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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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Remember to #bakerita if you try the recipe!
Gingerbread Energy Bites
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.
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.
So yummy! We loved these.