Fudgy, dark chocolate energy bites made with wholesome ingredients? Yes, please!
Ready your food processors, friends. Let’s make the tastiest snack on the block!
These energy bites are made with 6 simple ingredients in less than 30 minutes!
The base is my favorite natural sweetener: dates!
- I love dates because they’re nature’s caramel and boast minerals like zinc, potassium, magnesium, and iron!
- Walnuts come next, which add protein and are high in omega 3 fatty acids.
- Cacao powder adds rich chocolate flavor as well as phytonutrients, magnesium, and iron.
- Almond butter provides even more protein as well as vitamin E, manganese, and biotin.
- And hemp seeds add omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, iron, magnesium, and zinc. Plus, they’re a perfect protein, boasting 20 amino acids, including the 9 essential amino acids.
I think we can all agree that this is one healthy snack.
The texture of these bites is close to a truffle!
They’re so chocolaty and rich and moist. And when you roll them in cacao powder, they even get a little fudgy and sticky. I mean, this is a dreamy scenario.
I hope you all LOVE these energy bites! They’re:
Fudgy
Chocolaty
Rich
Perfectly sweet
Super healthy
Easy to make
& Kind of amazing
These bites would make the perfect snack or a healthier dessert. I love having two (or three) in the afternoon for a little energy boost alongside a cup of tea. They would also make a great topper for Overnight Oats, 5-Minute Smoothie Bowls, or Dark Chocolate Quinoa Breakfast Bowls!
For more energy bites, check out our Peanut Butter & Jelly Energy Bites, Mango Energy Bites, and 5-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cup Energy Bites!
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and tag a photo #minimalistbaker on Instagram. We love seeing your creations. Cheers, friends!
Dark Chocolate Hemp Energy Bites
Ingredients
- 1 cup packed pitted dates (medjool is best)
- 2 cups raw walnuts
- 6 Tbsp cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder (plus more for rolling)
- 3 Tbsp hemp seeds (plus more for rolling)
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 3 Tbsp creamy almond butter (or other nut or seed butter)
- 1 Tbsp melted coconut oil (optional // for extra fudgy texture)
Instructions
- Add dates to a food processor and pulse/mix until small bites remain or a ball forms. Scoop out and set aside.
- Add walnuts to the food processor and pulse into a fine meal. Then add cacao powder, hemp seeds and sea salt. Pulse a few more times to combine. (Don’t overmix or the walnuts will turn into butter.)
- Add the dates back in along with the almond butter and melted coconut oil (optional). Mix/pulse to combine. The result should be a moist dough-like mixture. If too wet, add a bit more cacao powder or hemp seeds.
- Refrigerate for 10 minutes. Then scoop out rounded Tablespoon amounts (I like this scoop) and carefully form into balls. The dough will be somewhat fragile, so use the warmth of your hands to gently form/roll them into balls. There should be about 20 energy bites total (amount as recipe is written – adjust if altering default number of servings).
- Roll in extra hemp seeds or cacao powder (optional). Note: The bites get a fudgy, sticky outer texture when rolled in cacao powder – which I liked. But for less sticky energy bites, stick with hemp seeds!
- Store leftovers in a well-sealed container in the refrigerator up to 1 week or in the freezer up to 1 month.
Video
Notes
*Recipe loosely adapted from my Peanut Butter Cup Energy Bites.
Norma Gable says
I thought I was going to be able to use my bra almond meal in this recipe?
Hi Norma, we’re not sure what you mean! Would you mind clarifying?
Jo says
Do I need to soak the dates?
Hi Jo, It’s not necessary unless your dates are especially dried out. Ideally they are moist and sticky! If soaking, drain well. Hope that helps!
Jo Brainard says
Thanks so much, I think my dates are dried out. Will check. Also I’m planning to replace walnuts with the almond pulp from the almond milk I made last night. Would 2 cups of almond pulp work?
Hi Jo, If you haven’t baked the almond pulp to turn it into almond flour, we would suggest using this recipe instead. Otherwise the bites may turn out too wet. Hope that helps!
Aya Hernandez says
i have made these multiple times and they never disappoint! not too sweet fudgy and delicious
Whoop! We’re so glad you enjoy the recipe, Aya. Thank you for sharing! xo
Torey G says
These are fantastic! Added an additional Tbls of coconut oil and my favorite protein powder and rolled in shredded coconut, hard to stop eating them!
Thank you, will be making again and again!
Woohoo! Thanks for the great review, Torey!
Asha says
Can I use a blender instead of a food processor?
Hi Asha, in our experience, blenders can struggle a bit with dates. Perhaps if you chop them up first and pulse, stopping a few times to stir, it could work. Hope that helps!
Nance says
These are a chocolate lovers dream come true!!! I am so happy to have found the perfect use for my abundance of almond pulp!
Thanks for the lovely review, Nance! So glad you enjoyed!
Marcus says
I’d like to see more diversity on your site. These Americans, they don’t understand that other cuisines exist. French, Italian, Chinese, Vietnamese, Filipino… so much out there and yet you guys continue giving us American food.
Hi Marcus, You can sort by cuisine using the filters on our recipe index.
Tiffany Casados says
Is there a good substitute for the walnuts? We have a tree nut allergy in the house. Thanks!
Hi Tiffany! Most other nuts would work well here, and other readers have also had success with using all hemp seeds, though we haven’t tried that ourselves. Hope this helps!
Lucinda says
For my second batch, I had run out of walnuts, so I used macadamia butter for the entire nut component… While macadamias are tree nuts – could peanut butter work in your household?
Stacy says
Super tasty!
Yay! Thanks, Stacy!
Saroja Bhatia says
These were amazing !!! So easy to make and a sure hit with everyone in the family
Replaced the hemp seeds with dry desiccated coconut and the used peanut butter instead ( turned out great )
Followed the rest of the recipe with the same ingredients and measurements
Thank you this is absolutely divine !!
Amazing! We’re so glad you and your family enjoyed them! Thank you for sharing, Saroja! xo
Deb says
I’m curious why you specify raw walnuts. I soak and dry walnuts and wonder why they wouldn’t work and be delicious in this recipe. Thank you!
Hi Deb! Those might work, but we’ve never tried it so couldn’t guarantee results. Raw walnuts have a nice neutral flavor, and they are quite tender and soft which is ideal for this recipe. Let us know how it goes if you try it with your dried walnuts!
Rochelle says
I cut the recipe in half, and otherwise followed all the directions, but these came out much too bitter with hardly any sweetness. I then added some more dates and that didn’t make enough of a difference, so I added several drops of stevia, but I still found this too bitter. This just wasn’t my taste.
Bummer! Sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy this recipe, Rochelle. Is it possible your almond butter or walnuts weren’t fresh? We find that sometimes our almond butter or nuts get old and lend a bitter/sour taste to recipes! We’d love to help trouble-shoot if you want to make it again!
Rochelle says
Thanks for responding. I used (unsweetened) peanut butter, which was kept in the fridge and I’d stored the walnuts in the freezer, so I don’t think that was the issue. I like dark chocolate, but only up to about 70%, so this was just too strong for me.
Raych says
Hi Rochelle, I’m wondering how much salt you used considering you halved the recipe? Salt neutralises bitterness :)
I haven’t made this recipe yet however I do love bitter flavours so I can’t wait to try it!
Melanie says
I had to make some modifications due to my little one’s allergies, so I used all hemp butter instead, and red palm oil instead of coconut oil. These things are DELICIOUS! I admit to sneaking a few at work. They are simply amazing. I also coated half in cinnamon/sugar and the other half in hemp seeds. They are both great!
Amazing! We’re so glad you’re enjoying them, Melanie! Thank you for sharing! xo
Laura says
These are so amazing! Could I sub in oat flour for the ground walnuts to make a lower fat/cheaper version? I eat them too regularly!
Hi Laura! We haven’t tried this with oats and we aren’t sure if it will hold up without nuts, but it might! We’d suggest trying it with just 1 cup walnuts and 1 cup oats, but let us know what you try!
Patricia Woods says
I have just made these. They are so easy to make and taste gorgeous. I rolled some in hemp hearts some in chia seeds and some in raspberry powder . Will definitely be making again soon .
Thanks for the recipe.
Raspberry powder?! YUM! We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Patricia! Thank you for sharing! xo
Sam says
These are amazing! I’ve made them several times and can’t live without them. I’ve added chia seeds for an extra crunch and roll them in shredded coconut.
Ooo – love the added crunch! Thanks for the great review, Sam! xo
Caitlin says
These are weekly staple at our house, so yummy! My 9 year old loves them too. But we live in Indonesia where hemp seeds are illegal! Can you suggest a replacement? Sesame seeds, maybe?
Hi Caitlin! We’re so happy you enjoy this recipe. We haven’t tried it but we would suggest ground flax or chia seeds to replace the hemp seeds IN the bites, and rolling them in either shredded coconut or sesame seeds! Let us know how it goes! xo
Natasha says
Looooved! So good! Reminds me of brownies! When I was a kid I’d take the center of my brownie and roll it into a ball lol. I am breastfeeding and wanted to add some rolled oats as they are good for your milk supply. I halved the recipe and then halved the walnuts again (1/2 cup), replacing the other half (1/2 cup) with rolled oats. I also added a tablespoon of maple syrup. These turned out sooo good! Will definitely be making these often. Thanks for the recipe!!
Aw, love that, Natasha! Thank you so much for sharing! xoxo
Elena says
Love – can’t believe how incredible the flavor is with how healthy they are. I somehow managed to make these with an immersion immersion blender and regular blender although wouldn’t recommend haha. First I turned dates into a paste with immersion blender and then in small blender mixed the rest of the ingredients then hand mixed it together.
This recipe alone is worth investing in a food processor haha.
Also I ran out of coconut oil so used butter and it worked.
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing, Elena! This is a favorite of ours, too!
Kavya says
Amazeballs. Seriously. This is a recipe that I keep coming back to time and time again. The recipe is very flexible in terms of nut type, nut butter, nearly everything except the dates can be substituted for whatever you have on hand.
Some variation’s I’ve tried are :
PB instead of almond butter
Almonds/Cashews instead of walnuts
MCT oil instead of coconut oil
> Date to nut ratio
Adding stevia in for extra sweetness
Rolling in coconut flakes
Wow, we LOVE these ideas! Thanks for sharing, Kavya!!
Cheyenne says
Hello,
I made the coconut milk and hoping to re-purpose the coconut pulp. It linked to this recipe but I don’t see any coconut pulp listed in the ingredients or notes. Do you know if there is a recommended amount of coconut pulp I should be adding or is it supposed to replace an existing ingredient?
Hi Cheyenne, we haven’t actually tried it, but we think it would work! We’d suggest using it in place of some of the walnuts. Let us know how it goes!
Gina Alfieri says
Love this recipe. So simple and delicious. We rolled half the batch in coconut and they’re delicious as well!
That sounds delicious! Thanks so much for sharing, Gina! xo
Michaela says
Hi. You say I can use raw almond pulp in this recipe. How? Instead of nuts, almond butter or you’d just add it in?
Can I replace the hemp seeds with anything? I’ve never had them, I don’t know the taste. Thank you
Hi Michaela, You can use it in place of some of the walnuts. And you can replace the hemp seeds with another seed such as ground flax or chia seeds. Let us know how it goes!
Michaela says
Hi. I did a half of the recipe, 10 balls. I used the pulp instead of all the walnuts and bought hemp seeds, used fewer dates, 75g instead of 100g and they are amazing. Taste like a dessert rather than a snack. I am very impressed. Thank you very much.
We’re so glad you enjoy them! Thanks for sharing, Michaela! xo
Iram says
Can I use hemp powder instead of hemp seeds? Also, can i substitute other nuts because my son is allergic to walnuts? Thanks.
Hi Iram, hemp protein might work, but we’d say start with less as the flavor is stronger. And yes, other nuts such as macadamia, hazelnuts, or pecans would work! Enjoy =)
Celine says
Thank you for sharing this recipe! These are DELICIOUS – so chocolaty and fudgy. I used macadamia oil because I had no coconut oil in the house and that also worked beautifully.
Great! Thanks for sharing, Celine!
Sofia Jesus says
Hi! I was going to do this recipe, but, I ran out of dates!!! How can I replace them???
Hi Sofia, perhaps another sticky dried fruit!
Mandy says
What’s the purpose of sea salt? Can I skip it or replace it with pink salt?
Sure! It just adds a little extra flavor.
Dee Hughes says
YUM! I used all hemp seeds as I didn’t have walnuts on hand. Also, rolled them in a mixture of hemp seeds, cocoa, and sea salt. I used THC infused coconut oil, so will only eat one at a time ;)
Lovely! Thanks for sharing, Dee! Great idea.
Meg says
So good! Followed the recipe to a T and they turned out great. My 4 and 6 year old love them and had fun making them. Thanks for the great recipe! A keeper
Amazing! Thanks so much for the lovely review, Meg! xo
Randie says
I love these but don’t like the taste of my own ground walnuts, so I bought the ready-made ground walnuts. How much do 2 cups of walnuts grind down to? Thanks
Hi Randie, we aren’t sure on an exact measurement. Perhaps 1 3/4 cups?
Unknown says
These look amazing! Could I not add the walnuts and get the same texture as I have allergies.
Thanks
I think so! I’d just do all hemp!
Sherri neil says
Now, I’m in trouble. I was just about to make another batch of these yummy bites, because my husband loves them, and I realized I have no dates. Yikes. Guess I will have to find another yummy recipe to replace them.
Ujaja Seh says
I made this today! Substitute for walnut for almond, almond butter to peanut butter, then I skipped hemp seed. Used what’s currently available and it works wonder!
We’re so glad it worked well! Thanks for sharing, Ujaja!
Claire says
My first recipe with a food processor was a success; thanks, Dana! These taste exactly like mini brownie bites; I omitted the coconut oil and rolled them in cacoa powder. It was a test of willpower not to just eat the entire batch with a spoon, haha. If I could give these 10 stars, I would!
Whoop! Thanks so much for the lovely review, Claire =) xo
Sherri neil says
Just made another batch of these addicting morsels and decided to spice it up a bit. Added some cayenne and yum. Thanks Dana once again for developing these recipes that let me have my sweets with a little less guilt. I would not be disappointed if you developed an app.
Aw, thanks for the lovely review, Sherri! We’re so glad you enjoy our recipes! xo
Angel says
OMG!!! These taste amazing and so simple to make. Definitely going to be making them again!! Even our kids ate them, finally something we all like. One is enough, but so hard to stop at just one!! Included the coconut oil and was perfectly fudgy! My daughter rolled them in fine coconut shreds, raw cacao and/or hemp hearts.
We’re so glad everyone enjoyed them! Thanks so much for sharing, Angel!
Yuki says
Amazing recipe, I love how customizable it is. If using roasted almonds I’ve found 1.5 cups to be a good amount, even less depending on stickiness of dates.
I’ve also tried adding leftover meal from the coconut cashew oat milk recipe. I reduced walnuts to 1.25 cups, subbed 1 tablespoons of nut butter with coconut butter and I got the fudgiest texture possible.
Kaleigh says
Very delicious recipe! I have made these multiple times. I use the pulse setting on my ninja blender as I don’t have a food processor and I find they turn out great every time.
Thanks for sharing, Kaleigh! We’re so glad you enjoy them!
Dawn DeSimone says
These are delicious and satisfying. I added instant coffee granules and my home made vanilla. So good! I like forward to making many meow of your recipes!
Tea says
Making this for the fifth time. Everyone in my family loves these and they ask for more. Absolutely delicious, easy and healthy. I always add coconut oil and I add bit more dates. Best recipe for date energy balls. Thank you!
Whoop! Thanks for sharing, Tea!
Donna says
Is there a substitution for the dates or a different recipes similar to this one? My husbands on a low Fodmap diet and dates are to be avoided sadly.
Hi Donna, we’re not sure of a low FODMAP substitution for the dates, other than maybe dried cranberries? We’re not sure if the amount needed would end up being high FODMAP. This recipe has a smaller amount of dates and might be a better fit for modifying: https://minimalistbaker.com/5-ingredient-protein-balls/
Ashley says
Everyone needs these in their life!!! These are fantastic and taste like a better Ferrero Rocher. For some texture, I didn’t process the walnuts into a meal, rather left them slightly crumbly. Thank you for the wonderful recipe!
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Ashley! xo
Zubeida Said says
Thanks for this great recipe! Easy to follow and cane out perfect! I didn’t have hemp seeds so I used flaxseeds instead! Made half a batch and regretting it now ? awesome recipe!
Emma says
One of my favorite 3 PM snack attack rescues! I definitelt suggest using the coconut oil- it helps keep the ingredients together and adds to the luxurious, fudgey feeling.
I ♥️ Your recipes!
Love that! Thanks for sharing, Emma!
Cassidy says
Made the recipe as is and they turned out super yummy! I ended up making about 18 of them, just a bit smaller than recommended. I do wish I had a food processor because my blender almost couldn’t handle the chunky-ness hah. Either way it all worked out. Thanks so much!
Jessica says
These are so delicious! I swapped 1 of the cups of walnuts for pecans out of necessity….still worked great. Thank you!
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Jessica. We are so glad you enjoyed them! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
Katia says
I have been looking for a healthy not too sweet chocolate snack and these are perfect! Just the right amount of sweetness. So easy to make! Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Kyra says
I made these for the first time yesterday and WOW WOW WOW!! So delcious! I added some mint extract to half of the ‘batter’ at the end, as I am a huge mint-chocolate lover – it was delicious! Thanks so much for another amazing recipe!
Vesna says
I forgot to give this 5 stars in my last comment.
So here it is — 5 stars. I’m adding this recipe to my repertoire of “balls” LOL (among them chocolate-covered PB energy balls as well as the carrot cake balls from your site). I love all the different flavours this type of snack/dessert can take.
Thanks for sharing, Vesna!
Vesna says
I made these and covered them in melted chocolate and rolled them in finely processed coconut shreds. I gave one to my son, and after taking just one bite, he immediately said, “I’m going to need another one.” Haha! These are the best kinds of desserts and snacks to make. They freeze well and are ready for when those snack attacks hit for active boys (and their mommas!) :D
Mehak says
So delicious and healthy!
Meg says
Could i use sesame instead of hemp?
Does it turn out well if i halve the recipe?
Well, I’m going to try both.
We think sesame would work! We aren’t sure whether there will be enough volume to process with a half batch. Let us know how it goes!
Shannon says
First time making energy bites and am so happy to have a nutritious, healthy (and yummy!) treat to pack for my hiking adventures. From freezer to pack, a winner! Thx!
Yay! So glad you enjoyed this recipe, Shannon! Thanks so much for the lovely review!
Lukrecija says
Amazing bites, will make them again!
Nathalia Linda says
Hello Dana, hello people!
Thank you for this recipe. Today is the second time I made it. Just like others, I also added a little more of certain things.
Extras:
1/2 cup of dates
1 tbps of hempseeds
1 tbsp of infused cannabis coconut oil(Super fudgy)
Also I rolled some in cacau powder, oats hempseeds, coconut, brown sugar and Cacau nibs so they all look different.
I loved it. Thanks again.
Thanks for sharing, Nathalia! We’re so glad you enjoyed it!
Emily says
Delicious and so easy!! Key is to soak the dates in water that has just boiled so that it’s super easy to blend up. I doubled the salt amount and rolled them in hemp seeds. I also added 1/2 Tablespoon of coconut oil which did help keep them sticking together better. Perfection, and my 8-year-old and 5-year-olds loved forming the bites and rolling them in hemp seeds. Will be making these as a staple treat and storing in the freezer!!
We’re so glad you and your kiddos enjoyed them! Thanks for sharing!
S says
Love this recipe! I only have a blender, but everything worked perfectly. Just made sure to not to pulse the mixtures too much since it would be easier to overwork in a blender. These are a weekly staple for me now!
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing!
LLuna says
I doubled the recipe for my first time making these, they turned out AMAZING! I ended up with enough to share at my workplace and friends that appreciate eating healthy! Easy recipe with ingredients I had available, and the best: no baking needed. THANK YOU for sharing this!
Yay! Thanks, Lluna!
DA says
This is a great snack option! I substituted 1 cup dried figs (soaked in warm water, then drained) and 6 Tbsp mini dark chocolate chips for the dates and cacao powder. They still turned out great! Thanks for the easy recipe!
So glad to hear it! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Zoe Francis says
Everyone needs to make these, they are SUPER SUPER nice!! Will always be making these from now on.
Thanks, Zoe!!
M says
Made these today with a hazelnut spread instead of almond butter. They’re delicious! I rolled some in unsweetened, dried coconut, but haven’t tasted those yet. My partner and toddler also enjoyed!
Thanks so much for the lovely review! So glad you all enjoyed them! xo
kurt wainwright says
Hi
I just made these unfortunately the mixture came out like crumbs.
Any suggestions on what went wrong?
But taste wise its lovely
Thank you.
Hi Kurt! Sorry to hear this recipe didn’t work so well for you, did you happen to make any modifications to the ingredients? Depending on the freshness and variety of your dates, that might be part of why the mixture wasn’t wet enough.
Daria Kallal says
Hi, Dana!
I love your recipes and enthusiasm for innovation with good food!
I made this recipe and it was fa-buh-lous! FIVE STARS!
I swapped out the 2 cups raw walnuts for 2 cups of Brazil nuts (it’s what I randomly had on hand) and it was a delicious and comparable substitution.
This recipe was quick, easy, nutritious, and fun! (I especially enjoyed hand rolling the optional cacao powder and hemp seed dusting finale! The fudgey result was incredible!)
Thank you for always bringing healthy, delicious recipes and ideas to our home!
Cheers!
Daria
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Daria! We are so glad you enjoyed this recipe! xo
Lenore Bonk says
I love making these! Sometimes I add a little bit of protein powder, they still stick together great as long as you use the melted coconut oil.
Yay! So glad you enjoy them, Lenore! Thanks for sharing! xo
fenice says
These are so simple to make and delicious — the flavour is so much more than the sum of its parts! They’re also a great snack for my Type I diabetic husband. The bites give him a little boost without skyrocketing his blood sugar and he’s thrilled that “I get to eat chocolate!”
So glad you enjoy this recipe! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Sharon says
What’s a good substitute for dates? They aren’t easily accessible where I’m from, sadly, and I find it so frustrating that most of these recipes require them :(
Hi Sharon, If you’re looking for a date-free ball, try these PB & J energy bites! https://minimalistbaker.com/no-bake-pb-j-energy-bites/
Ginny says
OMG THESE ARE SO GOOOOOOD!! I’m a chocolaholic and these are just AMAZING! I didn’t have hempseeds so I used chiaseeds, works just as well! Again, a great recipe!!
Mary says
I have anxiety if I don’t have these made in my house at all times. I have easily made these 100 times. They’re great every time.
xoxo!
Sarah says
I made this recipe and liked it so much I immediately made a second batch to share with friends! I swapped walnuts for pecans, as I had some in the pantry, already ground. The second time around I cut the cocoa powder to 1/4 cup (as I found that the first batch was a touch too bitter) and replaced my missing 2 tbsp of dry ingredients with some supplementary fiber (metamucil, no flavor), as well as an extra tbsp of hemp seeds as my mixture was a bit wet. The second batch yeilded 24 bites, all of which I rolled in hemp seeds. Next time, I may add more fiber and play around with the wet ingridients – I would like 1 serving of 3 bites to have 10-12g of fiber. That way one healthy snack would pack half of my fiber intake for the day! It’s simply delicious and easy to modify! This recipe is a keeper.
So great! Thanks for sharing, Sarah xoxo
Lyndsey says
I made these as a snack and they were easy to make and so delicious! Also very healthy! These will be a go to from now on! Thanks :)
xoxo!
M says
Rich, chocolate-y, fudge-y goodness — these are amazing AND they’re healthy. I added some cacao nibs and rolled 1/3 in cacao, 1/3 in hemp seeds, and left a 1/3 unrolled. Perfect snack or dessert when you’re craving some guilt-free sweetness. If you’re considering making them, just do it. You won’t be disappointed.
Thanks for sharing! So glad you enjoyed them!
Louise says
Ooooh, so delicious. I didn’t have walnuts, so first time making I used almonds and about to use pecans. So quick and easy. I love your site, and your acceptance of all eaters!! Food freedom and non judgmental attitudes are nice to come across. Thanks.