coffee walnut cake energy bites bliss balls recipe vegan

I do like to make a batch of energy bites every now and again. They make such a nice sweet snack, perfect for anyone like me with a sweet tooth, as a couple of these really help to keep you satiated after lunch or dinner!

It’s amazing how versatile they are - you can experiment with using different nuts, seeds, spices, dried fruits, chocolate, so the combinations are infinite! I had the idea to try making these coffee and walnut cake energy bites a few weeks ago when we tried a vegan coffee and walnut cake at a cafe in Bath and worked on this recipe which hits the spot perfectly!

I hadn’t had a coffee and walnut cake in years, and I’d forgotten just how much I loved it! I wanted to capture the flavours of the cake but in a much simpler, quicker and healthier form that is energy bites (aka bliss balls).

I love snacking on walnuts or using them in my recipes, partly because they taste so delicious, and partly because they’re an excellent vegan source of omega-3, an essential fatty acid that’s been shown to decrease risk of cardiovascular disease and other inflammatory diseases. Check out my vegan carrot top pesto or my vegan oil-free granola for other ways to incorporate more walnuts into your diet!

coffee cake bliss balls recipe energy bites vegan

Coffee and Walnut Cake Energy Balls Recipe

Ingredients (makes 12 energy bites):

1 cup walnuts
1 cup dates
1 heaped tsp good instant coffee
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Method:

First of all, whizz up the walnuts in a food processor until they resemble the texture of wet sand.

Add the dates, and continue to blitz until they are chopped and the mixture is combined.

Now make up an instant espresso-style coffee. Combine the instant coffee with around 50 ml boiling water from the kettle and stir to combine.

Add your espresso coffee to the walnut and date mixture along with the vanilla extract and pulse a few more times in the food processor to combine thoroughly.

Take about 1 Tbsp of the coffee walnut and date mixture and shape into a round ball in the palms of your hands, then repeat to make 12 energy balls.

You can then roll the energy balls in desiccated coconut or cocoa powder if you like, or just enjoy them as they are. They will firm up nicely if chilled in the fridge, where you can store them for up to 10 days.