Nut-free seed and date energy balls
Chewy, nut-free energy balls made with dates, oats and toasted seeds — quick to make, naturally sweet and perfect for lunchboxes or post-workout fuel.
These nut-free energy balls are the easiest way to get a portable hit of sweetness and seeds without any nuts. Dates and sunflower seed butter bind the oats and toasted seeds into chewy, grab-and-go bites. Make them for school lunchboxes, long walks or as a quick post-workout snack — they keep well in the fridge for several days and freeze beautifully. Swap the honey for maple syrup to make them vegan.
Ingredients
- 200 g medjool dates, pitted
- 120 g rolled oats
- 90 g sunflower seed butter
- 50 g pumpkin seeds
- 30 g sunflower seeds
- 15 g chia seeds
- 60 g desiccated coconut — use about 30g in the mix and reserve 30g for rolling
- 30 g honey — or maple syrup to make vegan
- 0 ml fine sea salt
- 5 ml vanilla extract
Equipment
- food processor
- measuring scales
- frying pan
Instructions
Place the pitted dates in a small bowl and cover with just-boiled water. Leave to soak for 15 minutes to soften, then drain thoroughly and pat dry on kitchen paper.
Warm a dry frying pan over a medium hob and toast the pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds, tossing constantly, until fragrant and just starting to pop — about 3–4 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool.
Put the rolled oats, cooled toasted seeds, chia seeds and 30g of the desiccated coconut into a food processor. Pulse until the mixture is a coarse, evenly textured crumb (about 60–90 seconds).
Add the drained dates, sunflower seed butter, honey, vanilla extract and fine sea salt to the processor. Pulse in 10–12 short bursts until the mixture clumps together when pressed — it should be sticky but not a smooth paste.
Spoon out roughly 30g portions and roll between your palms to form 12 even balls. Roll half the balls in the remaining desiccated coconut and leave the rest plain or press extra seeds onto them. Place on a baking tray lined with kitchen paper.
Chill the tray of balls in the fridge for at least 60 minutes to firm up before storing.
Tips
- If your dates look dry or old, soak them a little longer or use a splash of warm water when pulsing to help binding.
- Toast seeds in a dry frying pan for extra flavour — cool them fully before processing or they can release oils and make the mix greasy.
- Make-ahead: chill in an airtight container for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge before eating.
- For uniform balls use a small ice-cream scoop or a kitchen scale to portion 30g per ball.
- If you need them to be gluten-free, use certified gluten-free rolled oats.
Substitutions
sunflower seed butter → tahini, same weight (90g)
Noticeably differenthoney → maple syrup, same weight (30g)
Stays closedesiccated coconut → extra toasted seeds (pumpkin or sunflower), same weight (60g)
Stays closerolled oats → porridge oats, same weight (120g)
Stays close
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 226
- Calories
- 6 g
- Protein
- 25 g
- Carbs
- 12 g
- Fat
- 5 g
- Fibre
- 13 g
- Sugar
- 80 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make these nut-free energy balls vegan?
Yes — replace the honey with maple syrup and ensure your sunflower seed butter has no added dairy ingredients.
How do I stop the mixture being too wet or too dry?
If too wet, add a tablespoon more oats or desiccated coconut and pulse a few times. If too dry, add a teaspoon or two of water or extra sunflower seed butter and pulse until it binds.
Can I use other seeds or add-ins?
Yes — dried cranberries, chopped dried apricots or pepitas work well. Avoid adding liquid fruit to keep the mix from becoming too sticky.
How long do they keep?
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
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