As fun and festive as they are, the holidays can be exhausting. Planning, shopping, socializing, cooking, cleaning … and that’s on top of the daily grind. To stay on your toes, you need some rewarding snacks, like these mocha fudge energy bites. They’re sweet but not too sweet, indulgent but still healthy, and have a wee little jolt of caffeine to help kickstart your motivation. Plus, they taste far fresher than any store-bought snacks, and you can grab, one, two, or three, depending on the fuel you need.
Mocha Fudge Energy Bites are Easy, Delicious, and Better than Bars
I used to think that date-based truffles were out of reach for many people. Every recipe I’ve seen calls for a food processor or high powered blender. But then I started wondering, what did people do before these modern conveniences came along? Date paste isn’t exactly a modern invention. As it turns out, hot water and a fork are all you need! Once softened, dates mash almost as easily as bananas.
I used that low-tech method to make these mocha fudge energy bites. But I did use a cheapy spice grinder to grind the cashews. If you don’t have one, you can substitute 1 ounce almond meal or 2 tablespoons cashew butter (mixture might be a little stickier).
The recipe below can easily be adjusted to suit your tastes since it is such a simple no bake recipe. You can increase or decrease the coffee for a more or less intense mocha hit, add some extra sweetener if desired, or even use dark or unsweetened chocolate if you are one of the fortunate few without a sweet tooth.
Special Diet Notes: Mocha Fudge Energy Bites
By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, gluten-free, grain-free, peanut-free, optionally soy-free, vegan, and vegetarian.
- 40 grams dates (about 2 large pitted medjool dates)
- ¼ cup dairy-free semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 ounce raw cashews (scant ¼ cup)
- ¼ teaspoon instant coffee
- 5 drops vanilla stevia
- Shredded coconut, ground nuts, or coarse sugar for coating.
- Place the dates in a small bowl, and cover with boiling water to soften.
- Place the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in high for 1 minute and whisk vigorously to melt. If not fully melted, heat for another 15 seconds and whisk vigorously. Do not overheat the chocolate or it will seize.
- Place the cashews in your spice grinder and grind into a powder.
- Drain the dates and mash them like you would a banana.
- Add the cashew powder, mashed dates, coffee, and stevia to the melted chocolate and stir until everything is well combined.
- Roll the mixture into 1-inch balls and then roll the balls in coconut, ground nuts, or coarse sugar to coat.
- Chill the bites in your refrigerator for 30 minutes or freezer for 15 minutes.
- Store these energy bites in a zip-top bag in the refrigerator or freezer to keep them nice and firm. I like to eat them straight from the freezer.
More Healthy Little Dairy-Free Snacks
Raw Cookie Dough Bites
Chocolate Cherry Pecan Energy Balls
Baked Granola Bar Bites
4 Comments
Could we sub the cashews flour for some other grain free flour like coconut, potato or oat?
You can, but I can’t say how much you will need, or how it will taste. The cashews add both richness and a mildly sweet flavor. If using coconut flour, I’d start with 1/3 the amount. I wouldn’t recommend potato flour. If using oat flour, I would use a similar amount, but the taste will be more heavily oat, and I can’t promise that they will come together nicely – I haven’t tested it! But you can substitute another nut, like almonds.
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