almond joy energy bites

After I made my almond coconut date bars a few months ago I decided to continue looking for recipes with dates. I was looking for energy bites and came across this one. It is very similar to the other recipe except it has cocoa powder which I find makes it taste better. These could alternatively be pressed into a pan and cut into bars and eaten that way.

What you need: Makes 14 balls

1 cup dates
1 cup almonds
2 to 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/4 cup shredded coconut
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract*

* I sadly ran out of vanilla extract but I just substituted 1/4 tsp. vanilla bean paste

What to do:

1. Add all of the ingredients to the bowl of your food processor and blend until the nuts are well chopped and a thick “dough” starts to form, about 3-5 minutes of processing. If the ingredients are chopped into super small pieces but the dough isn’t coming together, try adding a teaspoon of water at a time (up to a tablespoon or two) to encourage everything to come together.

2. When the ingredients are well incorporated, remove the blade from the food processor. Take 1 large tablespoon of the “dough” and roll it into a ball in between your hands. Repeat with remaining dough. Sprinkle with a little shredded coconut if desired. Keep the balls in the fridge for up to a month or in the freezer much longer.