Vegan Chocolate Coconut Energy Balls

About an hour from where I live there's this amazing little café called Pressed. It's close to where my family lives, and my sister is lucky enough to go there all the time. She enthusiastically suggested that I try their chocolate coconut energy balls, and since chocolate and coconut are a combination that I'll never turn down, I was easily convinced. Well, I was in love at first bite. Those little delicacies are moist, soft, and taste like delicious little cake bites that are well worth driving an hour to eat. I get them every chance I get.

I came up with this recipe while trying to recreate those heavenly little balls from Pressed. These have more of a fudge-like texture than cake, but the result is equally addictive. They're effortless to prepare, and are a great addition to your weekly meal prep. Just a few ingredients and a ride around the food processor, and they're ready to be rolled and refrigerated.

I've tried making this recipe in both my Vitamix and my Cuisinart food processor, and my preference is in the food processor. In fact, I find that I prefer the food processor for most date-based recipes. The dates are quite sticky, and I've found that they really stick to my Vitamix blade when making recipes without a moistening agent (such as plant based milk or water). If you only have a high powered blender like Vitamix or a Ninja, you can try adding in a few splashes of water or plant based milk to help it blend better. Be sure to only add a little bit at a time so that you don't make the batter too watery.

I like the energy balls as written in the recipe, but they're also great with some mini chocolate chips, dried cherries, nuts, or chia seeds mixed in. Just don't add in too many or they won't stick together. They keep best when stored in the refrigerator for a few days, or freezer for a few months. I store mine in the refrigerator and take them out up to 30 minutes before I plan on eating them. They're the perfect post-workout snack; just pop one on the counter, sneak in your 30 minute workout, and you have a snack ready when you're done. They're also great for hiking, lunchbox snacks (if you're not in a nut-free class), traveling, or when you're craving something sweet. If you're watching your calories or carb counts, you can make 16 balls instead of 8 to keep the portion size small.