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    Home » Recipes » Snack

    Chocolate Orange Energy Balls (gluten-free & vegan)

    Modified: Nov 18, 2024 • Published: Dec 18, 2017 by Dr. Erin Carter • This post may contain affiliate links • 3 Comments

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    A bowl of chocolate orange energy balls and the one on top has a bite out of it.

    These are the best chocolate orange energy balls. You will love how easy they are to make and that these energy bites have the most amazing orange chocolate flavour. These energy bites are healthy, gluten free and vegan. They are the perfect on the go snack.

    Two chocolate orange energy balls beside each other with coconut flakes around them and one ball has a bite out of it.

    If you are a fan of energy bites like no bake cookie dough bites, the best chocolate covered espresso beans and peanut butter bliss balls then you are going to love the recipe I am sharing with you today.

    Table of Contents
    • Why you will love this recipe:
    • Ingredients and substitutions:
    • Recipe variations and add ins:
    • How to make chocolate orange energy balls:
    • Top tips:
    • How to store:
    • Chocolate orange energy balls FAQs:
    • Other chocolate recipes you will love:
    • Recipe

    Why you will love this recipe:

    • The flavour! These orange chocolate energy balls taste so good. They remind me of a Terry's chocolate orange.
    • This no bake recipe is quick and easy to make and only requires a few minutes of hands on time.
    • They are healthy and made with nourishing ingredients like dried fruits, raw nuts, shredded coconut, and cacao powder. They have no added sugar and are vegan, plant based, gluten free, grain free, raw, refined sugar free, and dairy free.
    • These energy bites make the perfect snack, no bake dessert, or after workout snack.
    • These orange chocolate balls store well so are a great option for meal prep.
    • Kids love them and they are safe for them to take to school since they are peanut free.

    If you love orange chocolate treats you will also love my no bake orange chocolate fudge and healthy orange chocolate brownies.

    Ingredients and substitutions:

    The ingredients needed to make chocolate orange energy balls separated into bowls including dates, oranges, cocoa powder, cashews and sunflower seeds.
    • Dates - dates are used to provide natural sweetness to these healthy snack bites and create a nice sticky texture to hold these energy balls together.
    • Raisins - raisins are used to add even more natural sweetness to this recipe.
    • Cashews - cashews help add flavour and texture to these no bake energy bites. I recommend using raw cashews, not roasted cashews. If you can't have cashews I would use raw almonds instead.
    • Sunflower seeds - to add more texture and crunch to these bites. I recommend using raw sunflower seeds rather than roasted sunflower seeds to make these orange energy balls.
    • Shredded coconut - to add even more flavour and texture to this snack. You can use either shredded coconut or coconut flakes to make these healthy chocolate bites.
    • Coconut oil - this helps add moisture and helps hold the energy balls together once they harden.
    • Cocoa powder - cocoa powder provides that delicious chocolate flavour! You can also use cacao powder too.
    • Oranges - you will use oranges for both the orange zest and the orange juice. This is what provides that delicious orange flavour for these orange bliss balls which blends so perfectly with the chocolate. I suggest using naval oranges.

    Recipe variations and add ins:

    • To make these energy bites high in protein: add 4 tablespoons of collagen peptides to the recipe (just note that they will no longer be vegan if you do this).
    • Feel free to make a double or triple batch and freeze some for later.

    How to make chocolate orange energy balls:

    Sunflower seeds, coconut flakes, orange zest and cocoa powder in a food processor.

    Step 1

    Place all of the ingredients into your food processor.

    Blended nuts and cocoa powder in a food processor.

    Step 2

    Blend the ingredients together until they reach your desired consistency (I still like to have some texture and chunks in mine).

    Chocolate nut and seed balls on a plate.

    Step 3

    Using your palms, form the ingredients into 1 inch balls. Place the balls on a plate or tray and refrigerate them for about an hour. Then enjoy!

    Top tips:

    • You will need a large food processor to make this recipe. The one I have is 8 cups in size.
    • Be sure to use melted coconut oil when making these energy bites.

    How to store:

    Store these orange energy bites in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

    These chocolate orange bites also freeze really well in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months.

    A bowl full of a bunch of chocolate orange energy balls and the one on top has a bite out of it.

    Chocolate orange energy balls FAQs:

    Are these energy bites keto?

    No, they are not low carb or keto.

    Are these orange balls paleo?

    Yes they are.

    Other chocolate recipes you will love:

    • A batch of chocolate chip muffins drizzled in melted chocolate on a wire baking rack.
      Orange Chocolate Chip Muffins (gluten-free & paleo)
    • A loaf of gluten free chocolate chip banana bread cut into pieces.
      The Best Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Banana Bread (dairy free & paleo)
    • A jar of chocolate orange overnight oats garnished with orange zest.
      The Best Chocolate Orange Overnight Oats
    • A stack of four pieces of chocolate coffee banana bread with a plant behind them.
      The Best Chocolate Coffee Banana Bread (gluten-free & dairy-free)

    Since you made it this far we are basically best friends so be sure to follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok and Facebook where I share even more recipes and healthy living tips! And don’t forget to leave this recipe a star review before you go!

    Recipe

    A bowl of chocolate orange energy bites with orange wedges around it.

    Chocolate Orange Energy Balls

    These are the best orange chocolate energy balls. Easy to make these energy bites are full of delicious flavour and are gluten free and vegan.
    5 from 5 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Snack
    Cuisine: American
    Diet: Diabetic, Gluten Free, Low Lactose, Vegan
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Inactive Time: 1 hour hour
    Total Time: 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes
    Servings: 24 bites
    Calories: 171kcal
    Author: Dr. Erin Carter

    Equipment

    • food processor

    Ingredients

    • 10 oz dates
    • 1 cup raisins
    • 1 cup raw cashews
    • 1 cup raw sunflower seeds
    • 1 cup shredded coconut
    • 1/2 cup cocoa powder (or cacao powder)
    • 6 tablespoon melted coconut oil
    • 2 navel oranges, for zest and juice

    Instructions

    • Place all of the ingredients into your food processor.
    • Process until desired consistency (I still like to have some crunch to mine).
    • Using your palms form ~1 inch balls.
    • Place the balls in the fridge for ~1 hour.
    • Serve and enjoy!

    Notes

    1. Nutritional values are an estimate and will vary depending on the exact ingredients used.
    2. Store these energy balls in the fridge. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 171kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 13mg | Potassium: 258mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 33IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @pureandsimpleno or tag #pureandsimpleno!

    DISCLAIMERS: The statements made on this website have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration or Health Canada. The information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. You assume full responsibility for how you use this information. Always consult with your physician or other health professionals before making any diet or lifestyle changes. This post may contain affiliate links whereby if you purchase these products I receive a small percentage of the sale price. This allows me to keep the blog running and I thank you for allowing me to do that!

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Dr. Erin Carter

      August 04, 2024 at 11:00 am

      So easy to make and I loved the flavour!5 stars

      Reply
    2. Terisa

      December 18, 2017 at 4:38 pm

      This looks delicious but unfortunately I'm very allergic to sunflower seeds. Would pumpkin seeds work instead?

      Reply
      • Erin Carter

        December 18, 2017 at 4:51 pm

        Hey Terisa!I have not made this recipe with any other nuts or seeds so I honestly don't know if it would work. You are more than welcome to experiment on your own though.

        Reply

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    Hi everyone!

    My name is Dr. Erin Carter and I am so thrilled you are here. I am a physician with specialties in both internal medicine and rheumatology, and I believe that food and healthy living are forms of medicine. In my spare time I share health information and delicious, healthy recipes here on Pure and Simple Nourishment.

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