Coffee chocolate energy balls

Loaded with flavor, crunch, carbs and fat these coffee chocolate energy balls will lift your energy instantly, when you need a quick boost!

Made with only ‘good for you’-ingredients (think nuts, dried fruits, cocoa powder, etc.) you can enjoy the coffee flavored bites as a treat or emergency food at any hour of the day – knowing that, although a treat and something to be consumed as such, you still get a dose of healthy fats, fibers, vitamins, minerals, etc.

Empty your pantry

This is definitely an ’empty your pantry’ sort of recipe – you can pretty much use whatever nuts and dried fruits you have on hand and still produce a scrumptious snack!

Dates offer a very natural sweetness, so try to include some of them, but feel free to use dried apricots or prunes, if you don’t have dried figs or raisins on hand, etc.

Same with the nuts – maybe you don’t have any walnuts, but you do have a nice bag of pecans – use them! No hazelnuts? Use cashews or more almonds instead and so on.

Add flavor, complexity and depth with this simple trick

There’s a very good reason why, I suggest toasting the desiccated coconut and nuts in this recipe – it enhances their nutty flavor and adds so much complexity, depth and well-roundedness.

It’ll take you a couple of extra minutes to do, but it’ll be worth it and I’m sure you’ll be able to taste the difference!

You can read all about toasting nuts and seeds in this blog post.

Add a splash of adulthood

This is actually an adapted recipe, that I usually season with rum.

I absolutely love and adore rum balls! I’m not sure, that it’s such a big thing in North America though, but in Denmark it’s an all time classic. Usually made with leftover cake, raspberry jam, cocoa powder and maybe some marzipan too, it’s very easy to ‘healthify’ the general concept and make tasty rum balls with nuts and dried fruits instead.

Since using 1 C / 250 ml of rum might be a wee bit too much, try using a little less coffee and season to taste with a good splash or two of your favorite dark rum!

Coffee chocolate energy balls

Loaded with flavor, crunch, carbs and fat these coffee chocolate energy balls will lift your energy instantly, when you need a quick boost!

Servings 50-70

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 C / 150 g toasted unsweetened desiccated coconut (use 1 C / 100 g for the balls and 1/2 C / 50 g for coating)
• 2/3 C / 100 g toasted almonds
• 1/2 C / 50 g toasted walnuts
• 1/3 C / 50 g toasted hazelnuts
• 1 C / 170 g raisins
• 1 firmly packed C / 205 g dried figs, hard stems removed
• 1 firmly packed C / 215 g pitted dates
• 1 C / 250 ml (very) strong brewed coffee
• 6 tbsp (liquid measure) coconut oil (I prefer expeller pressed oil (tasteless) for this recipe)
• 1 C / 100 g unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 3/4-1 tsp fine grain pink Himalayan salt or sea salt (I used 1 tsp)

Instructions

1. Combine desiccated coconut (1 C / 100 g), almonds, walnuts and hazelnuts in a food processor and blend into a fine flour.
2. Add remaining ingredients and blend into a well-combined, sort of fudgy and shapable dough.
3. Time to taste – anything missing? Season to taste and blend again if necessary.
4. Roll the dough into bite-sized balls and coat/roll them in desiccated coconut (1/2 C / 50 g).

Storage and shelf life

1. Store coffee chocolate balls in the fridge for 7-10 days or several months in the freezer.

Do you want to print the recipe for coffee chocolate energy balls? I’ve got you!