Gingerbread Energy Bites (No-Bake, Gluten Free, Paleo + Vegan)
No baking required to make these Gingerbread Energy Bites! These gluten-free, Paleo + vegan energy bites are made with dates, pecans, and gingerbread spices – they’re the perfect healthy snack to fuel your day.
Happy Friday! And, happy December…! When did that happen? I swear this year has gone by in about two blinks. I can’t believe we’re already firmly into the holiday season, with cookies and candies and treats abound!
And I’ve got lots of those coming up, but today I’ve got a healthier snack…it still tastes like a treat, though :)
Have you jumped on the energy bite/protein ball craze? The ones made with dates/nuts/seeds/oats/other healthy goodness? I’ve made them before a few times, but none of the recipes have ever made their way on to the site…until now!
I loveee gingerbread and gingerbread-flavored everything. And these taste JUST like gingerbread, but in a chewy, healthy gingerbread energy bite! Even better? They can be made start to finish in 15 minutes. Maybe 10 if you’re quick or skip the chocolate drizzle.
So, how quick can you make these Gingerbread Energy Bites?
No baking necessary here. All the work is done in your blender or food processor. I used my Vitamix and it mixed everything up in a flash (as it always does). First, we blend the dates up into a sticky paste, and we add the pecans, molasses, salt, and warm spices.
That’s all! We pulse it together until it comes together in a sticky ball with bits of pecan pieces. We’ll roll that sticky dough into balls and if you’d like, drizzle them with dark chocolate.
The molasses, along with the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves, make these taste just like the gingerbread cookies we know and love. To be honest, you don’t need the chocolate drizzle on these Gingerbread Energy Bites. It just made them look a lot prettier than the round, brown balls they looked like pre-drizzle. You can opt for or against the chocolate drizzle.
These are an irresistible snack to have for breakfast, or as a pre- or post-workout snack, or even as dessert 😍 if you’re a gingerbread fan, you’re going to go nuts for these! Enjoy :)
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Gingerbread Energy Bites
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 14 balls 1x
- Category: Snack
- Method: No-Bake
- Cuisine: Easy
- Diet: Vegan
Description
No baking required to make these Gingerbread Energy Bites! These gluten-free, Paleo + vegan energy bites are made with dates, pecans, and gingerbread spices – they’re the perfect healthy snack to fuel your day.
Ingredients
- 1 cup pitted dates, about 12
- 1 cup toasted pecans
- 1 tablespoon molasses
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 oz. dark chocolate, to drizzle, optional
Instructions
- Roughly chop the pitted dates and add them to a high-powered blender or food processor (I used my Vitamix). Blend until they’re broken down into small bits or a paste.
- Add the toasted pecans, molasses, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves and pulse until combined. The pecans should be in small bits – be careful not to over-process or the oils will start to separate. If this happens, just dab off the excess oil with a paper towel.
- Roll into 1-inch balls and place on a cookie sheet.
- Finely chop the dark chocolate and melt in the microwave. Place the melted chocolate into a zip bag or piping bag, snip the corner and drizzle over the energy balls. Let chocolate harden in the refrigerator.
- Keep stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator or freezer.
Keywords: gingerbread, energy bites, energy balls, energy bars
I can’t believe it’s already December either, time needs to slow down! These energy bites look delicious, Rachel! I love the gingerbread flavor and the fact that these cuties are no-bake! Sounds perfect to enjoy this season!
It’s nuts how fast this year has gone by! Thanks so much, Gayle.
YAYYYYY for the start of gingerbread season! I’m all about the gingerbread craze, give me all things gingerbread flavored and I am a happy camper! These little energy bites look amazing! Like a pre-workout healthy cookie ;)
I love gingerbread so much too, Bethany! Thanks so much girl :)
Wow, 15 minutes! Now that’s the kind of treat I need for the holiday season. And it doesn’t hurt that it’s gingerbread, which is my favorite flavor of the season. Yum!
I am all about energy bites! Especially perfectly festive ones like these!! These are perfect for gift wrapping fuel or last minute shopping stamina. :)
Most definitely! Thanks so much Alyssa.
WOW! These are so perfect! I’m totally down with gingerbread and energy bites and the fact that they are a healthier treat is just a bonus! I’m actually doing some holiday baking this weekend and these need to happen. I often gift baked goods to my mom, mom in law and grandmother every year and these would be a lovely addition! Pinned! Happy weekend :)
These are so quick to make they’ll be fuel for the rest of your holiday baking! :) Your baking day with your mom, mother in law and grandma sounds like a blast. Thanks so much, Dawn.
Yes! Love these for a quick treat on the go.
Thanks so much Nicole!
just made these…I LOVE THEM. thank you!
So happy to hear that Bianca! Enjoy :)
DO you use freshly ground ginger or dried?
I use dried ground ginger.
OMG, so easy and so yummy. The taste of gingerbread cookies but without all that refined sugar.
★★★★★
So glad you’re loving them Ariel!
Do you think toasted pumpkin or sunflower seeds would work in place of the pecans?
Hmm haven’t tried it so I can’t make any guarantees, but yes I’d think that it would be fine!
What can I use instead of dates. They are not allowed on the low fodmaps diet?
Dates are the base of this recipe so they can’t be replaced or the recipe would be very different. You could MAYBE try dried figs or something like that but I can make no guarantees that it will work since thats’s not how the recipe was intended to be made.
These were amazing! I originally made these as a fun snack for my grain sensitive daughter and my lactose intolerant husband as a healthy treat that they could share. I wanted to consume the entire double batch I made as soon as I had finished. I did add a table spoon of raw sugar to my batch to sweeten it to my taste and did not drizzle any chocolate on my goodies.
My 6 yo is addicted to these. She told me today that her friend offered her a sweet treat with grain in it. She explained to the other child that she had these energy balls inside and that they were much healthier than that treat, “They actually give you energy.”
★★★★★
That is the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard!!! So thrilled they’re a hit with the whole fam, and I have a huge smile on my face from your sweet daughter’s comment :) you’re raising her right! Thanks so much for sharing your feedback with me.
I love this recipe. I made a triple batch for Christmas. I’m a big chocolate fan so I rolled them in dark chocolate.
★★★★★
So thrilled you’re loving them, Alice! Love that you gave them a chocolate dip.
Hi There,
Do you happen to have the nutrition facts for this recipe?
Hi Julie, just updated the recipe to include nutritional facts! You can see them at the bottom of the recipe card.
Oh my goodness, you are so amazing! Thank you for doing that. Cannot wait to try this recipe out. Looks delicious!! I appreciate your quick response, take care.