Zesty Homemade Mexican Hot Chocolate Date Balls are simple gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan snacks that you can make in your own kitchen. Learn how to ditch the store-bought date bars and make a spicy chocolate version yourself!
Mexican hot chocolate checks all the boxes my tastebuds love so much – sweet, and spicy! The flavor combo of sweet and heat gives me all the feels.
And while I adore Mexican Hot Cocoa, it has quite a bit of sugar in it and I don’t always want to be sipping on something hot. And thus, Mexican Hot Chocolate Date Balls were born.
Much like my Strawberry Fudge Energy Date Balls and Trail Mix Bars, these spicy chocolate bites are so good without any refined sugar!
What Ingredients are in Mexican Chocolate Energy Bites?
- Nuts – cashews or almonds work best
- Dates
- Cocoa powder – unsweetened
- The flavor squad – chili powder, cinnamon, cayenne pepper
- Vanilla extract (try Homemade Vanilla Extract)
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,
HOW TO MAKE Date BALLS WITHOUT NUTS
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 with a light 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 spicy 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.
How to Make Mexican Chocolate Date Balls – Step by Step
*See the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for exact measurements.
Pulse nuts in a food processor until the pieces are somewhat uniform in size. Some larger chunks may remain.
Add the dates, cocoa powder, and spices and process until most of the mixture is spinning in the processor in one lump. Depending on the machine you’re using, this could take anywhere from 1-3 minutes.
Pinch off chunks of the mixture and roll 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.
Can I Make These Whole30?
Yes. There is a saying in the Whole30 community about “sex with your pants on”(SWYPO), i.e., going through the motions of the Whole30 plan but faking it a bit.
These date balls are a bit of SWYPO because they could easily be passed off as a dessert. Technically all the ingredients except the vanilla are Whole30 compliant but how you eat them and how often can make you walk a very fine line.
Proceed with caution.
Recipe Notes for Mexican Hot Chocolate Date Balls
- It’s kinda hard to screw these up, so feel free to experiment at will! Want more nuts? Go for it! A touch fewer dates? This is your world, my friend.
- Roll the energy balls in shredded unsweetened coconut, cocoa (or cacao) powder, chia seeds, freeze-dried fruit, or more crushed nuts.
- Most nuts will work well. I have experimented with almonds, walnuts, cashews, and pecans. Cashews tend to be my favorite but they are also the most expensive. Walnuts tend to release too much oil during the time in the food processor. Use what you have!
- A pinch of cayenne is really all you need to make these have some substantial heat. I love spicy stuff and I used just the tiniest bit.
- Store the bars in an air-tighter container at room temperature for up to two weeks. They are soooooo tasty, and I guarantee they will not last that long!
More Delicious Homemade Lara Bar Recipes & Other Healthy Snacks
- Basic Chocolate Homemade Lara Bars
- Lemon Bliss Balls
- Chocolate Chip Banana Energy Bites
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Chips Homemade Granola Bars
- Fudgy Adzuki Bean Brownies from Hey Nutrition Lady
Mexican Hot Chocolate Date Balls WEIGHT WATCHERS POINTS
One serving of Mexican Hot Chocolate Date Balls has 2 WW Freestyle SmartPoints.
Mexican Hot Chocolate Date Balls {Vegan, Paleo}
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted cashews
- 15-18 dates, pitted
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1/4 tsp mild chili powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- tiny pinch cayenne pepper (less than 1/8 tsp)
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Pulse nuts in a food processor until the pieces are somewhat uniform in size. Some larger chunks may remain.
- Add the dates, cocoa powder, and spices and process until most of the mixture is spinning in the processor in one lump.
- Pinch off chunks of the mixture and roll into balls.
Notes
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I made these last night, and WOW. They are so decadent! It’s like I’m eating spicy buttery sugary fudge, but somehow there’s no butter or sugar! It took longer to find unsalted cashews at the grocery store than it did to make these little beauties. I brought 4 to work with me today, and they’re already gone. I can’t wait to get home and eat more.
Who-hoo, so glad you liked them Sydnie! I love the mix of heat and sweet and these are the perfect bite to keep my sugar addiction at bay.
Have you tried the strawberry fudge ones too? They’re soooo good! https://www.sustainablecooks.com/energy-date-balls/
Those are next on my list! I need more dates. (Ha, that’s what she said!)
You’re sounding desperate there Sydnie… 🙂
I have a similar recipe coming out this summer that I absolutely love! So full of flavor.
Yum! These are so much better than any of the store bought bars I get. I love the bit of heat.
So glad you liked them Louisa!