, each weighing about 30 grams.
7. Roll each ball in coconut flakes. You may have a little coconut flakes left over.
8. Enjoy this healthy snack!
Recipe FAQs
Yes, they are! This snack is full of nutrients, and is high in fiber and protein to boost energy and aid in muscle growth. Plus, they are often made with superfoods like chia seeds, and usually are lower in sugar than other desserts. They're a great choice as a snack or post-workout food.
Each ball (30g) contains 121 calories, 4.6g fat, 18.2g carbs, and 3.3g protein. For the full nutrition facts, please scroll to the bottom of the recipe card.
Yes, they are a good healthy snack for those watching their calories. Since these are a nutrient dense, high calorie food, it's recommended to only have one or two balls a day if you're watching what you eat.
These date coconut balls, like most others, don't need to be refrigerated. However, if you feel that they would keep better that way, you can store them in the fridge.
Serve
If you're looking for other bite-sized desserts, make sure to try our recipes for chocolate chip cookies, coconut protein balls, vegan protein balls, and vegan granola bars.
Store
Storage: Seal the date coconut balls inside of a zip-top bag or airtight container to prevent them from absorbing odors from other foods. Keep them on the counter if you live in a cool climate, or in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Freezing: Freeze them for up to 6 months. Defrost individual balls by letting them sit at room temperature for at least 20 minutes before enjoying.
Expert Tips
- Are the dates dried out or crystallized? Soak them in hot water for 10 minutes before using.
- Make sure the protein powder doesn't have a strong flavor or aftertaste.
- Depending upon how sticky your dates are, you may have to add water and/or honey to get the mixture to be rollable.
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Recipe
Date Coconut Protein Balls
Ingredients
- 1 cup almonds
- ⅓ cup protein powder
- 2 cups medjool dates, pitted (12 ounces)
- 1 cup coconut flakes
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup honey, or agave nectar for vegans
- 2-4 tablespoons water
Instructions
- Pulse the almonds and protein powder in a food processor until the almonds are in small pieces.
- Add the whole pitted dates to the processor and pulse until the mixture is chopped and comes together.
- Add ½ cup of coconut flakes, the cocoa powder, flaxseed, chia seeds, vanilla, salt, and honey, then pulse until blended. If the mixture is too dry to roll into balls, add some of the water, pulsing until the mixture comes together into a dough.
- Roll the dough into 2 tablespoon-sized balls, each weighing approximately 30g. Then, roll each ball in the remaining coconut flakes.
- These balls will keep at room temperature or in the fridge for up to 2 weeks if they are stored in an airtight container. They can freeze for up to 6 months.
Notes
- Are the dates dried out or crystallized? Soak them in hot water for 10 minutes before using.
- Make sure the protein powder doesn't have a strong flavor or aftertaste.
- Depending upon how sticky your dates are, you may have to add the water and/or extra honey.
Nutrition
Serving sizes and nutritional information are only an estimate and may vary from your results.
Vicki
These balls are the bomb!!! Soft, flavorful, coconutty and delicious!! Shared with my Mom and daughter and they are requesting more!! 5 stars!!
Emma
That's amazing to hear, Vicki! We're thrilled that these energy bites are such a hit with your family!
Alex
The protein ball is soft and easy to bite into with a little but of crunch from the chia seeds. I love the flavor of coconut in these balls! The occasional crunch of almond is yummy.
Emma
Thank you, Alex!
Beth
The dates and chocolate blend together nicely. I enjoy the coconut flakes on the outside. These energy balls are yummy and fruity, good for snacking when one needs a burst of energy. They're great for keeping in the freezer to pull out whenever one needs them.
Emma
I'm glad you enjoyed these so much.