Smooth and fudgy, these chocolate coconut date balls with walnuts and almond extract are so easy to make. Keep a container of these refined sugar-free fudge bites in the freezer for anytime you want an indulgent whole food dessert or sweet treat.

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What should we call these? Truffles, date balls, energy bites, energy balls, fudge? They'll answer to any name. You just need to try them! They're sweet, indulgent and chocolatey.

These are an easy make-ahead sweet treat to keep in the freezer, take to a party, for post-partum snacks or on-the-go energy.

🧄 Very useful ingredient notes

Medjool dates - Look for dried Medjool dates, which are often softer and more tender than other varieties, like deglets. Be sure to remove the pit from the dates before adding them to the food processor. Date pits are very hard and inedible. They must be removed before working with them! Remove any little hard stem at the end of the date also.
Shredded coconut - Use the smallest shredded coconut you can find, preferably fine desiccated coconut used for making macaroons. This will make the date balls smoother in texture. Stay away from using coconut "chips" for this recipe. They're way too big.
Dark chocolate - Look for a dark chocolate that has no milk products in it, so that it is vegan and dairy-free. This recipe is great for using up the last square or two of a chocolate bar you have in the freezer.
Almond extract - The almond extract makes these taste like fudge to me! They are not as intensely sweet as the traditional fudge I made with my family growing up, but they tick all the boxes and actually I prefer them, since they're naturally sweetened.

📋 Substitutions and variations

Here are some suitable substitutions you can use for the ingredients:

Medjool dates - can be substituted with deglet noor dates, as well. If your dates are very dry, soak them in warm water for 10-20 minutes to rehydrate them, then drain all the water before using them in the recipe.
Shredded coconut - Finely shredded coconut can be substituted with ground flaxseed meal.
Peanut butter - can be substituted with other nut butter like almond butter, cashew butter, tahini or sunbutter.
Almond extract - can be substituted for vanilla extract, pistachio extract, orange extract, or another flavored extract you like.
Dark chocolate - can be substituted for mini chocolate chips or omitted altogether.
For rolling the outside for decoration: instead of shredded coconut, you can use finely chopped walnuts, cocoa powder, finely chopped pistachios (or fun sprinkles!)

🔪 Instructions

Step-by-step guide for how to make these chocolate coconut date balls.

process shot ground walnuts in food processor

Step 1: Your food processor shines for this recipe. It will do all the work for you. We're first going to process the walnuts until they are finely chopped, about the size of panko breadcrumbs. Then, add the pitted dates (make sure you remove the pits and any hard stem pieces first!) and process again until the dates are finely chopped.

Step 2: Then, add all the other ingredients (if you'd like to roll them in coconut for decoration, reserve some of that).

Step 3: Process the rest of the ingredients until everything is well combined and it forms a thick "dough". Then, remove the blade and get ready to roll up some date balls!

Step 4: Place some coconut or finely chopped walnuts in a bowl. Then, take about a tablespoon of the mixture and roll it in your hands into a little ball. Roll in coconut/nuts and then place in a mini muffin tin, plate or tray that will fit in your freezer or refrigerator. Repeat until you've used up all the dough. Then, place the tray in the freezer or refrigerator to chill and set for at least 30 minutes.

Expert tips

When you're done rolling them, they'll still be a little soft and moldable. Use a mini muffin tin to keep the date balls separated while they chill in the freezer or refrigerator. This keeps them from getting disformed while they're warm/room temp.
Once they're cold, you can transfer them to a container with a lid for storage.
I keep my dates and walnuts in the refrigerator to keep them fresh longer. So, my ingredients are cold when I make these. If your dates are room temp (or hot), you may see a different consistency (more of a paste, instead of the food processor chopping the dates) when processing your mixture, but the results should be the same. You may have to scrape down the sides of your processor to keep everything together.

🥡 Make ahead and storage tips

These date balls store best in the refrigerator or freezer, where they will stay firm and keep their shape. Heat will make them soften.

So, once they have set, you can transfer them to an airtight container and place them in the refrigerator or freezer for storage.

They will stay good in the refrigerator for about a week. You can enjoy them immediately out of the refrigerator.
They will stay good in the freezer for 4-6 weeks. They take a minute or two to thaw straight from the freezer.

I've found these same principles to hold true for most energy bite recipes I've made.

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