Simple and delicious Lemon, Cashew and Coconut Energy Balls make the perfect healthy snack! A blend of medjool dates, cashews, chia seeds and lemon zest for that beautiful aroma and flavour. Gluten free, dairy free and vegan friendly.
I make energy balls / bliss balls when I feel like being creative and having some fun in the kitchen…without having TOO much fun. There’s a bit of blending and a bit of rolling, but you haven’t committed yourself to an overly difficult talk and you can eat the results immediately. Know what I mean?
These little energy balls have the perfect balance of creaminess from the cashews, caramel sweetness from the dates and a distinctive zest from the fresh lemon. They are such a great little treat to have stashed away in the fridge or freezer. Perfect as a snack or even a dessert, they taste that good! I love keeping them in the freezer and eating them cold; they are a really nice texture frozen and I think it brings out the flavours really well.
What you need to make these energy balls
This is a classic bliss ball recipe, and it’s nice and simple too.
- Medjool dates
- Cashews
- Desiccated coconut
- Chia seeds
- Protein powder or quick oats
- Lemon
- Salt
- Vanilla extract
A little tip on using Medjool dates: if you’ve kept them in the fridge and they’re a bit hard, before using them in this recipe, spread them out on a tray and pop them into an oven at the lowest temperature (about 40 degrees) just for ten minutes. They will be so soft and easy to blend!
Are these made in a food processor?
Yes, this recipe does require a food processor to blend up the dates and cashews into a kind of paste, so that you can roll them together. You could also maybe get away with using a very large, powerful blender, though I find that food processors do a better job of combining the ingredients quickly and effectively.
I use a Magimix food processor; I’ve had it for years and I still love it!
If you need an energy ball recipe that doesn’t require a food processor, check out my No Food Processor Protein Balls.
Can I substitute any of the ingredients?
If you don’t have Medjool dates, you could use the equivalent weight (180 grams) of another variety of dates. Medjool dates are quite soft. If your alternative are firm, then I suggest soaking them in hot water and draining before using in this recipe so that they blend better with the cashews.
You could also use a mixture of nuts in this recipe if you prefer e.g. half cashews and half almonds, or half cashews and half pecans would both be pretty lovely.
However you make these energy balls, I hope you enjoy them (and seriously, try them in the freezer). If you make them, don’t forget to let me know – drop me a comment below or take a snap and tag me @moniquecormacknutrition on Instagram!
Lemon, Cashew and Coconut Energy Balls
Ingredients
- 180 grams Medjool dates (9-10 dates)
- 1 1/4 cups raw cashews
- 1/2 cup desiccated coconut
- 1/2 cup vanilla or unflavoured protein powder *or quick oats can be substituted
- 2 tbsp chia seeds
- 1 lemon
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
Instructions
- Place dates, cashews and coconut in a food processor. Pulse until the cashews have broken up quite a bit and are starting to make a crumbly paste with the dates and coconut.
- Add in the protein powder, chia seeds, salt, vanilla and the zest and juice of the lemon. Blend again until everything is well combined, sticking together and the cashews are now a fine crumb.
- Scatted the extra desiccated coconut over a tray. Scoop out heaped teaspoons of the mixture and roll into balls, dropping them into the desiccated coconut as you go to coat them.
- Place the balls in the fridge to firm up a bit after you’ve finished rolling them. Store them in the fridge for up to a week, or pop some in to the freezer for a much longer life; they’ll keep in there a few months. I quite like eating them right from the freezer!
I made these and they are too crumbly to make into balls. Ideas?
Hi Peggy, it might be the wet ingredient to dry ingredient ratio was slightly out – my guess is maybe the protein powder. Everyone measures slightly differently so perhaps it ended up just being a bit too dry. If you try them again, try adding 2 extra medjool dates and 2 tbsp of water to the mixture when you’re blending. If you still have the crumbly mixture, try processing it again with 2 tbsp honey + 2 tbsp water and see if it will roll (or you could press it into a baking tray and cut into bars). Hope this helps 🙂
do you use the whole lemon peel and all or just the white part of the zest?
Hi Hogie, I just use the whole lemon peel 🙂
What’s your favorite kind of protein powder? I’m allergic to peas, whey and brown rice syrup, so I’m trying to find a natural protein powder that doesn’t contain any of those…kind of impossible haha!
Hi Sarah! I usually alternate between a vegan protein (at the moment, Sunwarrior Warrior Blend) and an organic whey protein (at the moment I’m trialling a new small brand). Obviously both of those are probably not suitable for you given your allergies, you poor thing! I would suggest trying to track down a natural hemp protein powder; I have seen them on the market in relatively clean, additive-free varieties. You could also experiment with protein-rich pseudo cereals like quinoa, buckwheat or amaranth. Quinoa or buckwheat flakes could be blended in to these energy balls instead of protein powder 🙂
Ooh, love these type of date balls. Your addition of lemon sounds fabulous and not one I’ve tried. Guessing orange would be quite good too.
They’re so good aren’t they! Yes, I think orange would be delicious in these balls too! Perhaps with a tablespoon or two of cacao powder in there too as choc-orange always works so well. I love the lemon because it cuts through the sweetness of these just the right amount 🙂
Love when you can make awesome healthy treats at home with simple tasty ingredients.
I love it too Gloria! It’s so easy to make something like energy balls, and if you make them at home with healthy, whole food ingredients they can be so good for you. So much better than a chocolate bar at 3pm!
Wow! This combination of ingredients sounds amazing! Not to mention, they look awesome! I’m a huge fan of lemon…and coconut…oh, and cashew, so I would totally love these!! 🙂
Thanks so much Sherri! Yep, this is the perfect trifecta of ingredients 🙂 The lemon really lifts these up and stops them being too sweet!
I have made these soooo many times!!!
My 81 year old husband loves them!! He does not realize that he is eating a really “good for him” energy treat!!!
Aww Jane, thanks so much for stopping by to let me know this positive feedback! I’m so pleased you and your husband like them!! 🙂
Great flavors for one of our favorite treats! Thanks for doing this one.
Thanks so much guys! Energy balls are such a handy little treat to have around 🙂
I could seriously do with one of these right now! I’m just about to hit that mid-afternoon slump. Gorgeous flavours too! 😀
Thank you, Annie! Haha they are SO perfect for that time of the afternoon, aren’t they. The little lemon zing especially wakes you up!