These chocolate energy balls are the perfect snack to meal-prep for the week – they’re so easy to make and you only need 4 ingredients! They’re vegan, gluten-free, oil-free, refined sugar-free and nut-free too – OH, and they taste like decadent chocolate truffles!
So – What are Energy Balls? Energy balls are exactly what you think they are, they’re delicious balls of goodness that give you a boost of energy. They’re usually packed with healthy fats, carbohydrates and protein – a perfect balance of these three macronutrients that provide our bodies with the energy it needs to function optimally.
Not only are these chocolate energy balls good for you – but they’re also irresistibly rich and delicious. I like adding a little “spice” by adding a strawberry in the middle as a pleasant little surprise!
All You Need To Make Chocolate Energy Balls
Avocadoes – Yup. This might sound a bit strange to you, but it works like a dream! The avocado adds an incredible creaminess to the energy ball that resembles the texture of chocolate truffles! Make sure your avocadoes are ripe, you can even use avocadoes that are starting to go bad!
Dates – They add a natural sweetness to these truffles without adding any sugar or sweetener. I used soft dates, but if your dates are a bit harder you can soak them in boiling water to soften up.
Cacao Powder – You can also use cocoa powder, but Raw Cacao powder is packed with iron, magnesium and antioxidants and we all love those, right?
Protein Powder – If you don’t want to use protein powder you can replace it with more cacao. I use this Vegan Chocolate Protein Powder (you can use my discount code: KITS5 to save a little – this is not an affiliate link.)
Strawberries – These are optional, I like to wrap the truffle mixture around the strawberries for a little surprise! You can use another berry if you prefer, raspberries would be good!
Baker’s Tips:
- Make sure your avocados are nice and ripe – unripe avocadoes will leave a bitter taste.
- Remember to soak your dates before blending, as the softer they are the easier they will be to blend and your truffles will be nice and smooth!
- If your dates still have trouble blending after you’ve soaked them, you can add up to a tablespoon of water to help them reach a paste-like consistency.
- If you do decide to use protein powder, I recommend tasting the mixture before rolling them into balls. I know some vegan protein powders are a bit bitter – to counteract this bitterness simply add a pinch of salt! It’s magic, really!
- These truffles are not meant to be very sweet, but you can add some sweetener if you like.
How To Store Chocolate Energy Balls
These last up to 5 days in an airtight container in the fridge, but I’m sure they’ll be gone before then!
Here are some more high-protein recipes to try out:
BAKING IN GRAMS
All of the recipes I create are tried and tested a few
times until it has been perfected. My goal is to develop recipes that are
simple to make and easy to follow so that anyone can make them – even if you’ve
never baked before!One very important thing that will ensure that you get the best results is
to measure your ingredients by weight! I recommend purchasing a kitchen scale,
they are very affordable and it will honestly change your baking game for good!
Not all measuring cups are made equally – for example, a cup of flour to me
weighs 120g, but for you, it may be anywhere between 100g and 200g – that’s a
BIG difference!If you don’t have a kitchen scale yet, you can use this Ingredient Weight Chart as a guideline to convert the
ingredients to help you!Now – dust your apron off and get baking! X
Chocolate Energy Balls
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 Medium Avocados around 250g
- 100 g Soft Dates
- 50 g Cacao Powder + extra for dusting
- 60 g Vegan Protein Powder chocolate flavour preferably
- 12 Strawberries optional
- pinch of salt optional
Instructions
- Soak your dates in hot water for at least 30 minutes.
- Drain the dates and pat dry, add them to a blender or food processor and pulse until it turns into a paste-like consistency. (you can add in a tbsp of water if needed)
- Add in the avocado flesh and blend until smooth.
- Add in the cacao and protein powder and blend. Add a pinch of salt if you like.
- Roll into equal sized balls and place on a tray and refrigerate for around 30 minutes. Remove from the fridge and roll the truffles in cacao powder.Â
Want to add a strawberry in the middle?
- Follow steps 1 through 4 from above.
- Remove the stems from the strawberries.
- Take around 1.5 tbsp of the truffle batter and create a flat disk shape in your hand. Place a strawberry in the middle and gently roll the batter around it, forming a ball.
- Repeat until you have no batter left.Â
- Place on a tray and refrigerate for around 30 minutes. Remove from the fridge and roll the truffles in cacao powder.Â
Notes
- Make sure your avocados are nice and ripe - unripe avocadoes will leave a bitter taste.
- Remember to soak your dates before blending, as the softer they are the easier they will be to blend and your truffles will be nice and smooth!
- If your dates still have trouble blending after you've soaked them, you can add up to a tablespoon of water to help them reach a paste-like consistency.
- If you do decide to use protein powder, I recommend tasting the mixture before rolling them into balls. I know some vegan protein powders are a bit bitter - to counteract this bitterness simply add a pinch of salt! It’s magic, really!
- These truffles are not meant to be very sweet, but you can add some sweetener if you like.
