These no-bake cinnamon date coconut balls take just 10 minutes to make with 4 simple ingredients. Perfect for a healthy, energizing snack or dessert!

A plate of energy balls rolled in shredded coconut.

Why Make this Recipe

  • nutritious – hemp seeds add a ton of nutrients these to these sweet, little bites
  • healthy snacking – skip the vending machine and pop a couple of these for a healthy, balanced snack that’s under 100 calories per serving
  • easy to make – all you need 4 ingredients, 10 minutes and a food processor

What You’ll Need

Dates, hemp seeds, cinnamon and coconut in jars.
  • coconut – fine or medium shredded dried coconut works in this recipe, it may be labeled as desiccated coconut
  • dates – look for soft, moist dates such as medjool or sayer dates
  • hemp seeds – hemp seeds, or sometimes labeled hemp hearts, can be found in well-stocked grocery stores, health food stores or are readily available online
  • cinnamon – regular cinnamon is great for flavor but if you can get your hands on some ceylon cinnamon for its nutritional benefits, even better!

Step by Step Instructions

There are only two steps to making these sweet treats – blending and rolling!

Step 1. Add everything to your food processor and blend for 30-40 seconds on high until the mixture forms a thick, sticky dough.

Dates, cinnamon, coconut and hemp seeds in a food processor.
Blended raw energy ball dough in a food processor.

Step 2. Roll into balls and enjoy!

For an extra treat roll the balls in shredded coconut, hemp seeds, or both!

Rolled energy balls on a plate beside a food processor full of dough.
Energy balls being rolled in coconut and hemp seeds on a plate.
A stack of raw energy balls on a plate.

Tips and FAQs

  • Hemp seed alternatives. I recommend using hemp seeds if you can find them but if not they can be replaced with additional coconut, raw sunflower seeds or almonds.
  • Use a kitchen scale. For best results, use a kitchen scale to weigh ingredients. It’s not totally necessary but weighing ingredients is more accurate and will help guarantee recipe success. They’re readily available online for around $10.

Can I used flaked coconut in this recipe?

Sure, however, I’d recommend popping it into the food processor on its own first and pulsing a few times to break down.

Can I make these in a blender?

You can make them in a blender, but it’s much easier to make them in a food processor. If you’re using a blender, make sure its a fairly powerful one, such as Kitchenaid, Vitamix or Blendtec, otherwise you risk burning out the motor.

How should I store these?

They can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

An energy ball on a plate with a bite taken out of it.

Related Recipes

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Did you try this recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Click here to leave a review.

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A stack of raw energy balls on a plate.

Cinnamon Date Coconut Balls

★★★★★ 5 from 3 reviews
  • Author: Deryn Macey
  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Total Time: 10 minutes
  • Yield: 14 1x
  • Category: Snack
  • Method: Food Processor
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegan
Print Recipe

Description

Sweet, little, no-bake energy balls made with just 4 simple ingredients. Enjoy these nutritious bites for a healthy snack or dessert any time of day.

Ingredients

Scale

Instructions

  1. Place all ingredients in a food processor and mix until it forms a thick, sticky dough you can press together with your fingers.
  2. Roll into 14 balls. Roll each ball in shredded coconut, if desired.
  3. Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or freezer for up to 3 months.

Notes

Dates. It’s important to use soft, moist dates in this recipe. If your dates are very dry, soak them in hot water for 15 minutes then drain well before using in the recipe. If you soak your dates, omit the 1 tbsp of water in the recipe.

Hemp seed alternatives. I recommend using hemp seeds if you can find them but if not they can be replaced with additional coconut or raw sunflower seeds.

Use a kitchen scale. For best results, use a kitchen scale to weigh ingredients. It’s not totally necessary but weighing ingredients is more accurate and will help guarantee recipe success. They’re readily available online for around $10.

Keywords: date coconut balls, coconut energy balls, hemp seed balls

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @runningonrealfood on Instagram and don’t forget to leave your review below.

UPDATE NOTE: This recipe was originally published December 7, 2015. It was updated with new photos and text on April 6, 2020.