Chia Seed Date Bliss Balls

These Chia Seed Date Bliss Balls are the ideal healthy snack because they are packed with nutrients and provide a rapid boost of energy.

You’ll love energy balls as they are convenient to carry around with you while you’re on the go and are packed with rolled oats, delicious medjool dates, and chia seeds to keep you full.

Be it oatmeal balls or peanut butter protein balls, you may customize their flavor and texture to suit your preferences, that’s why we love bliss balls!

🥥 Why You Will Love This Recipe

• Only 5 ingredients.

• Quick and easy to make.

• Healthy snack.

• Loaded with chia seeds.

• Naturally sweetened with dates.

🥜 Variations

If you would like to switch up the ingredients or you don’t have chia seeds on hand, try my Hemp Seed Bliss Balls instead.

Sesame seeds or linseeds aka flaxseeds can also be used as an alternative to chia seeds.

These are good choices because they are tiny, just like chia seeds!

If you’re wondering if you can use nuts, I would recommend you blitz the nuts up in your food processor until they’re crushed into small pieces, to resemble a similar size to the chia seeds.

Your main objective when substituting ingredients is to make sure your bliss balls stick together and hold their shape when rolling them into balls.

A few nutty ideas:

• Almonds.
• Pecans.
• Cashews.
• Hazelnuts.
• Walnuts.
• Pistachios.

📋 Ingredient Notes & Substitutions

• Old Fashioned Oats – also known as rolled oats.

• Medjool dates – can be substituted with dried pitted dates but you will have to soak them in boiling water for 10 minutes prior to using.

• Cocoa powder – substitute with cacao powder.

• Chia seeds – use either black and white or just black or just white chia seeds. Don’t have chia seeds? Easily substitute them with sesame seeds or linseeds aka flaxseeds.

• Coconut oil – I don’t recommend substituting this as it’s what helps bind the bliss balls together and helps them stick and hold their shape when chilled.

🥣 Step By Step Instructions (with photos)

There is a full and detailed recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Step one: In a high-speed food processor, add all ingredients, except for the extra chia seeds for coating. 

Step two: Blend and process for 20-30 seconds until the mixture sticks together. If after blending for more than 30 seconds and your mixture isn’t sticking, add 1 tablespoon more of soft coconut oil at a time until it sticks.

Step three: Form bliss balls by picking up 1 tablespoon of mixture and roll into a ball. Roll it in the chia seeds then place it into your storage container. Repeat with the remaining mixture. TIP: I like to roll every second ball in chia seeds so they are not all coated. 

Step four: Refrigerate for 30 minutes until firm or enjoy them immediately. Enjoy!

🥄 Without Food Processor

If you don’t have a food processor, try the below method instead. Tip: I would recommend using steel cut oats as they chopped finer than rolled oats:

1. Remove pits from the dates and place them in a large mixing bowl.
2. Pour boiling water over the dates until they’re submerged.
3. Soak them for 15 minutes.
4. Grab a fork or potato masher and mash the dates until they’re broken down, similar to what they would look like when processed.
5. Drain off the water and place them back into the large mixing bowl.
6. Add the remaining ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon until the mixture sticks together and holds its shape when rolled into balls.
7. Roll the balls in chia seeds if desired. Enjoy!

💭 Tips For Recipe Success

• Use juicy and fresh medjool dates for the best results. If your dates are stale and hard, freshen them up by submerging them in boiling water and soaking them for 5 minutes.

• If you’re using dried pitted dates be sure to submerge and soak them for 10 minutes in boiling water before adding them to the recipe. It will soften them so they are a similar texture to medjool dates.

• When blending the mixture in your food processor, keep blending until it sticks together, even when you think it won’t, keep going. If you’re having trouble getting it to stick, add more coconut oil until the balls hold together.

⏲️ Storage Instructions

Store bliss balls in an airtight container, refrigerated, for 1 week – 10 days. When stored in the fridge they do turn hard so before eating, leave them at room temperature for 5-10 minutes to soften if desired.

You can store them at room temperature but keep in mind they will be soft.

Freeze these bliss balls in an airtight freezer-friendly container or zip-lock bags for up to 3 months.

If you’re going to freeze your bliss balls, I recommend chilling them in the fridge or freezer until they are solid. Then transfer them into your storage container/bag and popping them into the freezer.

💬 Recipe FAQ’s

• Blueberry Bliss Balls