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Hey guys! I’m excited to share a new mix & match recipe with you today: Mix & Match No Bake Energy Balls.
As you probably know by now, I’m a huge fan of flexible recipes that let you swap around ingredients based on what you have on hand.
Mix & match recipes are my favorite way to cook, or in this case, not cook!
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This energy ball recipe formula lets you run free with the perfect combination for the ultimate tasty, nutritious, and convenient no-bake snack.
Combine any assortment of nuts, dried fruit, mix-ins, and seasonings for energy balls that are easy to throw together and even easier to eat on-the-go.
I love keeping a batch of energy balls in my fridge each week – not only do they help fuel me through busy days, but now my daughter loves them too (I just make sure the nuts are really ground up and give her little pieces of it)!
My go-to formula for easy – and totally customizable – no bake energy balls require just 4 ingredients and a super simple method.
I’ll walk you through the formula first, then share some favorite combinations – and then at the end of the post you’ll find the full recipe card with the base recipe and instructions.
Enjoy!
Mix + Match No Bake Energy Balls Recipe Formula
Ingredient 1: Nuts
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Start with 1 cup of nuts – just about any type will do!
I usually rotate between almonds, walnuts, pecans, peanuts, and cashews, but feel free to throw pistachios, macadamia nuts, etc. into the mix, too.
You’re not limited to one type of nut, either – you’ll need 1 cup of nuts total, but that could be 1/2 a cup each of two different nuts or any other combination that adds up to a cup.
Ingredient 2: Dried Fruit
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Next, you’ll need 1 cup of dried fruit.
Just like with the nuts, almost any type or combination will work. I love to use dates, raisins, dried cherries, and dried figs, but feel free to play around with dried apricots, cranberries, prunes, mangoes, and more.
Just be sure to use soft dried fruit (as opposed to freeze-dried fruit or crunchy dried fruit like banana chips), since the moisture from the fruit is what holds everything together.
Ingredient 3: Mix-Ins
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Dry mix-ins help keep the mixture from getting too sticky, making it much easier to shape.
Mix-ins also add more flavor and a nutritional boost to your energy balls!
You’ll need 1/4 cup of a dry mix-ins – I’d suggest rolled oats, unsweetened coconut, or ground flaxseed – or a combination of those.
Ingredient 4: Flavor Booster
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Lastly, add spices and other flavorings to make everything pop!
I always add a small pinch of salt to my energy ball mixture to balance the flavors (unless I’m using salted nuts, that is), but after that, pretty much any seasoning is fair game.
Cinnamon, unsweetened cocoa powder, and vanilla extract are good places to start, but feel free to mix in other spices like ground ginger, nutmeg, or cardamom.
These mix-ins can really be added to taste, but I usually start with 1 teaspoon of spices and extracts and/or 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder.
No Bake Energy Ball Recipe Combination Ideas
I’ve included the base recipe at the end of this post for quick reference, but here are some of my favorite no bake energy ball recipe combinations to get you started.
Cashews + Dates + Coconut + Cocoa Powder
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This combination is simple and sweet, but not too sweet!
A tablespoon of cocoa powder adds chocolate flavor without making it too decadent, and the pinch of salt really brings out all the flavors in this combination.
Walnuts + Raisins + Oats + Cinnamon
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This combination reminds me of an oatmeal raisin cookie – only much simpler to make… :)
Pecans + Cherries + Coconut + Cocoa Powder
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The inspiration behind this combination is German chocolate cake!
Dried cherries bring a nice tart bite to compliment the richer chocolate and nut flavors.
Almonds + Dates + Coconut + Cinnamon
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This is one of my favorite classic combinations – you can’t go wrong with dates and almonds blitzed together.
These energy balls also make great fuel for long runs – you can try oats in place of the coconut for an extra carb boost.
Walnuts + Almonds + Figs + Flax + Vanilla
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The seeds in dried figs add such a fun pop of texture to these energy balls, and I love pairing figs with all the nuttiest flavors – flax, walnuts, and almonds.
What energy ball combination are you going to try first?!
Here’s the base recipe for quick reference. Enjoy!
Basic No Bake Energy Ball Recipe Formula
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Ingredients
- 1 cup nuts
- 1 cup dried fruit
- 1/4 cup mix-ins (oats, unsweetened coconut, or ground flaxseed)
- pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon spices and/or 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
Instructions
Place everything in the bowl of a food processor, then process until the mixture is finely ground and clumps together when pressed (usually about 1 minute).
Divide the mixture into 12 even pieces and roll into balls.
Enjoy immediately or keep in the fridge for easy snacking!
Notes
You may need to add a tablespoon of water towards the end to help everything clump, depending on how sticky your dried fruit is. You want the end product to be sticky enough to hold together when pressed into a ball, but not so sticky that it sticks to your fingers.
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