If you are a fan of chocolate desserts, you will love these healthy hazelnut and cacao energy balls. Their complex flavor may remind you of chocolate brownies or cake; however, you will not experience the energy dip that comes about when eating a sugar-dense dessert.
These no-cook, gluten-free, vegan bars come together in less than 30 minutes. They can be stored in the refrigerator for a week and enjoyed as a snack or dessert.
Dates make a healthy sweetener
Dates offer a healthy alternative to processed white sugar to sweeten desserts, energy bars, etc. Dates have a much lower glycemic index compared to sugar. The Glycemic Index (GI) of a food measures how carbohydrates affect your blood sugar levels. Foods with high GI, such as white sugar, cause blood sugar to rise too quickly, accompanied by a quick crash. You feel tired after eating a sugar-dense dessert or drinking a sugar-laden soda.
In contrast, low-GI foods, such as dates, are digested slowly, releasing energy at a slower pace, which offers sustained energy over a long period. Moreover, while white sugar only sweetens, dates offer several health benefits as a bonus. In addition to being a good source of fiber, dates are also high in bone-protecting minerals such as calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and potassium. (Stay tuned for a longer blog post on the health benefits of dates).
Meal plan this healthy hazelnut & cacao energy balls for snack and dessert
These healthy hazelnut and cacao energy balls soothe a sweet tooth and truly live up to their name by providing energy. Commercially available energy bars and balls are often too high in processed sugar, which fails to offer long-term sustained energy. Here are some tips to meal plan this recipe:
- Put the ingredients on your grocery list.
- Make it on a weekend or whenever you have some extra 30 minutes. You can refrigerate these balls for a week. You can also make multiple batches and freeze them in one-week supply portions. Then take out one batch every week. You can freeze these healthy hazelnut & cacao energy balls for up to four weeks.
- I often eat two of these balls for breakfast if I am running short on time to make breakfast.
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Healthy Hazelnut & Cacao Energy Balls
Ingredients
- 1 cup quick-cooking oats
- 1/2 cup hazelnuts (can sub with equal amount almonds, lightly toasted or raw)
- 2 tbsp raw cacao powder (or sub with equal amount pure cocoa powder)
- 2 tbsp sun butter (can sub with equal amount almond butter)
- 3 medjool dates (seeded, or any other variety)
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tbsp unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1/8 tsp Pink Himalayan salt (preferably coarse crystals, optional)
Instructions
- Lightly toast, about 2-3 minutes, the hazelnuts over medium heat in an iron skillet. Alternatively, you can also toast hazelnuts in a toaster oven. Skip this step if using raw.
- Start by processing oats in a food processor. Add toasted hazelnuts and process till the mixture attains a coarse consistency.
- Add dates, sun butter, maple syrup, vanilla extract, cacao powder, and Pink Himalayan Salt, and unsweetened shredded coconut. Process till the mixture comes together and forms a ball.
- Take the mixture out in a plate and form into balls. Enjoy as a snack or dessert.
The beauty of TLC's recipes are that even when an ingredient is left out or subbed with the best available option, the result is still so filling and tasteful.
We subbed maple syrup with honey and the hazelnuts with almonds. It tasted awesome. The recipe was easy to follow and quick since its a no-bake. Thank you Garima!
Suma, Thanks so much for the kind remark and showing that being flexible is key to easy cooking!