These quick and easy chocolate date balls are made with just 3 ingredients – tahini, cocoa powder and dates!

A tahini chocolate date ball with a bite taking out of it sitting on a small plate.

About the Recipe

These simple chocolate date balls are perfect for a quick homemade snack or dessert. They’re as easy as can be, easy to customize and though healthy, taste like a rich and decadent brownie!

These are great for stashing in the freezer for whenever you need a little sweet treat.

Never used tahini in desserts before? It’s so yummy! Try it in these salted caramel tahini cups, tahini hemp seed bars and tahini date cookies as well.

Ingredient Notes

Dates, tahini and cocoa powder each in a container and labelled with text overlay.
  • Tahini : Use any store-bought or homemade tahini. Good quality tahini should be smooth, easy to drizzle (not too thick) and have an earthy flavour that’s not overly bitter.
  • Cocao: Raw cacao powder or regular cocoa powder both work great here.
  • Dates: Use any variety as long as they’re soft and moist. If you only have dry dates, we’ll go over soaking below so you can use them in this recipe, though for best results, I’d recommend using gooey dates rather than soaked dates.
  • Extras: To enhance the flavour, try a pinch of good salt and dash of vanilla. Cinnamon would be yummy too!

Variations & Additions

  • Coat in Chocolate: To make these into fancy chocolate truffles, try coat them in or drizzle them with melted chocolate
  • Chocolate Orange Bites: Add up to 1 tbsp orange zest for a citrus twist.
  • Add Nuts: You can add up to 3/4 cup crushed walnuts, pecans, almonds, pecans or cashews. Add them to the food processor first to break them down into small bits.
  • Add Seeds: For extra nutrition and texture, try adding up to 1/2 cup hemp seeds.
  • Peanut Butter Chocolate: For peanut butter chocolate dates balls, use peanut butter instead of tahini. Almond butter works too or you could use sunflower seed butter for another nut-free option.
  • Chocolate Mint Bites: Add a few drops of peppermint extract for chocolate peppermint bites. These would be perfect for the holidays or an edible gift.
  • Spices: Try up to 1 tsp cinnamon and/or a pinch of ginger or nutmeg. You can also add a pinch of cayenne to add a subtle kick!

Step-by-Step Instructions

Before you start, asses your dates. You’ll need dates that are soft and moist to add the stickiness that holds the balls together. Medjool dates or sayer dates usually work well without the need for soaking.

If you feel your dates are overly dry, soak them (pitted) in hot water for 10 minutes then drain well before using in the recipe. I prefer to use soft dates rather than soaked dates for making energy balls as soaked dates sometimes add too much moisture.

Step 1: Blend Dough

Add the dates, cocoa powder and tahini to a food processor and blend into a thick, sticky dough you can press together between your fingers. If you’re adding any extras, mix those in now as well.

If the mixture forms into one big ball in the food processor, that’s perfect!

Quick Tip: You shouldn’t have a problem rolling the dough into balls but if it seems too crumbly to roll, add 1 tsp of warm water and process again. Check to see if you can press it together and if not, repeat. You shouldn’t need more than 1 tbsp of water.

Cacao powder being dumped from a small dish into a food processor with dates and tahini.

Step 2: Roll into Balls

Use your hands to roll the dough into balls. Any size works but used about 1 heaping tablespoon per ball and got 15 balls out of the recipe.

If you like, you can roll each ball in cocoa powder, shredded coconut, cookie crumbs or crushed nuts for an extra touch.

Chocolate date energy balls sitting on a plate being dusted with cocoa powder.

Recipe FAQs

Can I double the recipe?

Yes, you can double the recipe, however, I’d suggest making it in two batches or it may be too much for your food processor to handle.

What can I use instead of tahini?

You can use any other seed butter or nut butter such as sunflower seed butter, peanut butter, cashew butter or almond butter just note it will change the flavour of the balls.

Expert Tips

  1. Dough too Dry: You shouldn’t have a problem rolling the dough into balls but if it seems too crumbly to roll, add 1 tbsp of warm water and process again. Check to see if you can press it together and if not, repeat. You shouldn’t need more than 1 tbsp of water.
  2. Dough too Wet: If you soaked the dates before use, you may need extra cocoa powder to balance the added moisture.
  3. Chill the Dough: If the mixture feels to sticky to shape into balls, chill in the fridge for 30 minutes before rolling to make it easier to work with.
Chocolate date energy balls sitting on a plate being dusted with cocoa powder.

How to Store

  • It’s recommended to store these in the fridge or freezer though they can be stored at room temperature for a few days if needed. Try to keep them cool if stored at room temperature.
  • Store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or freezer for up to 3 months.

Did you try this recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Scroll down to the comment section to leave a star rating and review.
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Close up of the inside of a chocolate tahini date ball.

Chocolate Date Balls Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 13 reviews
  • Author: Deryn Macey
  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 15 balls
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: No-Bake
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegan
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Description

Rich, decadent and fudgy chocolate date balls made with just 3 simple ingredients!


Ingredients


Instructions

  1. Add all ingredients to a food processor and process until it forms a thick dough.
  2. Roll into about 15 balls and place in the fridge for a couple hours to set. Roll the balls in cacao powder, if desired.
  3. Store in the fridge for up to 10 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Notes

For best results, use a kitchen scale to weigh ingredients.


Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 ball
  • Calories: 119
  • Sugar: 15 g
  • Sodium: 4 mg
  • Fat: 5 g
  • Carbohydrates: 21 g
  • Fiber: 3 g
  • Protein: 2.5 g

Originally published on October 17, 2017.