Chai Spice Energy Balls

I keep seeing mention of quarantine snacks on social media. Yesterday afternoon, it occurred to me that I was running low on snacks myself! As I considered about what to make, I thought back to these chai spice energy balls, which I made and shared with my yoga community a couple months ago (feels like a lifetime ago now).

These are really the same date/nut energy balls I’ve been making for years and years, with the addition of a chai-inspired spice blend. Nothing groundbreaking, but a new-to-me combination that works really nicely.

Over time, I’ve learned that I like these types of snacks best when I use more dates than nuts, hence the ratio of ingredients in the recipe. When you process all of the ingredients, be sure to process for a good long time (at least a full minute), until the mixture is already sticking together in the food processor. That’s the second trick to getting a soft, chewy texture.

I’m sharing the recipe as I originally made it, which makes about 46 small balls. They can be frozen and stored in the fridge, so if you’d like to have extra or are feeding a bigger family, go for it. When I made them yesterday, I made a half batch, which was exactly as much as I need right now. Feel free to do that, too, if you don’t need a lot of snacks all at once.

Author – Gena Hamshaw

1 1/2 cups (scant) raw cashews
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
2 cups packed, pitted medjool dates

Place the cashews and spices into a food processor fitted with an S blade. Process for a minute.
Add the pitted medjool dates. Process for another 1-2 minutes, until the mixture is clumping together in the processor. Stop the processor and try squeezing a small amount in the palm of your hand; it should be very soft and stick together easily!
Roll the mixture into small (~1 inch) balls. Store in an airtight container in the fridge or freeze. Enjoy!

Store the balls in the fridge for about a month, or in the freezer for up to two months. Recipe can be halved (this may be preferable if you have a smaller food processor!).

I know weekends and weekdays are blurring together for many folks right now, but all the same, I wish you a restful weekend. Maybe you can set aside a little time to make some sweet, wholesome vegan snacks 🙂

I’ll see you for weekend reading!

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