Do the holidays make you crave all things warm and spiced and sweet? These gingerbread energy balls have the warm flavour of toasted nuts, they’re packed with festive spices, and they have just a touch of sweetness to satisfy those holiday cravings.
A healthier protein packed snack
Sweetened with raisins and maple syrup
Filled with Christmas gingerbread flavour
And simple to make!
Ingredients
The base of these gingerbread energy balls is made from a combination of nuts, oats and raisins. Pecans are one of my favourite nuts to use around the holidays and walnuts helped to give these balls a bit more heft and “cookie like” feel.
Toasting the nuts is key to infusing these energy balls with holiday warmth! I always avoided toasting nuts when recipes called for it in order to save a bit of time. But once I tried it and my kitchen filled up with that toasty aroma I realized why so many recipes call for toasting nuts!
Although these energy balls will still be tasty without toasting the walnuts and pecans, I highly recommend taking the extra few minutes to get the most flavour out of those nuts!
Oats are a fantastic and inexpensive way to bulk up energy balls and raisins (or dates) add soft texture and natural sweetness!
Finally, all that holiday flavour comes from a combination of:
- Ginger and cinnamon
- With a pinch of cloves, allspice, and nutmeg
- Plus a gingerbread essential… molasses
- And a touch of extra sweetness from maple syrup
How To Make No-Bake Gingerbread Energy Balls
In addition to toasting the nuts, you can soak the raisins in warm water for a few minutes to help them break down easily and spread their sweetness through your energy balls.
With your ingredients prepared… the magic happens in your food processor.
- Simply place the nuts, oats, raisins, and spices in your food processor and pulse to break them down.
- Then add the molasses and maple syrup and blend until the dough comes together.
If your dough seems a little dry you can splash in a tiny bit of water to help it come together.
Scoop tablespoon amounts of the dough and roll it between your palms to form a ball. Roll the ball in extra cinnamon for a bit more holiday spice if desired! And store the finished energy balls in your fridge or freezer!
I love storing energy balls in my freezer because they stay soft enough that I can remove them and enjoy them after just a few minutes. There’s no need to wait for hours for them to defrost!
Recipe Cost
Homemade energy balls are such a great snack to take on the go. The nuts provide a great boost of protein that help these little balls feel filling and satisfying. The gingerbread flavour is so fun that these energy balls also satisfy my holiday sweet tooth while being naturally sweetened and a healthier alternative to other treats.
This gingerbread energy ball recipe makes between 18-20 balls depending on their size. Although this recipe uses 1 ½ cups of nuts, which tend to be the most expensive ingredients we buy…
This recipe costs us less than $5 to make and less than $0.25/energy ball. If we buy energy balls from a store or cafe they cost us upwards of $1 each.
If you tend to buy energy balls out, getting in the habit of making them at home can end up saving you a bit! Sometimes the upfront cost of nuts makes me question whether it is more cost effective to make these snacks at home. But when I price out my recipes I’m always surprised by how much the savings really are.
And… making energy balls and other snacks at home means I can always change up the flavour depending on the season and what I’m craving! Having some essential ingredients in my pantry like nuts, oats, seeds and dried fruit has made creating my own snacks so much easier. Take a look at my pantry tips if you’re wanting to make more at home too!
These No-Bake Chewy Chip Bars also use raisins to create a soft granola bar. Pecans, oats, and walnuts provide the base for these Easy Pumpkin Pie Energy Balls. And these adorable Date Chocolate Turtles are another easy holiday favourite!
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Gingerbread Energy Balls For The Holidays
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 18–20 pieces 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Gingerbread energy balls are the perfect festive snack. Toasted nuts are key to that warm holiday flavour. Filling, simple, & delicious!
Ingredients
- 1 cup pecans, toasted
- ½ cup walnuts, toasted
- ½ cup raisins, softened in hot water
- 1 ½ cup quick oats
- Sprinkle of salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon (plus 4–5 teaspoon for rolling)
- 1 ½ tsp ground ginger
- ⅛ tsp ground cloves
- ⅛ tsp ground allspice
- Pinch of ground nutmeg
- 2 tbsp molasses
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
*All the ingredients for this recipe are from our pantry and freezer tips!
Instructions
- If the nuts you are using are not already toasted, toast the pecans and walnuts at 350 degrees F for 6-10 minutes. I find that pecans take a little longer to toast than walnuts so watch them closely and consider using two trays so you can remove the walnuts earlier.
- In the meantime, soften the raisins in hot water for about 5 minutes so they will blend easily. *You will drain the raisins from the water for the next step but you can reserve some of the soaking water in case your energy ball mixture is a little dry.
- Add the cooled nuts, oats, softened and drained raisins, and spices to the bowl of a food processor and pulse to break down the nuts and combine the ingredients.
- Add the molasses and maple syrup. Blend until the mixture starts to clump and form a ball in the food processor. You want the dough to stick together between your fingers. *If your dough seems a little dry splash in a tiny amount of the water the raisins soaked in and blend again. Adding too much liquid will make the energy balls feel damp and oily so add any water in small increments.
- Scoop tablespoon amounts of your dough and roll it between your palms to create a ball. Roll the energy ball in extra cinnamon if desired for a little more festive flavour. Repeat with the remaining dough.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer for longer storage. I love keeping my energy balls in the freezer because they stay quite soft and I usually only have to wait a few moments after taking them out of the freezer to enjoy them.
Notes
Approximate Cost: $4.46 CAD (less than $0.25/ball) vs. upwards of $1 each if we purchase energy balls from a store or cafe.
Feel free to substitute the raisins in this recipe with dates.
If using a blender instead of a food processor, make sure to pulse the dry ingredients first to encourage them to break down before adding the molasses and maple syrup. You can remove the dough from the blender if it is clumping up too much and continue to mix it with a spoon or your hands. Adding small amounts of water can help it stick if needed.
- Category: Snacks
- Method: Food Processor
- Cuisine: American, Canadian
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