Here's a recipe I thought I'd never, ever share on my blog. Even though I love taking ordinary desserts and adding a healthy twist (I honestly prefer these healthy pumpkin brownies to ordinary brownies!) I've never really got on with healthy snacks made from nuts and dates. Until I made these chocolate brownie no bake energy balls!
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I've been trying to cut down on sugar and when I saw Jessica's raw brownie bites, I felt inspired. They looked so rich, so indulgent, and so chocolatey. But is that how they'd taste? I was determined to find out.
I rummaged around in my oatmeal topping drawer (That's how much I love oatmeal. I have an entire drawer dedicated to stuff I can top my bowls with!), pulled out the ingredients and whacked them in my food processor. My food processor isn't powerful at all wasn't doing much to the fruit and nuts, apart from sending them on the wildest rides of their lives.
Overcome with disappointment, I put on my happy face (one of my New Year's resolutions is to be more positive!) and pulled out my NutriBullet. And I'm so glad I did!
Over 5 minutes, my food processor had done nothing but slightly bash and bruise the ingredients. But in just 10 seconds, my NutriBullet had totally ground everything down into the fabulously chocolatey paste you can see below. I hate to admit it, but sometimes fancy kitchen equipment is worth the price tag.
Even as I was rolling the mix into individual no bake energy balls, I was still a little sceptical. It's not like I don't love healthy snacks. It's just that I've been let down by so many recipes like this I wasn't expecting much. But as soon as I popped one into my mouth I was stunned. These delicious bite-sized pieces of heaven turned out to be one of the most amazing snacks I've ever had the pleasure of nibbling on!
They're seriously chocolatey (without the use of any actual chocolate - how great is that?!), oh-so fudge-like, incredibly rich and genuinely satisfying. Everything I want from a healthy treat! And because they're so luscious, you can get away with only eating one or two of them and feeling 100% happy, indulged and satisfied without overdoing it. I don't know about you, but after eating one ordinary brownie, I just want another and another and another...
One thing I do need to warn you about with these chocolate brownie no bake energy balls is the noise when you're making them! Throw hard nuts into a NutriBullet and you've got to expect some noise. But seriously? I had no idea just how much noise they would make!
I was surprised the neighbours weren't banging on the door telling me to cut it out. So best make these in the middle of the day, when the neighbours are out and none of your family members are asleep. Or you could always make them in retaliation to noisy neighbours playing bad music or doing DIY. Now there's an idea...
[social_warfare]
📖 Recipe
Chocolate Brownie No Bake Energy Balls
Ingredients
- ¼ cup walnuts
- ¼ cup almonds
- ½ cup pitted dates (for low FODMAP, swap dates for ½ cup raisins soaked for 10 minutes in hot water then drained)
- 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder + extra for dusting
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients into a NutriBullet and blend until you've got a thick dough.
- Scoop out 1 tablespoon-sized pieces and roll each one into a ball. If the mixture is too dry and crumbly to form balls, wet your hands with water and try rolling the balls again.
- Roll each of the balls into a small bowl filled with cocoa powder and store inside an air-tight container in the fridge.
Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry
I like energy balls but don't have them too often - these look incredible though so I could see myself eating them a lot more regularly lol!
Nicola
Thanks, Bintu! They're so much better than a LOT of other energy balls I've tried!
Tania | Fit Foodie Nutter
Absolutely perfect snack balls and so easy to make! Thank you for sharing the recipe, will be making them tonight!
Nicola
Thanks so much, Tania! I hope you like them as much as I do 🙂
Kate | Veggie Desserts
These look absolutely delicious - I can't wait to try them. And now I know that I NEED an oatmeal topping drawer.
Nicola
Haha! Oatmeal topping drawers help make breakfast time a lot more fun and interesting!
Cliona Keane
Oh yum! These look so tasty! Perfect for curbing my chocolate cravings and enjoying pre-gym!
Nicola
They definitely will satisfy your sweet tooth! They're so chocolatey that you'd never believe they don't contain any actual chocolate!
Natalie
YUM! These brownie bites look absolutely delicious!
Nicola
Thanks so much, Natalie!
Vera @ Flavor Diary
i love these. Anytime I'm craving sweet, I make these. But instead of cocoa, I roll them in coconut flakes. Yum
Nicola
Thanks so much, Vera! And rolling them in coconut flakes sounds like an amazing idea. I'm definitely going to try that one out for myself!
Jessica
I totally have an oatmeal topping cupboard! Glad I’m not alone haha!
I just made these and added some cocoa nibs (because I accidentally have 2 pounds of them- long story). Absolutely to-die-for amazing. I’m honestly shocked because other bites I’ve made end up staying in the fridge until I toss them out but these are beyond delicious! Thank you for sharing!
Nicola
All the best people have oatmeal topping cupboards 😀 I'm so glad you enjoyed my recipe! I feel the exact same way - I hate most energy balls, but I looooove these ones!
Isabelle
Hi,
I have raw cocao powder.
Would they come out too bitter using 3 tbsp?
Carol
Hi
Just curious ... how long do these last in the fridge?
Nicola
Hi Carol!
They'll last at least 1 week in the fridge.
Mel
Hi there,
If using dates, do you still need to soak them, or does that only apply to the low fodmap version with raisens?
Thanks.