balls/bites• Featured• gluten-free• paleo• snacks• vegan

Chocolate Lavender Energy Balls

Name: Chocolate Lavender Energy Balls
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 2 cups raw almonds; 2 cups medjool dates, pitted; 1/4 cup raw cacao (or cocoa powder); 2 tbsp dried lavender; 1/2 tsp salt; optional: 1-2 tsp of almond milk to thin out mixture

March 4, 2020

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Add a floral boost to your snacks with these delicious and nutritious chocolate lavender energy balls. Made simple with just 5 ingredients and coming together in just 10 minutes!

I’m often asked where I get the inspiration for my recipes. Most of the time it’s from going out and experiencing life! Maybe it’s trying an interesting combination at a restaurant or a friend (ahem Jess!) cooked up something delish. And then sometimes it’s a total fluke. Like this recipe for Chocolate Lavender Energy Balls. In this case, I was whipping up my Almond Joy Energy Balls for my sister-in-law for 3:00 am snacking after she had a baby. I figured the last thing you want to worry about while nursing a baby in the middle of the night is what to eat. Meanwhile, it was the evening and I was sipping on my usual mug of lavender tea.

Ever since I did my herbalism course I keep all kind of herbs on hand for various reasons. Lavender has and while always be my favorite. I have a mug of lavender tea most nights to help calm my nervous system and get a better night’s sleep. So of course while I was rolling away at the energy balls, I had to have one for myself. I then washed it down with some lavender tea and this my friends, is where the magic happened! The flavors of the chocolate and dates mixed with the lavender was divine! I knew in that moment that I had just come up with a new recipe.

So a few days later as I was making energy balls for myself and C I decided to do a variation adding some dried lavender to the mix. The result was perfection and a new energy ball recipe was born. This recipe is for anyone who loves a good chocolate + floral mix and/or is sick of their usual energy balls. Plus it has a solid dose of lavender for a nutritious herby boost. But first, here’s some things to know about the recipe…

What is dried lavender?

This recipe calls for 2 tbsp of dried lavender. But what is lavender? Lavender is a fragrant herb with beautiful, small purple flowers that have a multitude of benefits including help with sleep and reducing anxiety. It is typically harvested fresh and then dried in bundles. Flowers are then removed for many uses. NOTE: not all dried lavender is edible! It is sometimes harvested for use in potpourri which may mean that the flowers have been sprayed with pesticides or other additives to boost scent. Always be sure to purchase organic, edible dried lavender.

Do you need to use a food processor?

Honestly, you kind of do. You can get away with making this recipe in a powerful high-speed blender like a Vitamix but truthfully it still takes much longer and I don’t find the texture is as good. Do NOT attempt to make this recipe in a nutribullet. I use this 14-cup Cuisinart food processor and it is awesome and effective!

Tips for making energy balls

Not only is a food processor pretty essential for making energy balls, I do have a couple other tricks up my sleeve to ensure the perfect snack on-the-go.

Try to use fresh medjool dates when you can. The recipe has a better flavor and the balls come together much faster with fresh medjool dates. Just don’t forget to pit them before processing!
To speed up time you can process the almonds first on their own to break them up before adding the other ingredients, however this is not essential.
Don’t forget the salt! Seriously – it brings out the flavor!
If your mixture is having a hard time coming together, first thing is to be patient. Break up the mixture and allow it to process again. Repeat this a few times. If it really isn’t coming together add 1-2 tsp of almond milk to get it moving. Just use sparingly as you don’t want the recipe to be too wet.
Store in an airtight container for the ultimate freshness. They will keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or longer in the freezer. Just throw this in a bag or container for snacking on the go!