These Gluten-Free Vegan Cacao Almond Balls are ready in less than 5 minutes and are made with nutrient-dense ingredients to keep you satisfied.
When I make a snack, I try to get as many nutrients in a snack in the tastiest way possible and these healthy almond balls are the perfect example.
I came up with the idea to make these because they include some of the same ingredients I use for my smoothies, so I decided to use them to make balls instead.
They are a great source of protein to keep you satisfied... just a ¼ cup of almonds has 8 grams of raw, vegan protein and not only does this recipe have 1 cup of almonds, but ½ cup of almond butter and ¼ cup of almond flour.
The hemp seed oil provides a healthy dose of omega-3 and omega-6 fats and you also have the maca powder and raw cacao superfoods to make this a nutrient-dense snack.
This would be a good recipe to use with homemade almond butter and you can even use your favorite liquid sweetener of choice.
You can feel good about making this recipe because it's made with clean, real food ingredients and is plant-based, gluten-free, vegan, dairy-free, lectin-free, no-bake, paleo-friendly and contains no refined sugar.
5 Fast Facts About Almonds:
- ¼ cup contains 8 grams of raw, vegan protein
- help regulate cholesterol and blood pressure
- energy booster
- high in antioxidants
- can reduce the risk of heart disease
5 Fast Facts About Maca Powder:
- increases stamina
- beneficial to the circulatory system
- can regulate hormonal imbalances
- acts as an anti-carcinogen and antioxidant
- enhances memory, learning, and mental ability
5 Fast Facts About Hemp Seed Oil:
- raw, organic, unrefined
- contains ideal omega-6 to omega-3 ratios
- contains super omega-3 which helps to metabolize fats
- 500 mg of omega-6 GLA per tablespoon
- 250 mg of omega-3 SDA per tablespoon
5 Fast Facts About Raw Cacao Powder:
- contains over 300 compounds: including protein, calcium, magnesium, copper, zinc, and iron
- super high in antioxidants
- contains 4 different neurotransmitters that act as anti-depressants
- contains essential fats
- can help to decrease blood pressure
5 Fast Facts About Date Nectar:
- 25% less sugar than honey
- vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, lectin-free, paleo
- organic + non-GMO
- great source of antioxidants
- made with organic California dates
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Karielyn's Expert Tips + Ingredient Substitutions:
Here are some of my expert tips to make this recipe perfectly:
Tip #1: This is not an overly sweet dessert and since I don't like my desserts very sweet, I only added 1 tablespoon of sweetener. If you prefer them a little sweeter, just add another tablespoon of the sweetener of your choice.
Tip #2: If you don't have or can't find organic maca powder, you can just omit it. I only added it to increase the nutritional profile.
Tip #3: If you don't have or can't find organic hemp oil, you can substitute it with organic coconut oil.
Gluten-Free Vegan Cacao Almond Balls
Ingredients
- 1 cup organic raw almonds
- ½ cup organic almond butter
- ¼ cup almond flour
- ¼ cup organic raw cacao powder
- 2 tablespoons organic hemp oil
- 2 tablespoons organic maca powder
- 1 tablespoon organic date syrup
- ½ teaspoon organic vanilla bean powder
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a food processor and process until everything is well combined and it has a thick paste-type consistency. Do not over process the almonds, they should be in tiny pieces.
- Adjust the sweetener to your preference.
- Take out a spoonful at a time and roll it between the palms of your hands to make a ball shape.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve to keep them firm.
- Store in an air-tight BPA-free container.
- Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
The recipe and photographs for "Gluten-Free Vegan Cacao Almond Balls" by Karielyn Tillman of The Healthy Family and Home™ website are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives 4.0 International License and cannot be used without my written permission.
Recipe Roundups: Food Bloggers are always welcome to use a photo and a link back to my original post to share on recipe roundups without requesting permission.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.
Want More Healthy Vegan Ball and Truffle Recipes?
Check out these:
- Vanilla Bean Peanut Butter Protein Balls
- Pistachio Sesame Seed Balls
- Vegan Chocolate Fudge Truffles
- or my Clean Eating Cookbook with an entire chapter of 20 healthy, clean eating ball and truffle recipes just like this one that you will love!
Did You Make This Recipe?
I'd love to hear about it! Please give it a rating and leave a comment below...it would make my day! 🙂
Christina says
Hi great recipe! I definitely think I'll make these today even! But not with honey. I miss eating honey but it's not vegan. Not with the true meaning of veganism... Sorry I didn't want to be the vegan nazi... But unfortunately that ingredient disqualifies this recipe from authentically being vegan.
What would you suggest I use instead? I'm thinking agave might be too runny and maple syrup isn't raw.. Maybe rice malt or something? Or molasses?
Hmm not sure. I'd love to know what you think?
Thanks for the great website! Great reading. I'm glad I stumbled across it
Karielyn says
Hi there Christina! I would try to use raw coconut nectar, which is what I use in place of maple syrup. It's really thick and has a taste ~somewhat~ similar to maple syrup, although not identical. It's also low glycemic too and would officially be called "raw" and "vegan".
You could also try 4 - 8 large (pitted) mejool dates, which are also officially "raw" and "vegan".
On the sweetener, I listed a vegan option in lieu of the raw honey, which would qualify the recipe to be called "vegan" if it were to be used. But as you pointed out, it would not technically be "raw". Only if you chose to use either the raw coconut nectar or medjool dates, would it officially be considered raw/vegan.
I like to present my recipes with different dietary label options and ingredients and let the reader decide what works best for them. Example...it could be a vegan recipe or raw recipe...depending on the sweetener you use. And, in the rare occasion of my recipes that are labeled "vegan" and contain raw honey, I always give a 100% vegan sweetener option.
Another thing to keep in mind is unless you use almond butter, almond flour and almonds that are 100% unpasteurized (purchased outside the U.S.) they are not technically/officially raw either, as all U.S. almonds have to be pasteurized and can still be labeled "raw". So if we are going to be technical/nazi with the honey and maple syrup, we need to be with the almonds too 😉
Anyway, thanks for your question and I hope you get to try them with one of the raw/vegan sweetener options because they are really good 😉
Karielyn Tillman says
Update 5-10-25: I've updated this recipe without using raw honey as an ingredient option. Instead, you can use organic date syrup, organic medjool dates, organic maple syrup, or organic coconut nectar - all which are 100% vegan! Enjoy! 🙂
Omani Soups says
hi, this is my favorite almond sweet recipe.Easy to make but never have enough to keep in fridge.
Karielyn says
Hi there! I'm glad you liked the recipe...thanks for stopping by 🙂