My ORIGINAL Gluten-Free Vegan No-Bake Pistachio Sesame Seed Balls are an easy and healthy recipe made with only 5 clean, real food ingredients. They're the perfect plant-based snack or post-workout treat that can be prepared in under 10 minutes!
"Pistachio Sesame Seed Balls" post was originally created, photographed, and published on March 18, 2014, by Karielyn Tillman of The Healthy Family and Home™ and not OneGreenPlanet.
Table of Contents
Here's Why This Recipe Works
My top 3 favorite reasons:
- Made Using Just a Food Processor - No other special equipment needed!
- Can Be Prepared In Under 10 Minutes - Simply process all the ingredients in a food processor then roll them into a ball shape!
- Made With Clean, Real Food Ingredients - Nutrient-dense and healthy ingredients such as pistachios, almond butter, sesame seeds, Medjool dates, and coconut oil.
You can feel good about making my healthy plant-based recipe because it's vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, no-bake, no refined sugar, lectin-free, paleo-friendly, and Medical Medium® Compliant.
"Feel good about what you eat..."
- Karielyn Tillman
Ingredients
Here are the clean, real food ingredients I used to make this recipe. Try to use organic if possible.
- Almond Butter
- Pistachios
- Sesame Seeds
- Medjool Dates
- Coconut Oil
That's it! My Pistachio Sesame Seed Balls recipe is super easy to make!
Fun Fact!
This recipe was featured in my CLEAN DESSERTS Cookbook which contains 72 no-bake gluten-free vegan desserts made with clean, real food ingredients!
Frequently Asked Questions
The key ingredient in this recipe is pistachios but I have a few suggestions for substitutions, although I haven't tested them.
To make my Pistachio Sesame Seed Balls nut-free, you can substitute the almond butter and pistachios with sunflower seed butter and sunflower seeds. Here’s a quick adjustment:
1. Replace Almond Butter: Use sunflower seed butter instead.
2. Replace Pistachios: Use sunflower seeds in place of pistachios.
This way, you maintain the texture and flavor while keeping it nut-free!
If you're looking for balls similar to my Pistachio Sesame Seed Balls recipe, here are a few options:
Energy Balls: Dried Blueberry Protein Energy Balls, Triple Seed Energy Balls, or my Lemon Meltaway Balls.
And, if you're looking for savory and healthy plant-based snacks, here are some tasty alternatives:
1. Nut and Seed Bars: These can be made with a mix of nuts, seeds, and dried fruits, pressed into a baking dish and cut into bars. Try this recipe: Chewy Nut and Seed Bars!
2. Raw Veggie Chips: Slice vegetables like kale or zucchini thinly, season, and dehydrate or bake for a crunchy snack. Try this recipe: Dehydrator Corn Chips!
3. Hummus and Veggies: Pair your favorite hummus with raw veggies like carrots, cucumbers, or bell peppers for a healthy crunch. Try this recipe: Spicy Jalapeno Beet Hummus!
For even more healthy snack ideas, check out my Healthy Snacks and Healthy Desserts recipe indexes!
Although I haven't tested the recipe without dates, you can try to substitute dates in my Pistachio Sesame Seed Balls recipe with another "sticky" sweetener.
Some alternatives I would try are:
1. Dried figs: They have a similar sweetness and texture.
2. Raisins: These can work well if you want a sweeter flavor.
3. Maple syrup, brown rice syrup or raw honey (not vegan): These liquid sweeteners could replace dates, but you may need to adjust the dry ingredients accordingly.
Keep in mind that the flavor and texture might change slightly with these substitutions, but they can still yield delicious results!
Due to the coconut oil in the recipe, the balls will need to be stored in the refrigerator in an air-tight container until ready to serve. Once the coconut oil becomes room temperature, the balls will get soft, messy, and lose their shape. Storing them in the refrigerator will keep the coconut oil in a "hardened" state which is what helps bind the balls.
That's a great question! Nut and seed balls are a staple in a healthy, plant-based diet, so I didn't create the first ever nut and seed ball recipe.
However, I had to distinguish my recipe version and photos as “original” because my photos and complete recipe also appear on OneGreenPlanet, who unfortunately uses bloggers content to generate profit for their website by using bloggers content in their recipe app, cookbooks and by charging readers to print a recipe.
In addition, prior to August 1, 2025, they did not link back to the original author’s content and photos for credit or attribution. Their links either went to dead links or to an author page on their website but never back to the original author’s website URL.
For this reason, I do not recommend their website and would ask that you visit and support the original author’s website for recipe content instead of recycled and duplicate content on the OneGreenPlanet website.
In regard to this recipe, “original” means if you see my photos and exact recipe from March 18, 2014 (word for word) on another site, primarily OneGreenPlanet, mine was the original and was posted first.
Karielyn's Expert Tips + Ingredient Substitutions
Here are some of my expert tips to make this recipe perfectly:
Almond Butter: This can be substituted with another neutral-flavored nut butter such as cashew butter or sunflower seed butter.
Pistachios: You can use raw pistachios or roasted + salted pistachios. If you use raw pistachios, you may want to add 1-2 pinches of Himalayan pink salt or sea salt.
Medjool Dates: I used this to "bind" the ball mixture, but you could substitute with a thick liquid sweetener such as organic date nectar or organic brown rice syrup.
Coconut Oil: If you don't like the taste or smell of coconut oil, use organic refined coconut oil which has zero coconut taste or smell.
Serving Size: This recipe will make approximately 14 small balls. Nutritional information is calculated for (1) ball which is (1) serving.
Order Recipe Ingredients
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Gluten-Free Vegan No-Bake Pistachio Sesame Seed Balls
Ingredients
For the balls:
- ½ cup organic almond butter
- ½ cup organic pistachios
- 1 cup organic Medjool dates (pitted)
- 1 tablespoon organic coconut oil
For the add-in:
- ½ cup organic sesame seeds
Instructions
- Prepare a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, then set aside.
Prepare the balls:
- Add all ingredients for the balls to a food processor and process until the pistachios are chopped finely and everything is well blended. The mixture should have a wet, crumbly texture.
Add the add-in:
- Remove the blade from the food processor and add the sesame seed add-in to the mixture.
- Stir in by hand until they are well combined and evenly distributed.
Assembly:
- Take out a spoonful at a time, squeeze it in the palm of your hand a couple of times to make the mixture is tight and compact, then roll into a ball shape between the palms of your hands.
- Place the balls onto the prepared cookie sheet then transfer to the refrigerator for approximately 15-30 minutes to firm.
- Store in an air-free BPA-free container in the refrigerator until ready to serve because they will get soft and lose their shape if left out at room temperature.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition Information
Copyright Notice
The notes, instructions, and photographs for this recipe are copyrighted material and are protected under the Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DMCA). They cannot be used legally without my written permission.
More Healthy Vegan Pistachio Recipes
- Pistachio and Matcha Truffles
- Flourless Vegan Chocolate Pistachio Cookies
- Chocolate Avocado Pistachio Truffles
- or my Real Food Vegan™ 14-Day Meal Plan Program with 42 plant-based vegan + gluten-free recipes made with clean, real food ingredients just like this one that you will love!
Sarah says
Such a delicious and feast recipe. I take a couple in my lunch and they keep just fine.
Thanks for the yummy treat!
Karielyn says
Hi there Sarah! I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed them! Thanks for trying out the recipe and for taking the time to let me know you liked it... I really appreciate it! 🙂
Vanessa Candle says
These were so tasty!!!
Karielyn says
Hi Vanessa! Thanks so much...glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe! 🙂
gaetan says
hello
thanks for the recipe, but :
- you write that these balls 5 ingredients, but i only see 4 (almond butter/ pistachios / sesame seeds / dates) : is the 5th ingredient coconut oil ? is it used only for the preparation of the almond butter
- pay attention to coconut oil : it seems that this oil is not as healthy as believed, because it is full of saturated fatted acids which are unhealthy (sorry if it is in french here -http://sciencefourchette.com/science/sante-lhuile-de-noix-de-coco/- but you can certainly find som info in english)
Karielyn says
Hi there! Yes, there are 5 ingredients in this recipe: almond butter, pistachios, sesame seeds, dates and coconut oil. The coconut oil is not part of the almond butter but as a separate ingredient - 1 tablespoon.
I appreciate you sharing your thoughts about coconut oil. I personally believe it is a healthy oil, but everyone should do their own research and do what they feel is best. I also believe that it's a good idea to look at both sides of an issue, as some studies and articles can be tainted and biased, as explained in this post ---> https://foodbabe.com/coconut-oil-healthy-controversy-explained/
Thanks for the question and I hope you enjoy the recipe! 🙂
Marcia says
Do these have to be kept cold? So if you were to put a couple in your bag to munch on later in the day, sure they'd be softer, but would they still be okay to eat or do they need an ice pack to stay cold?
Karielyn says
Hi Marcia! They are better to keep refrigerated because they will stay firm, but they will not go "bad" if they are not kept cold. They will probably get soft and maybe a little messy due to the coconut oil changing consistency at room temperature, but they would still be safe to eat.
Thanks for your question and I hope you enjoy the recipe! 🙂
Janet says
Love this recipe!! Great sweet healthy treat and very easy to make!! Keep up the wonderful work your doing ?
Karielyn says
Hi there Janet! I'm so glad to hear that you enjoy the recipe and thank you so much for the kind comments...I appreciate you taking the time to let me know both 🙂
Petra Koulia says
Hello! Could I use pistachio butter instead of almond butter for this? I have a jar of it that I would like to use up.
Thanks in advance!
Karielyn says
Hi there Petra! I've never made them with pistachio butter but it sounds really, really good! If I had some pistachio butter on hand, I would give it a try and don't see why it wouldn't work.
Thanks for the question and I hope you enjoy the recipe 🙂
Fay says
I'm not a big date fan. Do you think dried figs would work?
Karielyn says
Hi there Fay! I've actually never tried or used dried figs before, but if they have the same consistency of dates I think they should work. I used the dates not only for the sweetness, but because they are "sticky" and they kind of hold everything together so I would think figs would do the same.
Thanks for your question and I hope you enjoy them 😉
JP says
What an easy and amazingly delicious recipe! I feel like I just encountered an angel finding you and your website! The layout, your explanations, your "where to buy" and "tips" are so helpful and reassuring! I feel as if I just found a tremendous support system as well as a kindred-spirit friend! I can't thank you enough! I am so excited to connect with you~! Keep up the beautiful work!
Karielyn says
Hi there JP! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave the kind words that you did. It really means a lot to me and I sincerely appreciate it.
I'm excited you found my website and hope you make yourself at home and find some recipes you'd like to try.
Thanks again and know that your comment just made my day 😉
Sel says
These are amazing!
I've made them three times in as many weeks. My new favourite (and everyone else's!).
Thanks for the recipe 🙂
Karielyn says
Hi there Sel! I'm so glad to hear that you're enjoying the recipe...and the best part is, they are so good for you that you can enjoy them guilt-free!
Thank you for trying out my recipe and for taking the time to let me know how much you like them...I really appreciate it 😉
Moin says
These were delicious! And healthy too!
I had similar dry fruits ball few weeks back. It was delicious and costly too!
My wife was excited when I made her these nutritional seed balls. 😉
Karielyn says
Hi there! Thanks so much and I'm happy to hear they got a thumbs up from your wife!
Tina says
These were delicious! 🙂
Karielyn says
Thanks so much Tina! 😉