No-Bake Banana Bread Energy Balls
on Feb 06, 2021, Updated Jun 10, 2026
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These no-bake banana bread energy balls taste like the soft, sweet center of a fresh loaf of banana bread, rolled into a convenient snack. Made with oats, dates, banana and nuts, they’re naturally sweetened, easy to make and perfect for meal prep.
Why You’ll Love Banana Bread Energy Balls
- No oven required: from food processor to rolled and ready in about 10 minutes, no baking and no waiting.
- Just 6 ingredients: naturally sweetened with ripe banana and soft dates, so there’s no refined sugar.
- Tastes like banana bread: banana, cinnamon, and a little chocolate give you that soft, sweet banana bread flavour in an easy snack.
- Made for lunchboxes and on-the-go: they hold their shape well for travel, hikes and lunches.
- Freezer-friendly: roll a batch and keep them for up to 3 months.
- Dietary restriction friendly: they’re vegan, gluten-free and can be made without nuts.
You can also use banana in these chocolate peanut butter protein balls and for a flavour variation, try these carrot cake energy balls and apple pie energy balls.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Below is a quick overview of what you’ll need to make the recipe and any substitutions you can make. Use the recipe card with the full list of ingredients and measurements at the bottom of the post when you’re ready to make the recipe.
- Nuts: Walnuts or pecans give the truest banana bread flavour, but almonds and cashews both work too (all tested). Use 1 cup total and mix and match whatever you have on hand.
- Oats: Rolled oats or quick oats both work and give the balls a tender, slightly chewy bite. Use certified gluten-free oats if needed. Do not use steel-cut oats.
- Dates: Soft, moist dates both bind the dough and sweeten it, so they matter most. I usually use sayer dates, though soft medjool work well too. If yours are dry or firm, soak them in hot water for 15 minutes and drain well before blending, otherwise the dough turns crumbly.
- Banana: A just-ripe or slightly overripe banana brings the best flavour and natural sweetness. Skip an under-ripe banana, since the balls won’t be as smooth or sweet.
- Chocolate Chips: They’re optional, but they’re what tips these from snack into treat. Mini chocolate chips distribute most evenly, though regular chips or chopped dark chocolate work too.
Variations
- Add up to 1/3 cup hemp hearts for extra protein.
- Add 2-3 tbsp ground flax or chia seeds for healthy fats.
- Add up to 1/2 cup shredded coconut.
- Add up to 1/3 cup raisins or cranberries for texture and sweetness.
- Add nutmeg or pumpkin pie spice.
How to Make Banana Bread Balls
Step 1. Add the nuts and oats to a food processor and process until broken down into a grainy consistency. A few larger bites of pecan left behind are ok but they should be mostly broken down.
Step 2. Add everything but the chocolate chips and blend into a thick, sticky dough you can press between your fingers. Add the chocolate chips and pulse a few times to mix them throughout. If the mixture seems too crumbly (this can happen if the dates were too dry), add 1-2 tbsp warm water and process again.
Step 3. Use your hands to roll the dough into about 20 balls. You can enjoy right away or firm up in the fridge for about 30 minutes. To smooth out the bites after you’ve rolled them all, wet your hands and give each one another quick roll to smooth.
Recipe Notes
- Start with the dates: Squeeze one before you begin to make sure it gives a little rather than feeling dry, since soft, sticky dates are what bind the dough and add sweetness.
- Roll each ball twice: I roll the whole batch first, then go back, wet my hands, and give each one a quick second roll, which is the trick to a smooth finish.
- Pick your texture: straight from the food processor they’re soft and almost fudgy and doughy, while 30 minutes in the fridge or freezer makes them firmer.
- Keep a batch in the freezer: they don’t freeze solid so they’re good straight from the freezer and pulling them from the freezer to take to-go helps them stay firmer longer.
FAQs
Yes! To make these without oats, replace them with an additional 1 cup of nuts (2 cups nuts total).
For a fully nut-free version, swap the 1 cup of nuts for sunflower seeds, or use 2.5 cups of rolled oats in place of both the oats and the nuts. I haven’t tested either swap myself, so treat them as a starting point and add a little warm water if the dough feels dry. If your allergy is to one specific nut, almonds, cashews, walnuts, and pecans all work for the 1 cup, so pick the one that’s safe for you. For an energy ball that’s nut-free from the start, my nut-free oat cinnamon energy balls and cranberry sunflower seed energy balls are both good options.
These get most of their sweetness from dates and banana, so they won’t be truly sugar-free, but you can cut the added sugar. Use sugar-free chocolate chips such as stevia-sweetened Lily’s, or leave the chocolate chips out altogether. For a middle ground, a high-cacao dark chocolate keeps the chocolate flavour while lowering the sugar.
Any soft, moist date works. I usually reach for sayer dates, though soft medjool are great too. If your dates are dry and firm, give them a 15-minute soak in hot water, then drain well before using.
This nearly always comes down to dry dates. Blend 1 to 2 tablespoons of warm water back into the dough and process again until it presses together between your fingers without falling apart.
A large or very ripe banana can make the dough wet. Add a couple extra tablespoons of oats or nuts and pulse again to firm it up, then chill the dough for 10 minutes before rolling if it’s still tacky.
Yes, a food processor is the right tool here. It breaks the nuts and oats down to a grainy meal and works the dates and banana into a sticky dough. A blender tends to struggle with a mixture this thick.
How to Store Banana Bread Balls
- Fridge: Store in a sealed container for up to 1 week.
- Freezer: Store in a sealed container for up to 3 months.
- Room Temperature: Okay at room temperature if taking to-go but they’ll get soft it’s warm. Keep cool if possible!
If you make this recipe, please consider leaving a comment and a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating in the comment section below. It helps others who are thinking of making the recipe, and I love to hear from you. Thanks for trying my recipes! – Deryn
No-Bake Banana Bread Balls
Ingredients
- 1 cup walnut pieces or pecans, 150 g
- 1 cup rolled oats, 100 g
- 1 cup packed soft pitted dates, 220 g
- 1 medium ripe banana, 1/2 cup, 120 g
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract, optional
- 1/2 cup mini or regular chocolate chips, 90 g
Instructions
- Add the nuts and oats to a food processor and blend until broken down and grainy.
- Add everything but the chocolate chips and blend into a thick, sticky dough you can press together between your fingers.
- Add the chocolate chips and pulse a few times to mix throughout.
- Use your hands to roll the dough into 20 balls. To smooth out the balls after rolling, wet hands and roll each ball a few times to smooth. It's okay to enjoy them right away, they'll just be a little soft, otherwise, firm in the fridge for 30 minutes then enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published February 9, 2015.
You should really specify the type of dates used. Megdol Dates are the moist more expensive type. The deglet dates are cheaper and pitted and need to be soaked prior to processing.
Hi Heidi, you can use any variety of dates in this recipe as long as they’re not overly dry. I usually use sayer dates. Both medjool or deglect noor dates could be soft enough or too dry, depending on the brand. If they’re quite dry or you’re unsure, you can soak them in hot water for 15 minutes then drain well before using in the recipe. Thanks!
Not sure if this is the right place to ask this, but no harm in trying. Could you sub prunes for the dates instead?
I haven’t tried it in this recipe but yes, you should be able to. If they are very dry, I’d recommend soaking them first and of course, the flavour will be different. Thanks!
My whole family loved these. My kids didn’t even realize they liked dates. These are so good to keep in the fridge for a quick go to snack. I have 3 kids and they all loved them. I stored some in the freezer too. Just pulled them out this morning. Just as tasty as when I first made them. Totally recommend this recipe.
Hello,
Don’t suppose you have rough nutritional information/calories for these? I made them yesterday and they turned out great! So yummy 🙂 I’m just worried that they are going to push me over my calorie/sugar intake….