If you’re looking for a sweet treat or a handy snack bursting with nutritious ingredients and flavor, whip up these delectable energy balls! They don’t take long to throw together, and you can substitute any nuts, seeds, and dried fruit you have on hand. I love to prep these on the weekend so I can have something filling, and delicious to grab during the week. These vegan, gluten-free, refined sugar-free bites are addictive and don’t require any cooking, keeping their energy impact low. You can store these in an air-tight container in the fridge, but I actually prefer them frozen, so do try them out both ways.
RECIPE: Cranberry, Pecan, and Cherry Raw Energy Bites
- Yield: Makes 18 bars or 24 balls. 1x
Ingredients
- 1 cup pecans
- 1 cup cashews
- 2 tablespoons whole almonds
- 2 cups pitted Medjool dates
- 1/3 cup cranberries
- 1/3 cup dried cherries
- 3 tablespoons raisins
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
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Put your pecans, cashews, and almonds in a food processor and process on high for about 30 seconds, or until your nuts are broken down. Be careful not to over-do it; you want pieces, not a flour-like consistency.
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Add your dates, cranberries, cherries, and raisins and process on ‘high’. After about 1-2 minutes, the fruit should be nicely incorporated into the nuts, so stop and test the mixture. You want it to clump together when pinched. Once it has reached this consistency, add your vanilla extract and pulse until the vanilla is incorporated.
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When everything is adequately combined, transfer the mix to a tray lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat. Then, roll it into balls or form bars. If making bars, press the mixture down using a spatula and the parchment paper. After the mixture has been compressed, cut the bars with a sharp knife into your desired shape. Enjoy!
Cleo Carney is a high school student in Ottawa, Canada, and part of the Bluedot team. In addition to being an adventurous baker who loves to find the healthiest possible way to make yummy cakes, cookies, and breads (healthy for you and the planet), Cleo’s a key part of our Bluedot Institute (BDI). The BDI is bringing together middle and high school students from all over North America to share their progress on and toolkits for tackling local environmental projects; they’re also learning how to be cub reporters and will be posting stories and “climate conversations” on their efforts to bluedotliving.com. You can see more of Cleo’s creations at cleoscleancakes.com, where this recipe first appeared.
Here is Cleo at work interviewing Ollie Becker, a filmmaker on Martha’s Vineyard, Mass. about the perils and opportunities facing the island’s many coastal “great ponds.”
