Energy balls – also known as bliss balls or energy bites – are one of my all-time favourite snacks that I regularly prep in advance. Besides taking them to work as a pick-me-up I also have them for a quick breakfast sometimes, along with a cup of hot matcha milk.

My go-to combination used to be an – unquestionably delicious, but rarely varying – peanut or almond butter vanilla energy ball. Since then I’ve been inspired by the multitude of variations on instagram and other blogs to widen my horizon. This cinnamon energy pairing is one that I ended up loving way more than I ever thought, which is why I had to share it here. My version is based on this one by Running on Real Food, so a large chunk of the credit goes there! I ended up adapting the ratios and omitting the maple syrup.

Cinnamon Raisin Energy Balls

Makes: 8-10, depending on the size

Ingredients

• 200g dates*
• 75g oats, blended to a fine powder
• 2 tbsp chia seeds (whole or blended along with the oats)
• 3 tbsp runny almond butter
• 3-4 tbsp raisins
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground vanilla bean
• pinch of salt

*The dates must be soft. I use the Sukari pitted dates from Dattelmann (international website), which are gorgeously squidgy. You can use “blueberry15” for 15% off non-discounted items. I’ve been using them for years and adore them. If your dates are dry try soaking them in hot water first and draining, before blending. You can also buy pre-blended date paste in packets of 1 kg, which makes life that tiny bit easier!

Method

1. Blend the dates to a paste and work in all the ingredients with the exception of the raisins.
2. Roll even balls out of the mixture by hand.
3. They can be kept in the fridge for several days or in the freezer for even longer. I like to store them by twos in a little container, so I can just grab them from the fridge before I head out the door.

Enjoy! 

Feel free to tag @blueberrysmiles22 if you share your creations on instagram, so I can share in the joy 🙂

Perfect with a coffee or just on their own. They’re my desk snack of choice.