How To Make Pecan Pie Energy Balls (Recipe)

Another cooking video for y'all today!

Energy balls, or bliss balls (they have a million names), are pretty popular, and I like them because I don't always want a full energy bar. Sometimes I just want a few bites of something to keep me going, or I'm feeling snacky. These are great because they taste amazing (like snacks, really), and you can eat as few or as many as you want. They're easy to take with you for just about any activity, plus they taste amazing with coffee when you just want something sweet.

Here's one of my favorite energy ball recipes made with only a few ingredients (meaning easy shopping, less mess, happy me). It's made with dates, pecans, and maple syrup, so it really has a good pecan pie flavor. Give your nuts and oats a good toast before processing to eliminate that raw taste and bring out their natural flavors a bit more. I toast both the nuts and oats at 300* which is low enough that the risk of burning is minimized, plus it toasts more thoroughly, so things aren't just toasted on the outside. Since I like to grind mine down quite a bit, I want them flavorful the whole way through. It's not an essential step, but it makes enough of a difference for me to spend the time to do it....sooo....there you go. Make sure to let them cool down all the way before you mix everything together.

I also like to chop my dates a bit before they go in the food processor, to minimize the wear and tear on the motor and also make sure there aren't any pits. I generally add some of the maple syrup to the processor with the dates to help them break down a little better.

Process your nuts, oats, then dates with syrup. Dump that plus the rest of the ingredients in a big bowl and mix by hand. You can do it in a mixer if you want, but it might be hard on the motor, so I choose to do it with my own tools. :)  I use a 1 oz portion scoop that isn't quite all the way full, so they end up being about 3/4 of an ounce each, so roughly 1/3 to 1/2 of a normal energy bar. Again, you don't have to use a scoop, but I like to so that they are roughly all the same size. Habits and quirks that come from years of professional cooking....ha. Scoop and roll your balls - add a little extra maple if they seem dry or are too tricky to shape.

Store in an airtight container, refrigerated if you want, for up to 3 months. Keep away from humidity and extreme temperatures to keep them at their best quality, and discard once they taste or feel stale.

Delicious, no-bake energy balls made with pecans, dates, oats, maple syrup, and spice. This is quick and simple to make with just a few ingredients, and they taste great for a healthy snack too! I hope you enjoy!

PECAN PIE ENERGY BALLS RECIPE:

4x's batch (makes about 60 balls)
820g (1# 12 oz) dates, chopped
600g (1# 4 oz) toasted pecans
200g (7oz) toasted oats
220g (7.75oz) maple syrup
1 Tablesoon cinnamon
1 tsp salt

1x's batch (makes about 15 balls)
220g (7 oz) dates, chopped
150g (5oz) toasted pecans
50g (1.75oz)  toasted oats
55g (2 oz) maple syrup
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt

Toast nuts and oats at 300* F for 20+ minutes (check every 5 minutes after 15 minutes have elapsed to makes sure they don't burn).
Process oats, then nuts in food processor on high speed. Process dates with maple syrup in batches to avoid burning out processor motor.
Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl, then add date/maple mixture and mix by hand.
Scoop into 2-3 bite portion size and roll into balls.
Store airtight for 2-3 months.
​Enjoy!