Name: Vegan Matcha Energy Balls
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Cuisine: Vegan
Ingredients: 120g almond flour (1 cup); 2 tbsp coconut Oil; 1 tbsp desiccated coconut; 2 tsp matcha powder (plus extra for the optional coating); 2 tbsp vegan protein powder (vanilla flavoured); 5 dates pitted, roughly chopped; 2-3 tbsp filtered water

Delicious little balls of bliss with this Vegan Matcha Energy Balls Recipe. Created with a base of almond flour and dates.

As you may very well know: I’m a big snacker! And as a big snacker, I like to focus on creating delicious, nourishing and satisfying snacks in advance, that are not only tasty but also on a healthier side than some of their commercially produced counterparts. This Vegan Matcha Energy Balls Recipe was originally created years ago (in 2017 to be precise), but I have recently (in 2021) overhauled and updated this recipe blog post.

These matcha energy balls are a perfect energy booster! I like to keep them in the fridge in a bowl or airtight container, ready to go as a little snack and energy kick whenever I need it. I personally love the flavour of green tea and the subtle bitterness that comes with it, so I also sprinkle more matcha powder onto the outside of these energy balls (this might not be the right way for some, but feel free to adapt to however you enjoy these match energy balls the most!).

These balls are created on a base of almond flour and dates, which make the mixture perfectly sticky to roll into little balls. I personally like to add fresh Medjool dates and I remove the pits beforehand. Alternatively, you can also use dried dates – as these are firmer and less juicy, however, you will need to soak them upfront.

What you’ll need to make this Vegan Matcha Energy Balls Recipe

Ingredients

almond flour – I get mine in bulk from Buywholefoodsonline
coconut oil – best use extra virgin for this recipe as it comes with a less strong flavour than other coconut oils
desiccated coconut
matcha powder – I have used Clearspring for this recipe
vegan protein powder – vanilla or neutrally flavoured)
dates – I like to use Medjool dates for this recipe

Equipment

food processor or blender (a stick blender works as well)
a bowl

Which Vegan Protein Powder to use for these Energy Balls

For this recipe I have used the MyVegan Vanilla Soy Protein Isolate – it’s one of my staples in creating vegan sweets and recipes. It’s very high in protein with a subtle vanilla flavour and it’s great for use in recipes (though I don’t enjoy it as a protein shake on its own, just as a side-note).

I have also tried the Matcha flavoured protein from Pureblend Co before, which works a treat in this recipe too. I think you can pretty much use any neutral, vanilla or matcha flavoured protein in this recipe as these will perform best. I would stay away from protein powders that add other flavours into the mix (e.g. chocolate, coffee, berry flavours etc) and also ideally choose a protein that is not hemp-based, as hemp often brings a strong flavour with it.

How to make Matcha Energy Balls

The process in making these vegan Matcha Energy Balls is fairly simple: Prepare your ingredients beforehand, measure the ingredients and remove your stones from the dates. If you are using dried dates instead of fresh dates, please first soak them in warm water for 15 minutes before continuing with the recipe.

Place all ingredients into a food processor and blend until the dates are incorporated with the other ingredients. You should get a fairly smooth and sticky mixture with only small chunks left.

Both a food processor and stick blender have worked well in making this recipe before. I personally haven’t used a regular blender for this recipe (these are usually a little more difficult to blend firmer and less liquid things), but in theory, you can use it as well.

Transfer the mix to a bowl and place it in the fridge for a minimum of 1 hour. This will help firm up the mixture.

Once the time elapses, you can remove the mix from the fridge and start forming your energy balls. Best use a teaspoon to portion the bites, then form the balls by rolling the mix between your hands. This recipe should be sufficient for about 10-15 energy balls, depending on the size you’re creating.

This recipe is:

100% vegan
naturally gluten-free
egg-free
dairy-free
natural and delicious
easy to make
a great snack on the go!