We made it! It’s the end of the week, and it’s time for something sweet: healthy energy balls that taste like bites of gingerbread cookie dough. These Ginger Cookie Healthy Energy Balls are Monday kind of wholesome with a Friday kind of flavor. They’ve also been my saving grace this week.
After publishing my Summer Bucket List on Tuesday, I had a small panic attack that we are halfway through June and I hadn’t checked off a single thing on it. My theory that putting our hopes and goals into the universe is proving true because instead of spending my time on responsible things like work or cooking myself a proper breakfast, I’ve been scanning state park websites for campsite availability, calling locals farms to see when strawberries will be available for picking, and ordering straw hats.
Instead of “adult” groceries like vegetables and chicken, I walked out of the grocery store with three bottles of rosé, a basil plant, and a watermelon.
The summer bug bites hard, and I’m scratching!
While my January self might view my current disregard of meal planning and laundry washing as unwise, my June self is quite pleased with the look of her calendar over the next few months. She’s also very, very grateful to have a stash of Ginger Cookie Healthy Energy Balls in her freezer, because the only thing in her refrigerator right now is a half-eaten watermelon and an almost-empty jar of peanut butter.
The recipe for these healthy energy balls hails from my lovely friend Phoebe’s book, The Wellness Project. You may know Phoebe from her blog, Feed Me Phoebe, which is how the two of us “met,” first on the interwebs, then in person when I visited New York. In the book, Phoebe honestly, often hilariously, chronicles her yearlong experiment to regain her health and feel more, well, well. She tries everything from cutting out caffeine, sugar, and alcohol (at the same time!!), to supplements, to using all-natural beauty and home products, to drinking aggressive amounts of water. Every chapter describes a new regime she tests, her honest findings of what did/did not seem worth the sacrifice, and tips for those looking to try something similar.
A large driver behind Phoebe’s experiment is Hashimoto’s, a thyroid disorder from which she suffers and about which she talks openly throughout the book. Although I am fortunate enough not to suffer from chronic health issues myself, I still thoroughly enjoyed the book and found it relatable. Phoebe’s tone is fun, chatty, and honest, she presents research where it’s needed, and, best of all, she finds actual balance between extremes. Reading it felt as if I were sitting down for coffee with a friend.
In addition to sharing her story, Phoebe also shares recipes at the end of every chapter, including these ginger spiced healthy energy balls, or, as she calls them, “Beauty Balls.” Beauty balls. Doesn’t that sound wonderful? They’re high in fiber, antioxidants, and healthy fats, and their star ingredients—sesame seeds, almond butter, and flaxseed meal—are great for your skin.
How to Store and Freeze These Energy Balls
- To Store. Store healthy energy balls in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
- To Freeze. Place energy balls in an airtight freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months.
These Ginger Cookie Healthy Energy Balls are also vegan, raw, gluten free, no bake, and naturally sweetened. The good girl gang is all here, and they still taste like ginger cookie dough. On a Friday, Monday, or any day, I couldn’t ask for more!
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Ginger Cookie Healthy Energy Balls
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Ingredients
- 1 cup old fashioned rolled oats
- ¾ cup almond butter
- ½ cup finely shredded unsweetened coconut
- ½ cup ground flaxseed meal
- ¼ cup sesame seeds
- ¼ cup maple syrup*
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients to a large mixing bowl: oats, almond butter, coconut, flaxseed, sesame seeds, maple syrup, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt. Stir by hand with a wooden spoon or spatula, until the mixture is incorporated and sticky. Place the bowl in the refrigerator for 10 minutes, or until the mixture is firm and easy to shape.
- With damp hands, take 1 tablespoon of dough and shape it into a compact 1-inch ball (squeeze a little as needed) and place it on a plate. (Keep a bowl of water by your side, since the mixture is easier to handle with damp hands.) Repeat with the remaining batter. Enjoy immediately or store in the refrigerator for 2 weeks or freeze for 3 months.
Notes
- *If you prefer not to use maple syrup, you can swap raw honey or 1/3 cup chopped Medjool dates. If using dates, puree them in the bowl of a food processor along with the almond butter first, then add the resulting paste to the bowl with the other ingredients.
- Store in the refrigerator for 2 weeks or freeze for 3 months.
- Recipe swap—make them chocolate: Replace the spices with 2 teaspoons cocoa powder to make these full-fledged raw chocolate “cookies.”
Nutrition
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Thank you for sharing this recipe! I love it. I add crystallized ginger. My best batches were made with a moist, crunchy almond butter.
YAY Tina! I am so pleased to hear this, thank you (and thanks for the almond butter note too)!
Loved this recipe! I subbed the maple syrup for molasses, to make it more iron-heavy. Also added a small handful of candied ginger that had been sitting in my pantry begging to be used. Excellent balance of spices and textures, thank you for such a friendly, quick, and nutritious recipe!
Luz, I’m glad you enjoyed the energy balls! The candied ginger sounds like a delicious addition.
Do you think I could make a substitution for the coconut with 2 scoops vanilla protein powder if I want to have this with more protein?
This may just be wishful thinking on my part since I have all the other ingredients..
Thanks
Hi Michelle! I have not tried adding protein powder to these, but you could certainly experiment. It may not be a straight swap for the coconut but you can give it a try and adjust the honey/maple syrup and almond butter if they’re not holding together. If you decide to experiment, I’d love to hear how it goes.
Made these as written, so good. But I do have a hint for mixing, I mixed all the dry ingredients together and mixed the maple syrup and almond butter together. Then added wet mix to dry ingredients and mixed well. This insured that the spices were more evenly distributed as well as the almond butter and syrup. Thank you for another winner!
I’m happy to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, Cheryl! Thank you for taking the time to share this kind review and your tip!
made it and enjoyed it, since we love ginger
I’m so pleased that you enjoyed the recipe, Jaya! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Can’t wait to make these for my grandson.
I hope they’re a hit, Brenda!
So yummy! Substituted a bit of the maple syrup with blackstrap molasses and added crystallised ginger as suggested by in some of the comments here. Thank you!
Hi Hazel! I’m so excited to hear how much you enjoyed this. Thanks for sharing this wonderful review!
I say make them chocolate AND use the spices. One of my favorite combos.
That sounds tasty, Sylvia! I hope you enjoy the recipe if you try it!
Don’t have any coconut on hand. Maybe I could use a combo of oat flour, chopped walnuts, and crystallized ginger. Would that work? Thanks!
Hi Nancy! I haven’t tried it without the coconut, but you could leave it out and slightly increase the oats if it seems too wet. I hope you enjoy it if you decide to experiment!
May i use FRESH GINGER in this recipe. I find ginger powder very lacking in ginger flavor.
Hi Ro Gard! I’ve never tried fresh ginger in this recipe, so you’d be experimenting. If you decide to play around with it, I’d love to hear how it goes!
These are a revelation! I have so many dietary restrictions that I get a little down sometimes, but when I can have something like this, I don’t feel deprived at all! They do taste a lot like ginger cookies, which I LOVE, and the coconut adds a fun flavor and crunch (I didn’t use finely shredded). I did make a couple substitutions: Because oats don’t agree with me at the moment, I subbed 1/2 cup hemp hearts and 1/2 cup almond meal; I actually forgot the sesame seeds; and subbed honey for part of the maple syrup. I’d like to try molasses for part of the sweetener next time, for a gingerbread taste!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed the recipe, Liisa! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
I have made this recipe three times in the last two weeks. It’s that good! I substituted chia seeds for sesame seeds as that is what I had on hand. Otherwise, I followed the recipe as written.
I have a new baby so these have been a lifesaver.
I’m so happy that you’ve enjoyed them, Wendy! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
I love that this looks so easy and quick to make. I am excited to try this. I am thinking of using honey instead of maple syrup. Thank you for sharing this! Looks really really good :)
I hope you love the recipe if you try it!
These were wonderful. I made them as a work snack to try to avoid buying store bought protein bars. So wonderfully tasty.
I’m so happy that you enjoyed them, Ariel! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Hi there.
Could I add chia seeds?
Can’t wait to make these.
Thanks!
Hi Crafty Girl, I haven’t tested it out myself but I know other readers have use chia seeds instead of the sesame seeds with great success! If you decide to experiment, let me know how it goes!
Love these energy balls, nutrient dense snack and filling! I do intermittent fasting and am gluten free and they are a great way to provide variation to my diet as well as make sure I get enough calories. I didn’t have sesame seeds the first time I made them, so used chia seeds instead. Now I use half sesame, half chia.
Hi Sophie! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review and the feedback!
We absolutely loved it!
Thank you Liz!