Goji Berry Balls
These no-bake vegan vanilla goji berry balls with cacao nibs are easy to make with just 4 ingredients for a simple, healthy snack.
Recipe Features
- dietary needs – vegan, gluten-free, oil-free, no added sugar
- healthy snacking – these make the perfect homemade healthy snack or dessert option
- travel well – pack them up to-go, perfect for road trips, work, school, camping and hiking
- quick and easy – you’ll need just 4 ingredients and a few minutes of prep time
Ingredient Notes
- goji berries – look for dried goji berries, they’re readily available online or in well-stocked grocery stores and natural food stores
- cacao nibs – instead of chocolate chips or dark chocolate, this recipe calls for the real thing: raw cacao nibs. If you prefer something sweeter, you can use chopped dark chocolate or your favourite dairy-free chocolate chips instead of cacao.
- dates – use any kind of date to make these, just make sure they’re fairly soft. If your dates are very dry, soak them in hot water for 10 minutes and drain well before using in the recipe
- cashews – use plain, raw cashews with no added oil or salt, the cashews can be subbed with almonds, walnuts or any mixture of the 3
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1. Add all of the ingredients to a food processor and mix into a thick, sticky dough you can easily press together between your fingers.
Quick Tip: If it’s not sticking together, add 1 tsp of warm water and blend again. That should do the trick but if not, repeat as needed.
Step 2. Use your hands to roll the dough into balls.
Notes and Tips
- Dates. Be sure to use soft, moist dates. If your dates are overly dry, soak pitted dates in hot water for 10 minutes then drain well before using in the recipe.
- Storage. Store the finished bites in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or freezer for up to 2 months.
Related Recipes
Here are some more yummy no-bake balls you’ll love:
- Lime Coconut Energy Bites
- No-Bake Chocolate Coffee Energy Bites
- Chocolate Superfood Energy Balls
- Hazelnut Cacao Energy Balls
For a variation of this recipe, try these Coconut Goji Berry Bliss Balls!
Did you try this recipe?
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Vanilla Goji Berry Balls
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 10-12 balls
- Category: Snack
- Method: Food Processor
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
These delicious no-bake energy balls are packed with nutrients thank to superfoods like goji berries and cacao.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (200 g) lightly packed, pitted soft dates
- 2/3 cup (60 g) raw cashews
- 1/2 cup dried goji berries
- 1/4 cup cacao nibs
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract, optional
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a food processor and mix into a thick, sticky dough you can easily press together between your fingers. If it’s not sticking, add 1 tsp of warm water and process again. That should do the trick, but if not, repeat 1-2 times until it does.
- Roll into 10-12 balls depending on desired size and store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or freezer for up to 2 months.
Notes
Cacao nibs can be substituted with chocolate chips.
Be sure to use soft, moist dates as they bind the recipe together. If your dates are overly dry, pit them first then soak in hot water for 15 minutes. Drain well before using in the recipe.
Keywords: goji berry balls, goji berry energy bites
Update Note: Originally published on September 15, 2016. It was updated on February 19, 2020 with new text and photos.
these are great! how come the recipe calls for 12 balls but the nutrition facts say it serves 10? I made 10 balls of decent size, wouldn’t want them any smaller personally.
Hi Doug, sorry, the recipe makes 10-12 balls depending on size. The nutrition facts are per ball if you make 10. If you make 12 balls, they’ll be slightly lower in calories.
I warmed up my dry dates with a bit of water and that softened them up! I used almond flour and tiger nut flour and some rather old goji berries that had lost their colour and the whole thing tastes amazing!
Thank you, Kat! Glad you enjoyed them.
It would be very helpful if exact quantities were provided for the ingredients listed.
Please scroll down the page to find the full recipe. Thanks!
I was looking for healthy recipes to use Goji berries and came across this one. Whipped these balls up in no time and they are very good. A strong chocolate taste – so for chocolate lovers, this would be the perfect healthy and energizing snack.
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Any idea what I can use instead of cashews? I have a nut allergy. Thank you!
You could try a sunflower or pumpkin seeds, just keep in mind they both have a stronger flavor than cashews, so make sure you enjoy them before using in the balls. I haven’t tried these with any other nut or seed buy it should work ok. You could also browse my other no-bake recipes as I do have some nut-free ones.
Thank you for your reply!
These are incredible!! Husband and I loved them!
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Hi Deryn, Thanks for this lovely recipe. To my great shame, I once let a packet of goji berries expire because I just didn’t know what to do with them! Luckily I’ve tried again and this recipe is one of my favourite. Thank you so much for sharing your amazing recipes!
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Delicious.Just checking if these needs to be stored in freezer as I was going to make them for xmas gifts.
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They’d be okay out of the fridge for a little while but are best stored in the fridge once delivered. You could freeze them up until you plan to gift them so they stay chilled longer!
Love this recipe and can’t keep them in stock when my granddaughter is here. I keep in the freezer
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Haha, that’s awesome. Glad you enjoy them!
Is there anything I can replace the cacao with pls not allowed to eat unfortunately:(
You can just leave it out or replace it with dairy-free chocolate chips, carob chips, nuts or seeds. Enjoy!
Any replacements ok for dates in the recipe? We can’t eat them.
You could use raisins, dried cherries, prunes or dried figs 🙂 You may need to soak any of those first if they’re very dry.
mmm goji berries – these look delicious can’t wait to try 🙂
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