Energy balls are a staple in my house – and I love giving them out as prizes in my classes and having them on-hand for playdates and just as an afternoon pick-me-up. If you are going to cut out sugar for a little while, these are a perfect little substitute for that 3pm sugar craving that invariably kicks in. They are also excellent as a pre-workout fuel and a post-workout protein-powered snack. Dates are low-glycemic, meaning that even though they are sweet there will be a slower release of the sugar to your system. Nuts are heart-healthy, and cocoa is a proven anti-oxidant. All in all: delicious and nutritious! 

Ingredients

• • 1 cup packed pitted date
  • 1 cup raw almonds, chopped first
  • 1 cup raw walnuts
  • 1-2  tbsp maple syrup
  • 6 Tbsp dark, unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 3 Tbsp hemp seeds (plus more for rolling)
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 3 Tbsp creamy almond butter (or other nut or seed butter)
  • 1 Tbsp melted coconut oil (optional // for extra fudgy texture)
  • 1 tsp cinnamon 

Instructions

Toast the almonds and the walnuts on a parchment-lined paper in a 300 degree oven for about 15 minutes, tossing frequently and let cool. Combine the nuts and the dates in a food processor and pulse several times. Add maple syrup, almond butter, cocoa, hemp seeds and coconut oil, and continue to pulse, scraping down the sides of the food processor. Place on high, and let it whirl – you will get a thick, gooey chunk of cocoa-almond-date goodness going on. Roll into balls, then roll again in hemp seeds, coconut, more cocoa – whatever you feel like! Store in the fridge.