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Healthy snacks don’t need to be boring and tasteless! These Strawberry Fudge Energy Date Balls are delicious little paleo, Whole30(ish), vegan, and dairy-free nutrition powerhouses.

strawberry fudge energy date balls in a bowl with 3 on a white board with dates and dried strawberries

I’m kicking myself hard for not naming this recipe “Strawberry Fudge Amazeballs” because holy smokes they are so delicious! Chocolately and packed with delightful bits of freeze-dried strawberries, these Strawberry Fudge Energy Date Balls taste sinful but are made with 100% real food ingredients.

Are Strawberry Fudge Balls Whole30 Compliant?

Yes.Ish.

Snacks like this are meant to be an emergency food while on Whole30 and not a daily snack, treat, or dessert. You’re not supposed to use them to fill a need for something sweet.

But, for moments when you’re running late for soccer practice or can’t sit down for a meal, these little energy date balls can be a compliant lifesaver.

I’ll give you an example of how we use them. My husband is a firefighter (a literal “lifesaver”) and is often up all night between calls. In the past, he may keep homemade granola bars or Trail Mix Bars on hand or snag a premade sandwich on his way out the door.

He doesn’t have time to make himself a Whole30 compliant salad or a mini meal of pork tenderloin and air fryer brussels sprouts. Grabbing a few of these and maybe a Chomps stick on the way out the door can mean he stays alert and focused on helping people.

ingredients for making strawberry fudge energy date balls

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What Kinds of Nuts Are Best For Energy Date Balls?

Almonds, cashews, pecans, or walnuts would all be a great choice. I usually use cashews for energy date ball recipes (like this one, this one, and this one), but tried almonds for this batch and I’m a convert!

Almonds are a bit drier than cashews when run through a food processor, so it keeps these little bites from getting sticky. And yes, I used the word bites because discussing sticky balls seems uncouth. And I’m a lady.

Damnit.

How to Make Strawberry Fudge Energy Date Balls

*Detailed and printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.

Pulse nuts in a food processor until the pieces are somewhat uniform in size. Some larger chunks may remain.

A food processor chopping almonds for strawberry fudge energy date balls

Add the dates and cocoa powder and process until most of the mixture is minced (about 1 minute).

Dates and cocoa powder in a food processor making strawberry fudge energy date balls

Add the strawberries and process until the mixture starts to come together in a mostly cohesive massive (about 1-2 minutes).

freeze dried strawberries and dates in a food processor for strawberry fudge energy date balls

Pinch off chunks of the mixture and roll into balls.

Pro Tips/Recipe Notes

  • Dates come in many sizes and types so what you use may dictate how many you need for this recipe. Medjool dates are larger and darker. Deglet Noor dates are smaller and lighter (their name means translucent or date of light) with a lighter honey taste. You can use either but will need about 50% more Deglet Noor dates than Medjool. If you are a Costco shopper, the Medjool dates are the one in the produce section in the hard plastic container that have pits. The Deglet Noor dates are the ones stored by the other dried fruit in a zip pouch and are pitted.
  • I do not recommend using a blender for this recipe. As the name implies, a blender will blend the mixture, resulting in a sticky mess. A food processor, however, will chop and mince the various ingredients which is ideal for making energy date balls.
  • Energy date balls are fine stored at room temperature for up to two weeks. If you plan to keep them longer than that, move to the fridge.
  • If you have nut allergies, sub in oatmeal for the almonds. Start with only 1/2 cup of oats and mix with all the other ingredients at once. Please note, oats are not Whole30 compliant.

strawberry fudge energy date balls on a white board

More Recipes Like This

Strawberry Fudge Energy Date Balls WEIGHT WATCHERS POINTS

One serving of Strawberry Fudge Energy Date Balls has 2 WW Freestyle SmartPoints.

5 from 1 rating

Strawberry Fudge Energy Date Balls

Prep: 10 minutes
Total: 10 minutes
strawberry fudge energy date balls in a bowl with 3 on a white board with dates and dried strawberries
Healthy snacks don't need to be boring and tasteless! Strawberry Fudge Energy Date Balls are delicious little paleo, Whole30(ish) nutrition powerhouses.

Ingredients 

Instructions 

  • Pulse nuts in a food processor until the pieces are somewhat uniform in size. Some larger chunks may remain.
  • Add the dates and cocoa powder and process until most of the mixture minced.
  • Add the strawberries and process until the mixture starts to come together in a mostly cohesive massive.
  • Pinch off chunks of the mixture and roll into balls.

Notes

Dates come in many sizes and types so what you use may dictate how many you need for this recipe. Medjool dates are larger and darker. Deglet Noor dates are smaller and lighter. You can use either but will need about 50% more Deglet Noor dates than Medjool.
 
Most nuts will work well. I have experimented with almonds, walnuts, cashews, and pecans. 
 
Store the bars in an air-tighter container at room temperature for up to two weeks. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1ballCalories: 75kcalCarbohydrates: 14gProtein: 1gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 0mgPotassium: 145mgFiber: 1gSugar: 11gVitamin C: 38.5mgCalcium: 25mgIron: 1.1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Snack
Cuisine: American
Tried this recipe?Mention @sustainablecooks or tag #sustainablecooks!

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About Sarah

Helping you serve up budget-friendly sustainable recipes with a side of balanced living.
Come for the food. Stay for the snark.

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4 Comments

  1. I made these.

    1. I didn’t realize how long it would take to get everything to get cohesive. I ended up adding three more dates to see if the extra moisture would bring the mixture together but then realized I just had to let the processor run for longer.

    2. Kiddo didn’t like them. Womp womp womp. I guess I should have done a half batch to start. My littlest likes them somewhat.

    1. Hmmmm, I’m concerned it took so long for you. Did you pulse the nuts first (hee hee)? What is the capacity of your food processor? I have a 9 cup and I would say a batch takes about 2-4 minutes total.

  2. I love your Mexican Hot Chocolate Lara Bars so much that I cannot wait to try these. It looks my evening plans of tea drinking and knitting may need to be replaced by shopping and then some creating!5 stars

    1. Ohhhh, I can’t wait to hear what you think! I love the Mexican Hot Chocolate ones too, but these are so dang tasty too!