These No-Bake Chocolate Cherry Energy Bites are completely nut-free, gluten-free, and vegan, making them a suitable snack idea for many dietary restrictions! They’re easy to make and filled with simple, healthy ingredients.
Energy bites, bliss balls, power balls, protein bites…whichever term you like to use, they are one of my favourite easy homemade snack ideas! A couple months ago I had a reader request for a NUT FREE energy bite, so that people with nut allergies could enjoy them too. Today I’m sharing just that: a nut-free, no-bake chocolate cherry energy bite made with just 6 simple, healthy ingredients.
The flavour for these energy bites was mildly inspired by black forest cake, minus the liqueur. They are made with medjool dates, dried cherries, raw cacao powder, dark chocolate chips, hemp seeds, and chia seeds. Not only are these energy bites a nut-free snack, they’re also vegan, which makes them a perfect option for so many different dietary restrictions or preferences. And if you don’t fall into any of these dietary categories – I promise you’ll love them too!
How To Make Energy Bites
Energy bites are incredibly simple to make, requiring very few ingredients and minimal equipment. All you need to make this recipe is a food processor, a plate or baking sheet, and your hands!
Start by adding the medjool dates, dried tart cherries, raw cacao powder, and approximately 1 tablespoon of water to a food processor. Pulse until the ingredients form a paste-like mixture, about 1 minute. Next, add the hemp seeds, chia seeds, and dark chocolate chips to the food processor, and pulse everything together again for about 30 seconds. I like a bit of texture in my energy bites, so I check to make sure there are still pieces of chocolate chips in tact.
If you’d like your energy bites to have a “topping” (I tried both raw cacao powder for a truffle vibe as well as desiccated coconut), get your topping ingredient(s) ready. Simply pour a small amount of raw cacao powder or desiccated coconut into a small bowl. This part is optional – if you’d like to leave them “bare” you can do that too. If you’re curious, my personal preference was for the energy bites with the raw cacao powder!
Scoop a small amount of the mixture (about 1 Tbsp worth) into your hands. Roll into balls, then roll the ball into your topping of choice (if desired). Transfer the finished energy bite onto a small baking sheet or plate. Continue until all the mixture is used up.
Place the completed energy bites into the fridge for 1 hour to let them harden and set. They are now ready to be enjoyed or stored for later!
How To Store Energy Bites
Store your finished energy bites in a airtight container. They can be kept in the fridge for about 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 months. If storing in the freezer, be sure to let them thaw for a few minutes before eating!
Chocolate Cherry Energy Bite Nutrition Notes
Cacao & Dark Chocolate Nutrition. Dark chocolate (<70% cocoa) is an excellent source of antioxidants, which help to fight free radical damage in the body. It’s also a source of essential minerals, like iron, magnesium, copper, manganese, potassium, and zinc!
Dried Cherry Nutrition. Like their non-dried counterparts, dried tart cherries are a source of micronutrients like potassium, vitamin C, calcium, and B vitamins. They’re also rich in antioxidants, like anthocyanins and quercetin, which are known to reduce inflammation and support heart health. When purchasing dried cherries, try to choose unsweetened versions – like other dried fruit, they are already a source of natural sugars.
Hemp Seed Nutrition. One of my favourite, nutrient-dense seeds – hemp is rich in essential omega-3 fatty acids and complete plant protein (3 Tbsps provide 10 grams). Hemp seeds are also a great source of vitamin E and minerals like phosphorus, potassium, sodium, magnesium, sulfur, calcium, iron, and zinc.
Chia Seed Nutrition. My other favourite seed! Chia is an incredible source of dietary fibre (2 Tbsp has 10 grams or 40% of your daily needs)! Fibre helps to improve digestion, and helps to lower both blood sugar and cholesterol. Chia seeds are also rich in anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids. Finally, they’re a source of essential nutrients like protein (2 Tbsps provide 4 grams) and minerals like magnesium, calcium, and iron.
Medjool Date Nutrition. Dates are rich in dietary fibre and essential nutrients like potassium, magnesium, copper, manganese, iron, and vitamin B6. They’re also a source of antioxidants like flavonoids, carotenoids, and phenolic acid, which help to prevent chronic disease and promote health overall. Like other dried fruit, they’re a natural source of sugar; because they come with all these other health benefits, I love using dates as an added sugar replacement!
As you can see, these no-bake chocolate cherry energy bites are a great combination of carbohydrates, dietary fibre, protein, and fat. When I’m building a healthy snack, this is the combo of nutrients that I look for to provide a boost of energy (from the carbs), while also keeping blood sugar levels steady, and keeping us full between meals (fat, protein + fibre help to achieve this)!
More Simple & Healthy Snack Ideas:
- Healthy No-Bake Carrot Cake Energy Bites
- Easy Dark Chocolate Orange Bark
- Healthy Homemade Trail Mix: 3 Ways
- Strawberry Orange Frozen Greek Yogurt Bark
- 4-Ingredient Chia Seed Pudding
If you gave this No-Bake Chocolate Cherry Energy Bites recipe a try, let me know by leaving a comment and star rating below! Be sure to follow along on Instagram and Pinterest for more simple, healthy recipe ideas!
No-Bake Chocolate Cherry Energy Bites
Ingredients
- 5 medjool dates, pitted
- 1.5 cups dried cherries (unsweetened, if possible)
- 2 Tbsp raw cacao powder
- 1 Tbsp water
- 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup hemp seeds
- 1/4 cup chia seeds
Optional toppings:
- Raw cacao powder
- Desiccated coconut
Instructions
- Add the pitted medjool dates, dried cherries, raw cacao powder, and approximately 1 tablespoon of water to a food processor. Pulse until the ingredients form a paste-like mixture, about 1 minute.
- Next, add the hemp seeds, chia seeds, and dark chocolate chips to the food processor, and pulse everything together again for about 30 seconds. I like a bit of texture in my energy bites, so check to make sure there are still pieces of chocolate chips in tact! *if the ingredients aren't sticking together, feel free to add a small amount of water, as needed
- If you'd like your energy bites to have a "topping," get your topping ingredient(s) ready. Simply pour a small amount of raw cacao powder or desiccated coconut into a small bowl. This part is optional - you can leave them "bare" too (but I do love the cacao topping best!)
- Scoop a small amount of the mixture (about 1 Tbsp worth) into your hands. Roll into balls, then roll the ball into your topping of choice, if desired. Transfer the finished energy bite onto a small baking sheet or plate. Continue until all the mixture is used up.
- Place the completed energy bites into the fridge for 1 hour to let them harden and set. They are now ready to be enjoyed or stored for later!
Notes
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I have tried the hemp in other forms but not the seeds yet. sounds interesting to mix with chocolate i’ll give it a try hope it tastes super good!
Hemp seeds are excellent! They’re nutrition powerhouses and so easy to add to different recipes. They taste great with chocolate – I hope you enjoy them 🙂
I made these minus the hemp seeds because I didn’t have any and they are delicious! They’re also easy to make! I eat them before I go on a bike ride and they taste a bit like a fruit roll up but with chocolate, yum! I used coconut, crushed pecans and cacao powder as my toppings.
Hi Valerie! Thanks so much for sharing your experience!! These are perfect for a pre-bike ride snack – I love that. I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed these 🙂