Energy Balls 4 ways: no food processor – Choc Orange, Lemon & Poppy Seed and Matcha & Cranberry

Sue Maree P -

Here's three recipes for energy balls without a food processor or blender. First recipe; chocolate orange energy balls, second recipe; lemon and poppy seed energy balls and the third; matcha and cranberry.

Energy balls are a healthy snack for a quick breakfast, post work out snack, hiking snack or a as in our house a cycling snack. These energy balls recipes are simple to make at home and you can be creative and mix and match your ingredients depending what you have in your cupboard. They will last for a week or so stored in an air tight container in the fridge or a few months in a seal bag or container in the freezer. I have measured all the ingredients in cups and spoon sizes for ease unlike baking you can be a little more flexible for the measuring.

Chocolate Orange Energy Balls

Ingredients

  • Sultana's or raisins (can chop if you like) – 1/2 cup
  • Crunchy peanut butter – 1/2 cup
  • Ground almonds – 1/2 cup
  • Cocoa powder – 2 tbsp
  • Orange zest – 1-2 tsp
  • Boiling water (to soak the fruit) – 2-3 tbsp
  • Chopped dark chocolate (optional) – 2 tbsp

Method

  1. SOAK – the fruit in boiling water covered for at least 30 mins.
  2. DRAIN the fruit and reserve the liquid. You may need it later on. You may not have any liquid left.
  3. CHOP the fruit if you like at this stage.
  4. PLACE all ingredients medium size bowl and ensure all the ingredients are combined.
  5. CHILL the energy ball mixture in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
  6. ONCE chilled form the balls. Using a teaspoon scoop out the mix and roll it in your hands, place on a lined try and chill for a few hours.
  7. STORE in a seal container either in the frig or freezer.

Lemon & Poppy Seed Energy Balls…version 1

Ingredients

  • Chopped pitted soft dates (Mejool or Delget Noor are my fav.) – 3/4 cup
  • Rolled oats – 1/2 cup
  • Ground almonds – 1/2 cup
  • Poppy seeds – 1 to 2 tsp
  • Lemon Juice – 1 tbsp
  • Lemon Zest – 2 tsp
  • Honey or maple syrup – 1 tbsp

Method

  1. SOAK – the fruit in boiling water covered for at least 30 mins. Chop either before or after.
  2. DRAIN the fruit and reserve the liquid. You may need it later on. You may not have any liquid left.
  3. CHOP any fruit if you like at this stage.
  4. PLACE all ingredients medium size bowl and ensure all the ingredients are combined.
  5. CHILL the energy ball mixture in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
  6. ONCE chilled form the balls. Using a teaspoon scoop out the mix and roll it in your hands, place on a lined try and chill for a few hours.
  7. STORE in a seal container either in the frig or freezer.

Lemon & Poppy Seed Energy Balls…version 2 (see video for step by step instructions)

Ingredients

  • Chopped sultanas or any other dried fruit – 1/4 cup
  • Rolled oats – 1/2 cup
  • Boiling water – 1/2 cup (for soaking the oats)
  • Ground almonds – 1/2 cup + 1/2 cup if too wet
  • Poppy seeds – 1 tsp
  • Lemon Juice – 1 tbsp
  • Lemon Zest – 2 tsp
  • Honey or maple syrup – 1 tbsp

Method

  1. SOAK oats overnight in 1/2 cup boiling water  
  2. CHOP dried fruit in small pieces
  3. PLACE all ingredients medium size bowl and ensure all the ingredients are combined.
  4. CHILL the energy ball mixture in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
  5. ONCE chilled form the balls.
  6. CHECK the mixture, if it looks too wet still, add an extra 1/2 cup of ground almonds.
  7. SCOOP out the mix using a teaspoon and roll it in your hands, place on a lined try and chill for a few hours.
  8. STORE in a seal container either in the frig or freezer.

Matcha + Cranberry Energy Balls

  • Dried cranberries chopped – 1/4 cup
  • Rolled oats (soaked overnight in 1/2 cup boiling water – 1/2 cup
  • Ground almonds –1/4 cup
  • Desiccated  coconut – 1/4 cup
  • Sunflower seed butter (or almond butter) – 2 tbsp
  • Honey or maple syrup – 1 tbsp
  • Matcha powder – 2tsp

Method

  1. SOAK oats overnight in 1/2 cup boiling water  
  2. SOAK the fruit in boiling water covered for at least 30 mins. Chop either before or after.
  3. DRAIN the fruit and reserve the liquid. You may need it later on.
  4. CHOP any fruit in small pieces or mash slightly with a fork.
  5. PLACE all ingredients medium size bowl and ensure all the ingredients are combined.
  6. CHILL the energy ball mixture in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
  7. ONCE chilled form the balls. Using a teaspoon scoop out the mix and roll it in your hands, place on a lined try and chill for a few hours.
  8. STORE in a seal container either in the frig or freezer.

Sue Maree P Tips

  • NUTS – replace the ground almonds with any other nuts or seeds like cashews, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, hazelnuts or pecans. If you have a NutriBullet, blender or food processor instead of buying pre-ground nuts. I like buying ground almonds to make the energy balls easier to whip up.
  • SWEETENER – use your preferred sweetener, If you would like to make them vegan leave out the honey and use maple syrup or another plant based sweetener.
  • FRUIT – the recipes can be swapped to use whatever dried fruit you have in the pantry like, currants, raisins, apricots, dried apples, prunes, cranberries, sultanas.
  • SPICES and FLAVOURS – if you dislike matcha or don't have it, replace with 1 tsp of cinnamon or cocoa powder.
  • MOISTURE –if too dry you could add a tbsp of olive oil or coconut oil to the energy ball recipes