These Anti-Inflammatory Date Balls aren't just another snack-they're a powerhouse of flavor and health benefits. Made with ingredients known for their anti-inflammatory and anti-aging properties, they're as functional as they are delicious. Freeze them for a deliciously healthy snack, a quick energy boost, or a guilt-free treat, with proven longevity-boosting ingredients!
Each anti-inflammatory date ball is rich in nutrient-dense superfoods including walnuts, sesame seeds, dates, cocoa powder, and strawberries. They provide a perfect balance of protein, fiber, and healthy fats.
I used fewer dates and added barberries for their delicious tang and anti-aging properties.
This Date Ball recipe was inspired by my Longevity Powder on my site, as well as my healthy Cream with Fruits snack, and this 10-minute Easy No-Churn Ice Cream inspired these longevity energy balls.
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👩🏼🌾 Date Balls Ingredients
- Quinoa adds a crunch and some protein but is optional.
- Dates: Some research indicates that dates can help lower blood glucose levels, reduce cholesterol and triglycerides, and increase beneficial HDL cholesterol. They also appear supportive of a healthy gut microbiome.
- Amla powder (optional) helps lower LDL cholesterol.
- Barberries (optional) contain berberine, which helps boost the AMPK and autophagy anti-aging pathways. (Or use dried unsweetened cranberries.)
- Strawberry Powder (optional) contains fisetin which boosts anti-aging autophagy, helps reduce inflammation, and may help fight cancer.
- Sesamin in sesame seeds helps reduce inflammation by lowering C-reactive protein
- Cloves (optional) are high in antioxidants
- Walnuts may slow the rate of telomere shortening (anti-aging)
- Cocoa powder - regular cocoa flavanol consumption may have positive effects on facial wrinkles and elasticity. I use this high-flavanol brand.
- Flaxseed meal can reduce inflammation by lowering C-reactive protein and is rich in lignans which may help fight cancer
All the ingredients are linked below for convenience, so you can easily find what you need. Check out the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for exact quantities and step-by-step instructions.
🍓 Substitutions
- Barberries - substitute with unsweetened cranberries.
- Protein powder- Add protein powder to this recipe for more protein. See my favorite storebought brand here.
For more healthy snacks, visit my Healthy Vegan Treats page.
📖 How to Make Anti-Inflammatory Date Balls
For the full recipe with quantities, scroll down to the bottom of the post. This is an overview.
- Optional: Rinse the quinoa and drain well. Transfer the washed quinoa to a large skillet or saute pan. Toast the quinoa over medium heat, stirring frequently. Keep cooking until the quinoa browns and smells nutty.
- Transfer the walnuts to the canister of a food processor fitted with an 'S' blade. Pulse until a fine meal forms.
- Add the dates, barberries, cocoa powder, vanilla, flaxseed meal, sesame seeds, strawberry powder, amla powder, ground cloves, and 2 teaspoons of water.
- Pulse until a uniform dough forms. Test the dough by squeezing it to see if it sticks together. Add the additional teaspoon of water if the dough does not stick easily. Scoop out 3 tablespoons of dough for each ball. Roll the dough between your hands to form a ball. Place the ball on a nonstick surface. Repeat until there is no more dough.
- Coat the balls with the toasted quinoa, if using. (Or add the toasted quinoa to the dough before forming the balls.)
- Optional: Refrigerate or freeze before serving.
✔️ Expert Tips
- Add protein powder as desired. See my favorite storebought brand here. You might need to add more water for the balls to stick.
- Pitted dates do not taste as fresh as whole dates. I recommend purchasing them whole and removing the pits yourself.
- For serving: These anti-inflammatory date balls taste best chilled or frozen. Refrigerate or freeze before serving.
- Storage: Store the energy balls in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or freeze for up to 3 months.
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Nisha's Longevity Ingredients
Get my tried and true longevity products here.
🙋🏽♀️ Recipe FAQs
Strawberry powder is a convenient way to add the benefits of strawberries to energy balls. It contains fisetin which boosts anti-aging autophagy, helps reduce inflammation, and may help fight cancer.
Every ingredient in this recipe is good for you. These healthy energy balls may help reduce inflammation (strawberry powder, flaxseeds, sesame seeds), reduce wrinkles (cocoa powder), reverse aging (barberries, cocoa powder, flaxseeds, strawberry powder, walnuts), lower LDL (amla powder), and fight cancer (strawberry powder, flaxseeds). Plus, they will leave you feeling energized and satisfied for hours.
🥄 Related Recipes
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Let me know your thoughts on Anti-Inflammatory Date Balls by leaving a ⭐️ rating below or sharing it on Instagram.
Anti-Inflammatory Date Balls
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Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons quinoa (optional)
- 1 ½ cups raw walnuts halves and pieces
- 10 Medjool dates pitted
- ¼ cup barberries or dried cranberries
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
- 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal
- 2 teaspoons sesame seeds
- 2 teaspoons strawberry powder (optional)
- ½ teaspoon amla powder (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves or cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon water plus more as needed
Instructions
- Optional for crunchy quinoa coating: Rinse the quinoa and drain well. Transfer the washed quinoa to a large skillet or saute pan. Toast the quinoa over medium heat, stirring frequently. Keep cooking until the quinoa browns and smells nutty.
- Pulse the walnuts: Transfer the walnuts to the canister of a food processor fitted with an 'S' blade. Pulse until a fine meal forms.
- Pulse ingredients: Add the dates, barberries, cocoa powder, vanilla, flaxseed meal, sesame seeds, strawberry powder, amla powder, ground cloves, and 2 teaspoons of water. Pulse until a uniform dough forms. Test the dough by squeezing it to see if it sticks together. Add the additional teaspoon of water if the dough does not stick easily.
- Scoop out 3 tablespoons of dough for each ball. Roll the dough between your hands to form a ball. Place the ball on a nonstick surface. Repeat until there is no more dough.
- Coat the balls with the toasted quinoa, if using. (Or add the toasted quinoa to the dough before forming the balls.)
- Chill or freeze before serving for the best-tasting energy balls.
Notes
- See the blog post for where to purchase these ingredients.
- Quinoa adds a crunch and some protein but is optional.
- Add protein powder as desired. You might need to add more water for them to stick.
- Pitted dates do not taste as fresh as whole dates. I recommend purchasing them whole and removing the pits yourself.
- Amla powder (optional) helps lower LDL cholesterol.
- Strawberry powder (optional) contains anti-inflammatory fisetin.
- Barberries (optional) contain berberine which helps reverse an aging pathway.
- Cloves (optional) are high in antioxidants.
Nutrition
This information is provided as a courtesy and is only an estimate. Nutritional values may vary depending on factors such as product types and brands used.
Sandy says
I made these Date Power Balls and they are absolutely delicious!!! It's hard to believe it's good for you!!!
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
So glad you enjoyed them! Thank you.
Marie says
These Date Balls are absolutely fantastic. It`s a new desert staple in our household! The freezer option is the best. We roll them in puffed amaranth and it also works great. Thank you so much for this awesome recipe!
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Love amaranth! So happy to read that you are enjoying them! Thank you.
Vicky says
Absolutely love these! Thank you!!!!
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Awww so happy to hear. Thank you.
Kajal says
Omg! These were devoured in about three days. What a perfect way to combine immune-boosting ingredients, and the proportions are perfect. Thank you so much! I would love to see more grab-and-go snacks.
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Thank you for giving them a try! So glad to hear you enjoy them as much as I do! More snacks to come:)
Stephanie says
I wanted to add that the right click is disabled on your page. I like to read your links throughout the post/recipe, but I can't open them in a new window. When clicked, could you set your links to open in a new frame so I don't lose the recipe page? Thanks!
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Hi. You can use the back button in the browser to go back to the recipe page. It does not get lost. Use the top left back button.
Stephanie says
These are delicious! Even my husband loved them. I LOVE the clove accent with the tangy barberry and the cocoa. I just need a solid food processor recommendation because my little mini Ninja one wouldn't respond well, and my bullet-style blender was a pain (but I saw it as the easiest option for cleaning compared to my Vitamix blender).
The only issue is I want to eat more than one!
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Yayyy! So glad you enjoyed them. This processor works well in batches and is small and reasonably priced. https://amzn.to/3WOeOUI
Cristy says
These date balls look delicious and would love to try them out! However, I am allergic to nuts. What do you recommend I use as a substitute for walnuts?
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Hi. You can use pumpkin seeds instead of nuts. Or choose a good quality seed butter. Hope this helps.
Deborah Ribeiro says
Could you use millet flour instead of quinoa?
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
That consistency is much finer but would work. They would just be more dense.
Sarah says
I make these energy balls on a weekly basis! Such a great recipe and keeps me full for hours. My one tweak is soaking the walnuts first remove the bitterness and i think this ever so slightly improves the texture too.
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
So happy to hear! My partner makes them for us weekly! I think it also depend what brand if walnuts you use.
Debra Eneau says
Gday. I am looking at the recipe on a phone and it is difficult to scroll.
It will be easier at my age to have a Recipe book , even if it is from your first publication. Please assist me to get a book
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Hi. I have an existing book: https://amzn.to/4gro6iG I also have a brand new book coming out in one month! Thank you
Jo says
I haven't made these energy balls yet, but they sound delicious. I'm wondering how many are a serving? The recipe says it makes "9 servings". Thank you.
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
One per serving! They are very satisfying!
Jan Brockway says
Hi Nisha, I haven’t made these yet but the strawberry powder. Can I use freeze dried strawberries? Just ground them up?
Thank you!!!😊
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Yes!
Maggie says
Delicious and surprisingly filling although I made a rookie mistake and added the dates to the walnuts before I had pulsed them so the result was a bit more chunky than it should have been!
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
So glad you still were able to enjoy it. Thank you.
Jillian Foster says
Amazing! I used goji berries instead of barbarries. I also coated with cacao nibs. So incredible! Thanks so much!
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Sounds delicious. Thank you!
Sheila says
Totally decadent. Nothing skipped and totally worth it. YUMMY. I have a small ice cream scoop and used it. I can't believe the taste. Thanks for this fabulous recipe.
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Yay! Thrilled to read this. Thank you.
Michele says
I made these Energy Balls and they’re great. The recipe was easy and I can eat them straight out of the freezer. I put the toasted Quinoa into the mixture so they have a slight crunch. Delicious
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Yayyy so happy they were a success. Thank you for leaving a comment.
Jan says
I made these without the strawberry powder. They are tasty from the freezer as suggested. Next time I will leave out the cloves and try some cinnamon. Even my husband likes them! Thanks Nisha
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
So glad! The cloves are quite a distinct flavr but they are packed with antioxidants. The most of any spice! But cinnamon is excellent too!
Willie says
Good food for the soul!
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Love that! Yes:)
Nadia says
Thank you so much Nisha for sharing your knowledge and wonderful recipes. Your are changing lives trust me. Your food choices are almost identical to my own taste buds. I can't wait to try the energy balls, no churn ice cream, two of the veggie burger recipes and so much more. I look forward to sharing how they all turn out. Take care 🌱
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Thank you for your lovely comment. Without people like you to try the recipes, there would be no joy in crafting them!
Helen Degen says
Hi Nisha,
I love all the nutrition info. you include with your recipes. Question: does cocoa and cacao powder have the same nutrition content? Is one better than the other?
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
You can use either. I typically use CocoaVia cocoa extract (linked in my post) because it has been tested and has a verified flavanol content and significantly lower cadmium levels than many commercially-available cocoa products on the market. Raw cacao beans are minimally processed so choose a reliable brand as it can be a source of foodborne pathogens, like salmonella, e. coli and mold. Roasting the raw cacao beans during processing is a natural way to eliminate these contaminants and enhance the chocolate flavor, and this ends up as cocoa powder.