If you’re a beginner cook looking for an easy and nutritious snack recipe, you’re in the right kitchen! These Cocoa Ginger Energy Balls are the perfect snack for anyone wanting to whip up something simple and nutritious in no time. Made with just a few basic ingredients, this recipe is a great starting point for anyone looking to experiment in the kitchen.
The simplicity of this recipe makes it an excellent starting point for anyone looking to experiment and have fun in the kitchen. Once you’ve mastered the basics of making energy balls, you can start to experiment with different flavors and ingredients, such as nuts, dried fruits, and spices.
What You’ll Need for Cocoa Ginger Energy Balls
Seven simple ingredients will get these delicious bites on your plate quickly.
- Crystallized ginger: If your ginger is in large pieces, take a knife and cutting board and roughly chop it into smaller bits. They will mix into the bites better this way. I love The Ginger People’s crystallized ginger best.
- Chocolate chips: Milk or dark chocolate is the way to go.
- Peanut butter: Almond butter would also work well.
- Oats: Try rolled, old fashioned, or quick oats.
- Flax meal: A quick way to add extra fiber and nutrients.
- Cocoa powder: A chocolatey flavor that blends well with ginger.
- Honey: A bit of extra sweetness to pair with the heat from the ginger. If you want more heat, use hot honey.
How to Make Cocoa Ginger Energy Balls
A recipe like this is a fantastic way to play and learn in the kitchen. Truly all you need is is a food processor or blender and everything can be combined all at once.
Step 1: Measure all ingredients and chop crystallized ginger into small pieces if it was purchased in large chunks.
Step 2: Blend all ingredients in the food processor until formed.
Step 3: Use a tablespoon to scoop out the mixture and roll it into balls using your hands.
Step 4: Store them in the fridge for up to two weeks. They will dry out toward the end of two weeks. As an alternative, you can freeze them, spaced out on a cookie sheet and put them in a ziplock bag to keep for up to three months in the freezer
Variations
It’s really simple to change up an energy bite recipe to fit your preferences and needs. Swap ingredients for similar ones like flax meal for hemp hearts or peanut butter for almond butter. If ginger isn’t your favorite, swap in any dried fruit instead.
Another way to vary this is to push the mixture into a small loaf pan. Refrigerate it for up to four hours, remove, and slice into granola bars instead.
Storage
As I said above, these can easily be stored in the fridge for up to two weeks. I find they start getting a bit dried out toward the end of that time period. Store them in an airtight container or in a ziplock bag.
Another option is to freeze them for up to three months. To freeze them, use a cookie sheet and freeze them spread out on a sheet for about an hour. Then move them into a freeze gallon size bag or container.
To thaw them, take them out of the freezer when you want to eat them. They will be ready to eat at room temperature pretty quickly. You can also put them in the fridge overnight so you have a ready-to-eat bite in the morning.
Serving Suggestions
These energy balls make a quick snack, for in between meals or they can be eaten with other foods to form a full meal. I recommend pairing them with a piece of fruit and some yogurt for a full breakfast. Or if you pack a snack/bento box for lunch add one or two to the meal for that sweet and nutritious component.
More Energy Ball Recipes
Need some more ideas for energy balls like these? Try similar, tasty recipes such as Puppy Chow Energy Bites, Candy Corn Energy Bites, Peanut Butter Oreo Balls, Pumpkin Protein Balls, or Three Ingredient Peanut Butter Oatmeal Balls!
Cocoa Ginger Energy Balls
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup crystallized ginger
- ¼ cup chocolate chips
- ⅓ cup peanut butter
- 1 cup oats
- ⅓ cup flax meal
- 3 tbsp cocoa powder
- ⅓ cup honey*
Instructions
- If you purchased large chunks of crystallized ginger, chop the pieces into smaller pieces so they mix well into the bites.
- Add all ingredients to a food processor to blend until the mixture is well formed.
- Use a tablespoon to scoop out mixture and use your hands to roll into about 15 energy bites.
Notes
- Instead of regular honey, if you want a little more heat swap in hot honey or half regular and half hot.
- If you want to make bars instead of balls, just push the mixture evenly into a small loaf pan. Refrigerate it for about an hour and slice it into bars.
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