These no-bake Gingerbread Energy Balls are vegan, gluten-free, and full of warm holiday flavor. Easy to make and naturally sweetened, these little bites are the perfect festive treat for snacking any time of day!
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If you're craving a healthy holiday treat, these gingerbread energy balls are about to become your new favorite festive snack. They've got all the cozy flavors of a gingerbread cookie, but they're made with wholesome ingredients that you can feel good about (not to mention they are vegan, gluten-free, and refined sugar free!).
These no-bake protein balls are quick to make with a few simple ingredients like dates, nut butter, and almond flour. They're soft, chewy, and perfectly spiced without being overly sweet.
Enjoy them as a grab-and-go breakfast, a post-workout pick-me-up, or a festive holiday dessert. Trust me when I say you'll want to keep a batch in your fridge all season long!
Ingredients
- Raw cashews
- Pitted dates
- Almond flour
- Gluten-free oat flour
- Almond butter (or other nut butter)
- Pure maple syrup
- Molasses
- Cinnamon
- Ground ginger
- Nutmeg
- Pure vanilla extract
- Ground cloves
How to make gingerbread energy balls
- Place cashews in the bowl of a food processor and process until finely ground.
- Add the dates and process again until crumbly.
- Add the remaining ingredients and process until everything is incorporated, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
- Using your hands, roll the dough into about 12 balls. Dust with additional almond flour if desired.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for one week, or freeze for up to three months.
Top tips
Using almond butter
I found the quality of my almond butter to be so important when making these. I always buy almond butter that has only one ingredient (almonds) and make sure to stir well before using.
If your almond butter is causing your mixture to be too dry, you can add a few extra drops of maple syrup. If it's too wet or greasy, you can add a little more oat or almond flour.
How to pit a date
Pitted dates are readily available at the grocery store, and are fine to use for this recipe, but you'll get the freshest, stickiest sweet dates by pitting them yourself. To do this, use a paring knife to make a small slit down the front of the date, then use your fingers to push the pit out through the slit.
If your dates are very fresh you may be able to push the pit out without making a cut first. Make sure no parts of the pit remain.
If you add your dates to the food processor and hear a loud clacking sound, that means you missed a pit. Stop the food processor and carefully inspect the contents to find and remove the pit. It may already be stuck to the food processor blade.
How to store energy balls
Store your gingerbread energy balls in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.
You can also freeze the energy balls on a baking sheet until solid, then transfer to an airtight container in the freezer for up to three months. Let sit at room temperature for a few minutes before eating.
Tips for customizing your gingerbread energy balls:
- Swap the maple syrup for honey (not vegan)
- If you're not gluten-free, feel free to use regular oat flour
- Make your own almond flour or oat flour by running almond or oats through your food processor until finely ground and powdery
- Use the finished dough in place of the raw cookie dough in my chocolate chip cookie dough thumbprint cookies
- Dip the rolled balls in melted chocolate for more of a gingerbread cookie dough truffle
FAQ
The health of any food is always debatable, so it's hard to say if energy balls are good for YOU.
However, I believe that energy balls are a healthy snack to keep on hand. They're full of protein from the almond flour, almond butter, and cashews. They're also naturally sweetened with dates and maple syrup, no processed sugar here!
If your mixture is crumbly it's because your dates were a little dry or you didn't measure them carefully enough. You can fix this by adding water a few drops at a time until the desired consistency is reached.
More energy ball recipes
- Larabar Chocolate Brownie Bites
- Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Bites
- Lemon Poppy Seed Protein Balls
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Balls
- Cardamom Rose Energy Balls
- Peanut Butter Oatmeal Energy Bites
- Peanut Butter Larabars
- Pecan Pie Larabars
- Homemade Cashew Cookie Larabars
- Coconut Date Energy Balls
If you make this recipe, be sure to rate it, leave a comment, or tag #theliveinkitchen on Instagram!
Recipe
Gingerbread Energy Balls
Ingredients
- ¼ cup raw cashews
- 5 pitted dates
- 1 cup almond flour
- ⅓ cup gluten-free oat flour
- ¼ cup almond butter or other nut butter
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon molasses
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
Instructions
- Place cashews in the bowl of a food processor and process until finely ground.
- Add the dates and process again until crumbly.
- Add the remaining ingredients and process until everything is incorporated, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
- Using your hands, roll the dough into about 12 balls. Dust with additional almond flour if desired.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for one week, or freeze for up to three months.
Kayleigh says
I tried these today and they’re delicious! Thank you for the recipe.
Lindsay Moe says
I'm so glad you enjoyed them! It's definitely a favorite of mine.