Lemon Bliss Balls {Lemon Energy Balls}

You first saw this snack recipe on Recipes Worth Repeating in April. I do some feature writing for her website so make sure to check it out!

Incredibly addicting, these Vegan Lemon Bliss Balls are a healthy and poppable snack. Made with all wholesome ingredients, you’ll love that these energy bites are kid-friendly, vegan, paleo, gluten, and dairy-free.

Let’s clear the air quickly and move on with our day.

Yes, I named these lemon date bites “bliss balls”. Yes, I giggled the entire time I wrote the post.

These lemon protein balls are the perfect afternoon bite, after-school snack, or refined sugar-free dessert. Thanks to the natural sweetness of the dates, they have just the right amount of citrus kick without feeling like you just bit into a fresh lemon.

Also, I created this recipe at the request of a long-time reader named Amy. You’re welcome. You owe me 1 million dollars. Or three hugs.

These lemon bliss balls join a long line of date-focused snacks on my site. Snacks like:

Strawberry Fudge Energy Date Balls

Mexican Hot Chocolate Lara Bars

Chocolate Chip Banana Energy Bites

Homemade Lara Bars

And if you want even more snacks, check out these 17 Healthy School Snacks.

What Ingredients Are in Lemon Bliss Balls?

You’re going to love how simple these are! This recipe only has three ingredients! Threeeeeeee!

• Dates
• Nuts (use your favorite)
• Lemon zest

For these lemon bliss balls, I used a mix of almonds and cashews because I love the creaminess of the cashews but appreciate the protein content of the almonds.

Pecans, macadamia nuts, or even peanuts would be great. I avoid using walnuts because I find they make the finished product too oily.

How to Make Bliss Balls Without Nuts

All of these words are making me snicker!

If you have a nut allergy, use sunflower seeds or use old-fashioned rolled oats. If you use oats, you’ll likely need to add additional dates to combat the dryness of the oats.

Which Dates are Best For Bliss Balls?

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 used deglet noor dates in these lemon date balls. So, if you use Medjool, make sure you a) pit them before adding to the food processor and b) reduce the overall number of dates.

Start with 15 Medjool and slowly add additional dates one at a time until the mixture has come together.

Equipment for Lemon Bliss Balls

You’ll need a food processor or a blender with a pulse function. If you don’t have either of those, a sharp knife, cutting board, and a crap ton of patience can work. But it’s not going to be fun.

How to Make Lemon Bliss Balls

*See the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for exact measurements.

Pulse the nuts in the food processor until they are mostly uniform in size. There will be some larger pieces and that’s ok. If you pulse them too much, you’ll eventually end up with just dust. Some texture is good!

Add the dates and lemon zest to the food processor and press “on”. Process until the mixture starts to stick together. Depending on the machine you’re using, this could take anywhere from 1-3 minutes.

Roll mixture into balls. If you want “bars”, line an 8×8 pan with parchment and press the mixture into the pan. Refrigerate for two hours and then cut into squares.

Pro tips/Recipe Notes

• Lemon Bliss Balls are fine stored at room temperature for up to two weeks. If you plan to keep them longer than that, move them to the fridge.
• Roll the energy balls in shredded unsweetened coconut, cocoa (or cacao) powder, chia seeds, freeze-dried fruit, or more crushed nuts.
• Add 1 tsp of vanilla or almond extract to compliment the flavor of the lemon. With the price of vanilla these days, consider making your own! Learn how to make homemade vanilla extract with a traditional steeping method or in the Instant Pot.

More Easy Snack Recipes Like This

Trail Mix Bars

Healthy Apple Nachos

Homemade Cinnamon Almond Butter

Healthy Cinnamon Apples

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Homemade Granola Bars

And if you’re a nursing mother, check out these No-Bake Lactation Cookies.