So excited to share another chocolate recipe with you! No exaggeration, I literally eat chocolate in some form Every. Single. Day. Usually more than once per day, but who’s counting. ✌️ I adore all thing chocolate, coffee, simple, and delicious. Which pretty much sums up these mocha no-bake cookie energy balls! These energy balls use pantry-staple simple ingredients and literally can be made in about 5 minutes. These mocha no-bake cookie energy balls are chewy, fudgy, and chocolatey mocha bites of pure bliss.
One weekend afternoon recently, I was (unsurprisingly) craving something chocolate. It’s been 90+ degrees here lately, and while I’m NOT complaining (I love summer and warm weather; I complain enough about the cold so I’m definitely not complaining about the warm temperatures!), 90 degrees is a little warm to be turning on the oven for baking and cooking. Especially when you don’t have central air-conditioning like me LOL. It’s quite amazing how quickly having the oven on can change the temperature of our house several degrees. Not about that unless absolutely necessary.
Eating plain dark chocolate sounded much too boring, plus I had some time make something since it was a weekend and all. I first thought of no-bake cookies so I wouldn’t have to turn on the oven. However, then I immediately thought of how much I love chocolate and coffee flavors together (aka mocha)…and experimented to combine the two which is how these mocha no-bake cookie energy balls were born!
Don’t get me wrong, the classic no-bake cookie combination of chocolate plus peanut butter is absolutely AMAZING. But I have to say, these healthy mocha energy balls are definitely going to be a staple around here. I love how simple they are to make at home, not to mention much cheaper than buying store-bought snacks and energy bars!
Ingredients and Substitution Ideas
Oats.
Whole-grain oats make up the base of this recipe, which is definitely an easy pantry-staple ingredient and very economical! Oats are filled with heart-healthy soluble fiber and is a whole grain. You could probably substitute old-fashioned/rolled oats for this recipe, but I haven’t tried that.
Cocoa powder.
For the chocolate taste! I used 1 tablespoon regular and 1 tablespoon dark cocoa powder, but feel free to use all of one or the other, whatever you have on hand at home.
Espresso powder.
For the mocha taste! If you don’t like coffee flavor, feel free to omit for a simple double chocolate version.
Salt.
Just a ¼ teaspoon is all you need! Definitely brings out the sweetness and balances the flavors.
Vanilla.
Yummy flavor!
Agave.
I used agave for the liquid sweetener which not only adds sweetness but also is a binder to hold the ingredients together. You could likely substitute honey or pure maple syrup, but I haven’t tried this. I wanted to use a neutral-flavored sweetener, and honey and maple syrup have more of a distinct/noticeable flavor.
Almond butter.
Provides heart-healthy unsaturated fats, protein, and is the other binder in this recipe! Not to mention it helps add a fudgy taste. You could also use cashew butter instead.
Chocolate chips.
Omit at your own risk! But seriously, the mini chocolate chips add a burst of chocolate in each bite and are SO tasty. Great for textural contrast too.
As always, I’d love to hear from you if you try this recipe! 🙂
P.S. I have also eaten these no-bake cookies crumbled on top of yogurt for breakfast, or ice cream for dessert. Both delicious 😉
- 1 cup quick oats
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder (I used 1 tbsp regular and 1 tbsp dark)
- 1 tablespoon espresso powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ cup agave (could sub honey or maple syrup)
- ¼ cup almond butter (could sub cashew)
- 2-4 tablespoons mini chocolate chips
- In a medium bowl, mix together oats, cocoa powder, espresso powder, and salt until combined.
- Then add vanilla extract, agave, almond butter, and chocolate chips and stir until mixture is uniform and sticks together.
- Roll into balls.
- Makes 12-14 energy bites. Refrigerate leftovers.
Absolutely amazing! I ground the oats into flour and used maple syrup as the sweetener and espresso instant powder. These will be a staple here for sure!
So glad you enjoyed them!!
I love this recipe! I have made it twice now. I have tried numerous energy ball recipes, but the flavor combination in this recipe makes it my favorite. I freeze them and then pull out one at a time as an afternoon snack. I let it come to room temperature for the best flavor. Consistently delicious!
Thank you so much for trying the recipe! I am so happy to hear you love it 🙂 I like how they are freezer-friendly too!
I LOVE these bites! They are super quick and easy to make, I was shocked to find almost everything already in my pantry. I only made a half batch the first time, and from the first bite I wish I had made a full batch! Definitely a recipe I will be coming back to in the future!
Thank you so much for trying the recipe and letting me know! I’m so happy to hear you loved them. I make them a LOT too! 🙂
These are so good! Even my family likes them. I’m an inveterate recipe changer, so I did use homemade golden syrup instead of agave, and only half a teaspoon of instant coffee instead of the expresso powder (I’m not a coffee hound), but I swear, I didn’t change anything else, haha.. 🙂 Thanks for the recipe.
I’m so glad to hear you liked them! You are so welcome. Oh and you’re talking to the QUEEN of changing recipes haha…hence starting my own food blog! LOL 🙂