These Gluten-Free Vegan Crispy Cashew Butter Energy Balls are an easy and healthy recipe made with only 9 clean, real food ingredients. They're the perfect plant-based afternoon or lunchbox snack that can be prepared in about 10 minutes!
Gluten-Free Vegan Crispy Cashew Butter Energy Balls
Here's why this recipe works - my top 3 reasons:
- Healthy lunch box or on-the-go snack
- Can be prepared in about 10 minutes
- Made with clean, real food ingredients
Healthy Lunch Box or On-The-Go Snack
These nutritious little plant-based energy balls are the perfect on-the-go or lunch box snack that you can feel good about packing for you or your family.
Typical lunch box snacks are filled with GMO's, food colorings, preservatives, and highly refined sugar that leads to empty calories and an energy crash.
For example, here's the 17 ingredient list for a popular store-bought lunch box snack:
S.A.D. (Standard American Diet) Brach's Hi-C Fruit Snacks Ingredients: Apple Juice From Concentrate, Pears From Concentrate, Corn Syrup, Gelatin, Grapes From Concentrate, Sugar, Ascorbic Acid, Carnauba Wax, Malic Acid, Mineral Oil, Red 40, Sodium Citrate, Sorbitol, Natural And Artificial Flavors, Blue-1, Yellow-5, Yellow-6
You don't have to send you children away with a processed snack like the one above when you can make a nutrient-dense snack like my healthy energy balls!
Can Be Prepared In About 10 Minutes
These energy balls are perfect when you need a quick bite-size snack or even meal prep because they're made in a matter of minutes with only a food processor!
For example, simply add all the ingredients to a food processor, process everything together, then roll them into a ball shape.
You can enjoy them right away or let them firm up in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
Made With Clean, Real Food Ingredients
The ingredient list for these energy balls is packed with nutrient-dense ingredients.
For example, ingredients such as cashew butter, ground flax seeds, chia seeds, coconut oil, brown rice cereal and they're naturally sweetened with Medjool dates.
My healthy recipe is plant-based, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, contain no refined sugar and is Medical Medium® Compliant.
"Feel good about what you eat..."
- Karielyn Tillman
Expert Tips + Ingredient Substitutions
Here are some expert tips to make this recipe perfectly:
Cashew Butter. I used homemade cashew butter, which was adding (1 ½) cups of raw cashews in a food processor until it became creamy, about 5 - 7 minutes. It will make (½) cup of cashew butter, which is the amount you would need for this recipe.
You could also use organic store-bought cashew butter and would only need the (½) cup shown in the recipe.
Coconut Oil. If you don't like the taste or smell of coconut oil, use organic refined coconut oil which has zero coconut taste and smell.
Vanilla Bean Powder. Can be substituted with organic pure vanilla extract in the same amount.
Gluten-Free Vegan Crispy Cashew Butter Energy Balls
Ingredients
For the cashew mixture:
- ½ cup organic cashew butter
- 4 organic Medjool dates (pitted)
For the balls:
- 1 cup organic gluten-free brown rice cereal
- ¾ cups organic almond flour
- 1 tablespoon organic ground flax seeds
- 1 tablespoon organic coconut sugar
- 1 tablespoon organic chia seeds
- ½ tablespoon organic coconut oil
- ¼ teaspoon organic ground vanilla bean powder
Instructions
- Prepare a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper then set aside.
Prepare the cashew mixture:
- Add the cashew butter and dates (pitted) to a food processor and process until well combined and the dates are broken down into tiny pieces.
Prepare the ball mixture:
- Add the remaining ingredients, with the brown rice cereal being last to add, and process until well combined...being careful not to over process.
- Depending on the consistency of your cashew butter, you may need to add a little extra almond flour. Add (1) extra tablespoon at a time until the mixture is firm enough to hold a ball shape.
Assembly:
- Take out a small spoonful at a time and squeeze the mixture in the palm of your hand tightly, then roll it in to a ball shape.
- Place the balls onto the prepared cookie sheet.
- Transfer the cookie sheet to the refrigerator for approximately 30 minutes, or until the balls are firm.
- Store in an air-tight BPA-free container in the refrigerator or freezer until ready to serve because the balls will get soft and lose their shape if left out at room temperature.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition Information
Copyright Notice
The instructions, notes, and photographs for this recipe by Karielyn Tillman of The Healthy Family and Home™ website are copyrighted material. This copyrighted work is protected and licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives 4.0 International License and the Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DMCA) and cannot be legally used without my written permission.
Want More Healthy Plant-Based Energy Ball Recipes?
Check out these:
- Pistachio Sesame Seed Balls,
- Lemon Meltaway Balls
- Cacao Nib Superfood Truffles
- or my CLEAN DESSERTS Cookbook with 72 plant-based no-bake dessert recipes made with clean, real food ingredients just like this one that you will love!
Sarah Grace says
Yumm, I'm seeing tons of these delicious ball recipes of all kinds for this month!
xoxo Sarah Grace
Karielyn says
Hi there Sarah Grace! I know, there are so many good ones to choose from! I just love your Blueberry, Lemon and Chia Seed Protein bars...yum!
Thanks so much for stopping by 😉