5 ingredients, 1 bowl and less than 30 minutes to make. These Zesty Lemon Coconut Energy Balls are easy to make and so delicious!
Delicious lemon and coconut energy snack
These Lemon Coconut Energy Balls are a great healthy snack and a great change if you tend to always grab the chocolate-flavored energy bars at the store.
The lemon zest gives these energy balls great freshness and goes really well with the coconut flakes.
They're incredibly easy to make and they'll last you a week in the fridge. You can also freeze them for up to a month and defrost them as needed.
They're made with Medjool dates which make these a great pre-workout snack. The carbs give you all the energy you need and each ball also has 1.5g of protein.
What ingredients do you need to make these energy balls?
It's super simple, you only need 6 simple ingredients with 1 extra optional one.
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- raw cashews - Cashews have a mild flavor and let all the other flavors here shine but you can use almonds if you don't have cashews.
- shredded coconut (unsweetened) - Make sure to use shredded coconut, not flakes.
- sea salt - Salt balances all the flavors and brings out the sweetness of the dates.
- Medjool dates - These are essential, they bind everything together and make the energy balls sweet.
- lemon zest - Citrus zest is the star of the show here. You can also use orange zest.
- freshly squeezed lemon juice - Just like the zest, you can substitute lemon juice for orange juice here.
- optional: lemon extract - I like using lemon extract or lemon oil to enhance the lemon flavor even more but it's just as delicious without it.
I love making energy balls because there are endless flavor combinations and they're so easy to make!
All you need to do is throw it all into a food processor and let it do its thing until it's all ready to eat. Then you just take the dough out and shape it into little bites and it's done.
Zesty coconut-y energy balls perfect for your next snack attack. You'll be glad you made them (speaking from experience)!
More sweet vegan snack recipes
- Apricot Brazil Nut Energy Balls
- Birthday Cake Protein Balls
- Cranberry Maca Baobab Energy Bites
- Raw Chocolate Orange Energy Bars
📖 Recipe
Zesty Lemon Coconut Energy Balls
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 20 mins
- Yield: approx. 24
- Category: snack
- Method: Raw
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Delicious zesty coconut energy balls that only require 6 ingredients and less than 30 mins to make! Vegan and gluten-free.
Ingredients
- 1 cup cashews
- 2 cups shredded coconut (unsweetened)
- pinch sea salt
- 10 Medjool dates, pitted
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ¼ lemon extract (optional)
Instructions
- Place the cashews, shredded coconut, and salt into a food processor and pulse a few times until crumbly.
- Add the dates, lemon zest, lemon juice, and the lemon extract (if using) and process until you get dough consistency (only a few minutes). It should stick together when you press it between your fingers.
- Roll into small balls, about ½ tablespoon at a time (you can wet your hands if it gets too sticky).
- Store in the fridge in an airtight container for a week or in the freezer for a month.
Notes
These would also be delicious with orange zest and juice instead of lemon.
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Taylor Meehan says
These look incredible, adding this to my recipe list for sure.
Veronika | thehealthfulideas says
Yay! Thanks so much Taylor!
Shannon Burlingame says
Lemon and coconut sound like the PERFECT combination! I can't wait to try these! :)
Veronika | thehealthfulideas says
It totally is! Hope you love them, Shannon! :)
Kennedy Lazar says
These look delicious! And those pictures make them look 10x better! I'll have to give them a try
Veronika | thehealthfulideas says
Thanks so much Kennedy! Let me know how they were if you do :)
Jill says
I need to break out my food processor and make these- they look awesome!!!! I love coconut things - thanks for sharing!
Veronika | thehealthfulideas says
Thanks, Jill! You definitely should! ;)
Helene says
I had to pin this for later! This just sounds way too delicious not to try!
xo, Helene
http://www.circleskirtsandpetticoats.wordpress.com
Veronika | thehealthfulideas says
Thanks, Helene! :)
Michelle says
Looks delicious! Can't wait to try!
Maya @ FilteredFamily.com says
Ok these look so good! I'm making these for treats this week!
Veronika | thehealthfulideas says
Hope you enjoy! :)
Leah says
I can't wait to try these!! There are so many energy balls out there but most have chocolate and peanut butter, I need a change and this is perfect! Thank you for sharing pinning for later
Veronika | thehealthfulideas says
Yay! Hope you love these! Yeah I love my chocolate but it's nice to change it up once in a while :)
Jessica says
This look so delicious! I need to make them minus the coconut for me!
Veronika | thehealthfulideas says
I bet these would also be delicious with hemp seeds! :)
Anita says
Yum yum yum I love energy balls and eveything cocount. I am allergic to nuts but that's okay, it looks delicious.
Veronika | thehealthfulideas says
You can always sub the cashews for more coconut or any seeds :)
Jazz says
These look fab. And, as usual, your photography is beautiful!
Veronika | thehealthfulideas says
You're too sweet, thanks, Jazz! :)
Stacey says
I love nut energy balls, how have aI never thought to add lemon before! These look so tasty =)
Veronika | thehealthfulideas says
They're super delicious! Thanks! :)
Stephanie says
Can I make them with pecans, walnuts or almonds since I don't have any cashews nor a store close to where I live (small white village in Spain) that I can buy them at today...also, I believe you mean raw nuts, yes?
Thanks for a reply as I want to make these ASAP!
Veronika | thehealthfulideas says
Yes, those are raw nuts. You can make these with any nuts you like, I chose cashews because they have the mildest flavor and they don't overpower the coconut and lemon. I'd probably go with almonds. I love pecans but I don't know how it would make these lemon balls taste. Macadamia nuts would also be great but those are even harder to find than cashews.
Stephanie says
Just to say thanks for the reply and oh so yummy! I made these today using 1/2c almonds and 1/2c walnuts plus I added 1/2tsp extra lemon juice for some more tartness. They are wonderfully moist and tasty. We are taking them on a camping trip which always includes long hikes so we need the quick easy snack.
Veronika | thehealthfulideas says
I'm so glad you liked these, Stephanie! Happy camping!
Kim says
I have to make these, they look delicious. Perfect for snacking on at work!
Veronika | thehealthfulideas says
Totally! Thanks! :)
Anonymous says
Was wondering if you used sweetened coconut flakes or unsweetened? Thanks
Veronika | thehealthfulideas says
Unsweetened, but make sure it's shredded coconut, not the big coconut flakes.
Anonymous says
These look amazing. Did you use sweetened or unsweetened coconut flakes?
Veronika | thehealthfulideas says
I used unsweetened :)
sharona says
what many grams of protein, carbs, sugar do i get from one ball... possible to know?
Veronika | thehealthfulideas says
I haven't implemented nutritional value info into my recipes yet so I'm not sure, sorry! I'm planning to start sharing that soon.