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5 from 4 votes
by Marly
8
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These no-bake carrot cake energy balls are clean-eating and delicious in every bite. If you love the flavors of an egg-free carrot cake, these energy balls infused with carrots and spices will be your new favorite! so add healthy energy to your day that tastes delicious and is filling, too.
Are you trying to infuse your life with healthier ingredients? Maybe you’ve even tried baking healthier? That can lead you down a rabbit hole of wondering is carrot cake is healthier than regular cake.
There is a time for baking, but overall, go ahead and indulge in your favorite cakes. Then return to these vegan carrot cake bites for a seriously healthy treat.
Of course, another healthy cake option is this carrot cake mug cake. It’s a perfect recipe when you’re in a hurry.
However, these energy balls are a perfect pick-me-up for the afternoon doldrums, and they’re easy to make. I actually prefer these to cookies sometimes, if you can believe it.
Table of Contents show
What Makes This Recipe Shine?
- Using carrots in energy bites adds flavor, texture, and bright color
- Pumpkin pie spice adds the warm spices-infused flavor you expect from this healthy treat
- Walnuts are the secret ingredient that adds the ultimate carrot cake flavor to these energy bites
Key Ingredients
You can find the full printable recipe, including ingredient quantities, below. But first, here are some explanations of ingredients and steps to help you make this recipe perfect every time.
Here are the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe, including substitution ideas:
- Oats — This recipe uses rolled oats, otherwise known as old-fashioned oats. You could use instant oatmeal, but it will change the texture.
- Ground flaxseed — You can adjust the amount of ground flaxseed used based on your personal taste preference. Flaxseed is a great source of omega-3s.
- Dates — I recommend using around 10 to 12 Medjool dates. Don’t forget to remove those pits!
- Spices — We’ll use both ground cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice to make every bite infused with these warm flavors.
- Coconut Flakes — I use unsweetened shredded coconut in the batter. You can also roll the carrot energy balls in shredded coconut.
- Agave Nectar — You’ll need just a bit of agave nectaror maple syrup
- Almond butter — You could substitute peanut butter, but I find almond butter has a more neutral flavor. I buy a lot of my vegan products at Costco, including the Kirkland mixed nut butter that I use for this recipe.
- Chopped carrots — You can use a whole carrot or several baby carrots. We always have whole carrots around for our green smoothies so that’s what I use.
- Walnuts — I like adding chopped nuts to the batter for the flavor they add.
- Dried cranberries — Colorful dried cranberries are added to each bite to contribute flavor, texture, and color. You can substitute raisins.
Ingredient Spotlight
Which Dates are Best?
Medjool dates are perfect for these energy balls thanks to their soft and chewy texture with a rich, caramel-like flavor. Compared to regular dates that are firmer, Medjool dates are perfect for this recipe. Native to Morocco, Medjool dates may appear to be a dried fruit like raisins, but they are actually a fresh fruit. Removing the pit is crucial as it is very hard and can cause damage to your food processor blades. You can find Medjool dates at stores like Sprouts, health food stores, and even Costco.
How to Make Carrot Cake Energy Balls
- Create oat date flour by pulsing oats, dates, flax, spices, and coconut flakes in a food processor.
- Add agave nectar, almond butter, and carrots and pulse several times until the carrots are broken down into small bits.
- Add walnuts and dried cranberries and pulse again to break them into smaller pieces.
- Roll dough into evenly-sized balls.
- Serve as is or roll in coconut flakes.
Marly’s Tips
The dates should be soft and tender. If yours are firm or have dried out, place them in a microwave-safe bowl and heat them for a few seconds.
Want to make carrot cake energy balls without dates? Substitute 1/4 to 1/2 cup of maple syrup or agave nectar for the dates.
Reader Reviews
★★★★★
Lauren
These energy balls are better than having cookies. I love them and they’re healthy too!
Forming Energy Bites
Use a cookie dough dispenser to create evenly-sized dough bites. Use your hands to roll them into balls. Serve them as is or roll them in shredded coconut flakes or chopped walnuts.
I like to reserve a few chopped nuts and dried cranberries to press some into each individual ball. That way each one has the distinctive color and flavor that these two ingredients provide.
Storage Tips
Store carrot cake balls in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. They can be frozen in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months.
That’s it for these carrot cake protein balls. Enjoy!
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Carrot Cake Balls
High energy, clean eating snacks, these carrot cake energy bites do so much more than add healthy to your day, they taste delicious and are filling too!
5 from 4 votes
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Course: Snack
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes minutes
Servings: 14
Calories: 132kcal
Author: Marly McMillen
Ingredients
- 1 cup rolled oats
- ⅓ cup ground flaxseed
- 1 cup medjool dates , pitted (around 10 to 12 dates)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ¼ cup coconut flakes
- 2 tablespoons agave nectar , or maple syrup
- 3 tablespoons almond butter
- 1 cup chopped carrots
- 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
- 2 tablespoons dried cranberries , or raisins
Instructions
Combine oats, ground flaxseed, dates, spices, and coconut flakes in a food processor. Pulse to combine until it resembles a coarse meal.
Add agave nectar, almond butter, and carrots to the food processor. Pulse several times. Use a spatula to push down contents and then pulse again until carrots are in small bits.
Add walnuts and dried cranberries. Pulse again to break into smaller pieces.
Use a cookie dough dispenser to create evenly-sized balls. Use your hands to form into balls. Serve as is or roll in coconut flakes.
Store energy balls in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Recommended Equipment
Food Processor
Cookie Scoop
Spatula
(The products above contain sponsored links to products we use and recommend)
Calories: 132kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 9mg | Potassium: 194mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 1543IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 1mg
The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator and should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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