These energy balls are a perfect healthy afternoon pick-me-up or an energizing pre-workout snack. Store them in the freezer until you need them. They are are guaranteed to satisfy your chocolate cravings without any added sugar.

Tip: If you have a small, wimpy food processor (like mine) you can soak your dates in water for a couple minutes to soften them first. You may also need to add some liquid when blending the walnuts and dates. You can add a 2-3 tbsp of warm water or almond milk to help out the food processor if it is struggling.  

Ingredients

• 2 cups medjool dates, pits removed, cut in half
• 1.5 cups walnuts
• 4 tbsp hemp seeds
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 cup cacao powder
• ½ cup unsweetened, shredded coconut 

Instructions

1. Place 1 cup of the walnuts in a food processor and chop into small pieces. Add dates and blend (add little bit of water or almond milk if your food processor is getting stuck).  
2. Scrape date and walnut mixture into a bowl. Add the rest of the walnuts (break them into smaller pieces with your hands first), hemp seeds, vanilla and cinnamon and mix well. Don’t worry if there are still some chunks of date, it just adds more texture.
3. Stir in cocoa powder.
4. Place mixture in the freezer for 30 minutes.
5. Removed from freezer. Spoon the mixture into balls and roll in shredded coconut.
6. Store in the freezer in an airtight container.

Recipe inspired by mtlveg’s raw vegan chocolate balls – http://mtlveg.com/2015/02/20/raw-vegan-chocolate-balls/