These no-bake Chocolate Coconut Date Balls are a decadent, nutritious dessert or snack! They’re gluten-free and have no refined sugar, yet they’re subtly sweet with great texture.
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I have a weakness for chocolate, and when it’s combined with coconut, I’m downright unable to resist!
These chocolate coconut date balls remind me of an almond Joy, my all-time favorite candy bar growing up! They’re a cross between a cookie and a chocolate truffle, only more accessible to make, lower in calories, and full of nutrient-rich ingredients. They are a simple plant-based dessert that is as easy as it gets!
I made these for my kiddos and me as a late afternoon snack to provide healthy sustenance before dinner. For me, they make a perfect energy boost after a challenging workout. For the kids, they’re a nutrient-rich snack disguised as a cookie.
These chocolate coconut balls can be covered in coconut or cocoa powder. They look like chocolate truffles and make a great holiday gift, too!
💗 Why You’ll Love Chocolate Coconut Date Balls
- No bake treat
- Naturally sweetened
- Rich and Chocolatey
- Simple ingredients
- Quick and easy to make
- Satisfy your sweet tooth
- An easy-on-the-go vegan snack recipe
- High in nutrients
- Protein-rich
🥣 Ingredients and Notes
Almond Flour: Be sure to use blanched almond flour, not almond meal.
Cocoa Powder: If you like more chocolate flavor, add an additional tablespoon or two!
Coconut Shreds: To reduce the overall sugar and keep these treats refined sugar-free, use organic unsweetened coconut flakes. You’ll use the coconut in the balls and need a little extra to roll them around to create the outer decoration.
Pitted Medjool Dates: This is the added sweetener and binder for these balls.
Vanilla Extract: Brings out the chocolate flavor.
Vegan Chocolate Chips: You can find dairy-free chocolate chips in most grocery stores. I prefer the brand Enjoy Life.
Maple Syrup: You only need to add maple syrup if your dough won’t stick together and needs more moisture.
🔪 Tools and Equipment You’ll Need
👩🏻🍳 How to Make Chocolate Coconut Date Balls
- Soak the pitted dates in water for about 15 minutes. Soaking the dates softens them and makes it easier to combine when added to the food processor.
- Add the pitted dates to your food processor. Process until they become crumbly.
- Add almond flour, coconut, cocoa, chocolate chips, and vanilla. Process until combined. A crumbly mixture will result.
- If the mixture needs more moisture, add one tablespoon of maple syrup.
- Using a tablespoon of cookie scoop, scoop dough and press firmly into the scoop before releasing it into your hand. Roll dough into a ball. Roll the ball into the bowl of coconut, coating evenly. Repeat until all dough has been used. You should have between 16 and 18 balls.
📝 Expert Tips
- The dates will likely be dry. To plump them up before using, allow them to sit in a bowl of warm water for 15 minutes. Drain, and then add them to the food processor.
- Be sure to process the dates first before adding the other ingredients. The dates are coarse and need more time to process. This will help the other ingredients combine more evenly.
- The dough will be crumbly. It will form a ball when firmly pressed together. Add one tablespoon of maple syrup if the balls do not form because the dough is too dry.
- If you prefer not to use maple syrup as an extra binder, add 1-2 tablespoons of almond butter or water.
- It is not necessary to chill the balls before serving. However, they will firm up as they chill.
❓ FAQS
Each ball contains 6 grams of natural sugars. There is no refined sugar at all! Dates are naturally sweet. These balls contain healthy fats! The fat comes from the almonds, coconut, and cocoa. Coconut contains MCTs a type of fat that provides energy. The combination of natural sugars, healthy fats, protein, and carbohydrates make these the perfect snack for an energy boost post-workout or a mid-afternoon snack!
If the batter is too dry, add water or maple syrup until the dough comes together.
📖 Variations and Substitutions
Need More Moisture: I used an extra tablespoon of maple syrup to add more moisture to these balls. If you’d rather avoid added sugar, add almond butter, coconut oil, or even water.
No Almond Flour: If you don’t have blanched almond flour, use 1 cup of raw almonds. You must process the almonds in the food processor before adding them back to the food processor with the other ingredients.
I recommend putting the almonds in the food processor before the dates. Then, transfer the processed almonds to a bowl. Next, process the dates, then add the crushed almonds back to the food processor with the other ingredients.
🫙 Storage
Fridge: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Freezer: If you’d like to freeze these energy balls, wrap them in plastic wrap and store them in a freezer-safe bag.
Defrost: When ready to eat, allow the balls to defrost at room temperature.
🎥 Video
😋 More No-Bake Desserts!
Recipe
Chocolate Coconut Date Balls
Equipment
Ingredients
- 15 pitted dates
- 1 cup blanched almond flour
- ½ cup coconut flakes unsweetened
- 6 tablespoon cocoa powder
- ¼ cup chocolate chips dairy-free
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup optional
Instructions
- Add pitted dates to your food processor. Process until they become crumbly.
- Add almond flour, coconut, cocoa, chocolate chips, and vanilla. Process until combined. A crumbly mixture will result.
- If mixture needs more moisture add 1 tablespoon of maple syrup.
- Using a tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop dough, press firmly into scoop before releasing into your hand. Roll dough into a ball. Roll ball into bowl of coconut coating evenly. Repeat until dough has been used. You should have between 16-18 balls.
Notes
- The dough could be crumbly but it should stick together when firmly pressed.
- If the dough will not form into balls because the dough is too dry, add 1-2 tablespoons of maple syrup or water until you get your desired consistency.
- If you would prefer not to use maple syrup as an extra binder you can add 1-2 tablespoons of almond butter.
- Store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Pooja Patel
I could skip a piece of cake for these balls any day. These turn out so good and have brownie-like texture. Absolutely love it! I added about 10-15 walnuts to it. Not just that tastes great, it’s a great way to added Omega-3 in the diet.
Lynn
Love how easy these came together! And what a great healthy snack! I did have to add some maple syrup, but my dates were on the drier side.
Soniya
Oh my goodness!my kids love energy ball and they will definitely love this! Will be making this tomorrow.
Paige
OMG, THESE ARE RIGHT UP MY ALLEY! I love dates and they look and sound great (so do all your photos BTW) and I’ve got these ingredients on hand…making this weekend..
Annissa
These look like tasty little snacks! I love the combination of dates and chocolate. Lets face it–I like anything chocolate.
Jere Cassidy
Dates are so underused in baking and cooking and so perfect for making these snack balls for the flavor and healthwise. It’s always nice to have a no-bake treat that is full of flavor.
Angela
Dates are such a great naturally sweet additional to this recipe. A great treat while watching your sugar intake.