The easiest and the most delicious Apricot Brazil Nut Energy Balls! Only 4 ingredients and 30 minutes to make. (raw vegan, GF)
Why you need to make these brazil nut energy balls:
Because they're delicious and oh so easy to make. And most importantly, they're very different from any other energy ball recipe!
The two main ingredients are brazil nuts and dried apricots which make these super special and really good!
Brazil Nuts
Brazil nuts make these energy balls different from every other energy snack you might be used to making. You can use almonds, cashews or any other nuts you prefer but I highly recommend brazil nuts for this recipe!
Benefits of brazil nuts
Just one brazil nut gives you more than the daily recommended amount of Selenium! I try to eat one brazil nut a day whenever I remember to keep my selenium intake high.
Brazil Nut also contain Copper, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Zinc, and Thiamine.
Brazil Nuts may help your thyroid function, help reduce inflammation, and they may be good for your heart and brain.
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Dried Apricots
I do a combination of both dates and dried apricots in this recipe. The majority is dried apricots, I only add the dates for extra sweetness and to make the dough stick together easier. Dried apricots are super delicious, you'll love these!
Benefits of dried apricots
Dried apricots contain lots of fiber, potassium, iron, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin A. They also contain antioxidants and may help with skin health, eye health, and gut health.
Why are some dried apricots bright orange and some brown?
Bright orange dried apricots are treated with sulfur dioxide (E220). The more SO2, the brighter the color.
Brown dried apricots are natural and not treated with sulfur dioxide. They're also coarser than the bright orange version.
I always buy the brown ones because they're the healthier version and I don't mind the color.
More energy balls and bars recipes:
- Zesty Lemon Coconut Energy Balls
- Birthday Cake Protein Balls
- Cranberry Maca Baobab Energy Balls
- Raw Chocolate Orange Energy Bars
📖 Recipe
Apricot Brazil Nut Energy Balls
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 30 mins
- Yield: approx. 25 balls
- Category: snack
- Method: Blending
- Cuisine: Amrican
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Delicious simple vegan energy snack. Great before a workout!
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup brazil nuts
- ¼ tsp cinnamon (optional)
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- ½ cup packed dried pitted apricots
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 Medjool dates (divided)
Instructions
- Add the brazil nuts, cinnamon, and salt into a food processor and pulse a few times until you get coarse crumble (process them less to keep the energy balls crunchier with visible pieces of nuts or more to make them softer).
- Add the dried apricots, 2 Medjool dates, and vanilla extract and process until it starts forming a dough. It should easily stick together when you try to form a ball. If not, add 1 more date.
- Scoop the dough out to form small balls, I did about 1-2 teaspoon each.
- Store in the fridge in an airtight container. They might get very soft from all the processing and rolling out but they will harden up in the fridge. They should keep for 1-2 weeks.
Notes
You can store these energy balls in the freezer for 1-2 months and just defrost a few every time you want a snack.
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Tiffany says
These look so yummy & healthy! Must try them out !
Veronika | thehealthfulideas says
Thanks, Tiffany! :)
Tina C. says
I love this idea!!! I am training for a full marathon and this looks like an excellent source of quick calories! I have to substitute the apricot, maybe dates?
Veronika | thehealthfulideas says
Yes you can totally use dates here! :)
Anna says
OMG those look delicious! I love apricots! Are those a special kind of apricot? I've never seen them so dark. Definitely saving this recipe to make later.
Veronika | thehealthfulideas says
Thanks! The regular bright orange dried apricots are treated with sulfur dioxide gas to prevent oxidation which is something I like to avoid. The ones I use aren't so they turn brown naturally during the drying process :)
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
O yes, I love it! Agnes is amazing and so inspiring with her writing and photography!
It is so important to stay true to your voice and not let other outside forces muddle it and get in the way!
Veronika | thehealthfulideas says
Totally! You can always remember the bloggers who are different in some way, the others just blend into the background.
Beth says
Yes! These look amazing. Kind of wish you lived next store to bring some over. Will have to try to make at home!
Veronika | thehealthfulideas says
haha if only I could send them through the screen!
Leslie says
These would be great for breakfast! Good luck with your March goals! I would like to focus on being more genuine in my posts too.
Veronika | thehealthfulideas says
Thanks, Leslie! <3
Carmen Baguio says
These look so yummy! They look like just the thing to tide me over in the afternoon so I don't reach for the chips!
Veronika | thehealthfulideas says
Thanks Carmen! Yep, they're an awesome afternoon pick-me-up snack! :)
Jessica Bradshaw (@loveyoumoretoo) says
These look delicious!!
Veronika | thehealthfulideas says
Thanks, Jessica! :)
Meaghan says
I saved this recipe so I can make it! It looks so delicious and the perfect snack before the gym. Thanks for sharing!
Meaghan xx
Veronika | thehealthfulideas says
Yay! Thanks Meaghan! Let me know how you liked them if you end up making them :)
Amanda says
I love your recipes! I totally get your challenge with the blogging, and how you are moving forward. Can't wait to see how it is going for you in the future. BTW...LOVE apricots. Recipe is a keeper.
Veronika | thehealthfulideas says
Thank you so much, Amanda!
Allison says
These look delicious! I love energy balls but haven't thought about using apricots!
Veronika | thehealthfulideas says
Me neither! I'd always used dates. These are really delicious and not as sweet as ones with dates only.
Giustina says
I've never made or tried energy balls before, but these look delicious! Thanks for sharing your recipe! :)
Veronika | thehealthfulideas says
Oh you should definitely make some! They're such a handy snack :)
Sarah Ricker says
These sound delish! I always love a good energy bite recipe to have around the house-keeps me from reaching for the real sweets!
Veronika | thehealthfulideas says
Same here! Thanks for checking them out! :)
Julia says
Love the recipe! Will have to give I a try. Have you ever weighed out the ingredients?
I feel there can be a lot of discrepancy with filling a cup with nuts and apricots because of their size. Weights never change. Thanks.
Veronika | thehealthfulideas says
I haven't unfortunately, sorry! It's a good point, I'll put that on my list to weigh the ingredients too. This recipe is really forgiving though so if you add slightly less or more of the nuts or apricots, it should still come out delicious. You just want everything to stick together well. Hope you enjoy the recipe!
Rebecca says
I love these kinds of energy balls! They are so easy to make and deeelicious. I'll have to try your recipe out soon! Apricot and Brazil Nuts sound so good right now.
Veronika | thehealthfulideas says
Me too, they're the best snack! :)
Jane Davidson says
These look AMAZING! I like energy balls but these ones look like some of the best I've ever seen. Pinned for later!
Veronika | thehealthfulideas says
Thanks so much, Jane!<3
Clarissa says
Paleo energy bites?! YES PLEASE! I'm so stoked to try these out this weekend! <3 Pinning!
-Clarissa @ The View From Here
Veronika | thehealthfulideas says
Yay! Hope you love them! Let me know how they were if you make them :)
Dorothy says
wow this is interestingI havent used apricot yet in my baked items. Also havent made energy balls before, closest i got was cake balls lol
Veronika | thehealthfulideas says
I haven't used dried apricots in baking yet either but they're amazing in these energy balls! ;)
Chrissy says
Mmh, yummy and healthy. The perfect combination!
Veronika | thehealthfulideas says
Thanks, Chrissy!
Kristine-Bites of Flavor says
These sound like a dream! I love anything that is packed with amazing flavors and no bake! Definitely making these soon!
Veronika | thehealthfulideas says
Yay! Thanks for checking them out! Hope you love them :)
Amanda | The Golden Girl Diary says
These look so yummy! I'll definitely be making them!
Veronika | thehealthfulideas says
Thanks Amanda!<3
Danielle says
First off, those Energy Balls look and sound amazing. Second off, it is so easy to run yourself ragged trying to blog and please everyone. In the end you end up burnt out, which is no good for anything.
Veronika | thehealthfulideas says
Thank you! And exactly. It's just not worth it.
Helen says
Those look amazing. I love foods that are the perfect combination of delicious and healthy.
Veronika | thehealthfulideas says
Thanks, Helen!<3
adriana says
These look so delicious! I need to try making these, they're such a perfect snack!
Veronika | thehealthfulideas says
Thanks, Adriana! Le me know how they were if you end up making them :)
Joscelyn | Wife Mama Foodie says
These sound so healthy and delicious! I make something like this, but I'll have to try with bazil nuts and apricots next time!
Veronika | thehealthfulideas says
Thanks Jocelyn! You'll love these! It's such an easy snack :)
rachel says
These look so delicious! I'll have to try them!
Veronika | thehealthfulideas says
Hope you enjoy! :)
Kristin says
I love this recipe! Brazil nuts don’t get enough attention!
Veronika | thehealthfulideas says
Agreed! Thank you, Kristin! :)
Joy Roxborough says
I’m not sure what ‘divided’ beside the dates in the recipe means. Can you tell me, please? I am making these tomorrow. Thanks
Veronika Sykorova says
The recipe says to add 2 dates first and then 1 more if it's not sticking together properly because I found some dates to be dryer than others. Sorry, it's an old recipe, I need to reword it better to make it easier to understand.
Betty says
I actually made these treats!
My only regret is that I wish I had made a full recipe, instead of just a half recipe ;-)
I substituted dried Montgomery Cherries for figs (so I could use them up), and soaked both the dried fruits in warm water for 5 min to soften before blending. Otherwise, no other deviation from the original recipe.
Next time, I might try rolling them in crushed pistachios as an outside coating.
Thea says
But don't eat more than a few per day. I read that Brazils have so much selenium you can overdose on it if you eat more than 3 of the nuts per day. So actually, I substitute walnuts for most of the Brazil notes, I make it about 2/3 to 3/4 walnuts. Tastes just as great.