I remember the first time I came across an energy bites recipe (a.k.a. date bites, date balls, energy balls, etc.). I thought, No baking, clean ingredients and it would give me energy? Sign me up, buddy! Could this gluten free, raw snack be another feather in my fighting fatigue cap? 

If you deal with a chronic illness or autoimmune disease, you most likely deal with an unwanted daily visitor…fatigue. Fatigue from illness can be crushing. No nap or good night’s sleep can touch it. Personally, I can handle a wide range of Lupus symptoms but when I wake up from a night’s sleep and feel fatigued within a few minutes, it gets me down. Those are the days when everything is just a bit tougher. While years ago I may have reached for cup after cup of coffee, today I reach for a few energy balls (in addition to a few other practices).

These balls provide energy naturally powered by fruit. Now, if you don’t follow a vegan or vegetarian diet, here is a tip. I am a tremendous fan of bone broth, but let’s be honest, bone broth doesn’t go with everything. And sometimes I am too lazy to make any. For those moments, I use collagen protein powder. Collagen provides an abundance of benefits including adding protein into your diet, helping clear skin, healing the gut, repair tissue, etc. Collagen powder is also so fine in its texture, it literally dissolves in anything. Adding a little to your energy ball recipe will not alter the consistency or flavor and it can increase the protein content – a great addition to balance the sugar in the fruit. 

Adding collagen powder is completely optional in today’s recipe. In fact, I originally made these balls for my vegetarian friends. 

My advice when making energy balls is to have a solid food processor. I used my super Ninja that suctions to the counter (see above) and I feel, is pretty bad-ass. Employing mise en place is ideal with this type of recipe. Mise en place translated from French to English literally means “setting in place.” This technique may seem annoying at first, but it is extremely helpful. You have all of your ingredients measured and chopped/diced, etc. before you start cooking.

Also, don’t be afraid to get creative with this recipe! There are a million energy ball recipes that contain a wide variety of ingredients from varying nuts, cinnamon, dates, figs, ground coffee, coconut, pumpkin, etc. So go wild… 

I rolled some of the final product in shredded coconut and the rest in sunflower seeds, to appeal to my friends varying tastes. 

Also, this is such an easy and fun recipe to make, definitely get your kids involved if you have children. Unfortunately I do not, and my dog refused to help since the ingredient list didn’t contain meat and cheese. More for me!

I hope you enjoy these energy balls as much as I do – Happy rolling!

Coconut Date Energy Balls

  Gluten Free, Raw Food

October 8, 2016

These balls provide energy naturally, powered by fruit. Personally, I can handle a wide range of Lupus symptoms but when I wake up from a night's sleep and feel fatigued within a few minutes, it gets me down. Those are the days when everything is just a bit tougher. While years ago I may have reached for cup after cup of coffee, today I reach for a few energy balls.

Directions

1Place the sunflower seeds into a food processor and pulse until they are chopped. Then add all of the dried fruit (and collagen, if using), and a dash or two of cinnamon, and blend everything in the food processor very well.

2Roll the dough into balls or spread out flat and cut out with cookie cutters. Top or roll with shredded coconut flakes or seeds. Store in the refrigerator.

3Once you have all of your ingredients measured and planned out, this recipe can be completed in just about ten minutes! I like my energy balls to be about one to one-and-a-half inch in diameter, but you may like yours smaller. Just one or two at a times gives me good energy and keeps me satiated. Enjoy!

Ingredients

1/3 cup sunflower seeds

1/4 cup raisins

5 figs

4 dates

6 apricots

Dash cinnamon

Shredded coconut flakes, whole sunflower seeds, or whole sesame seeds for rolling.

*Optional: if you aren’t vegan/vegetarian, use one to two teaspoons of collagen protein powder (I use Further Collagen or Great Lakes)

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