You guys should know by now that I usually have a batch of energy balls in the fridge at all times. Cause you just never know when you are going to need a snack. For me, it’s most of the time. I usually go for a cacao + peanut butter combo but I’ve really been loving on pistachios of late and I felt inspired to create a quick, easy snack for everyone! So here she is, Orange + Pistachio Energy Balls that have such delicious flavours and coated in the beautiful colours of pistachios.
naturally sweetened vegan protein balls
These bites are naturally sweetened, loaded with the vibrant pistachios and touched with a little orange zest. They are protein balls with dates. No added sugar in these. They are sweetened via gooey, caramelly dates. Interestingly enough Adam doesn’t like the look of dates. He thinks they look like cockroaches, but he actually doesn’t mind when they are in things. In these vegan protein balls, the dates are blended to form date paste and mainly act as a binding agent and sweetener. He may be a picky husband but he loved these pistachio, date, orange balls.
Needing more snack inspiration for some summer road trips? Maybe eat a muffin or two from this recipe. Or go nutty for these granola bars!
here are some reasons why I love these Orange Pistachio Energy Balls, so listen up!
- There aren’t as many pistachio recipes out there as cashew/almond recipes and I just wanted to try something a little different. I’m a huge fan but rarely use them to bake with. So the time to start is now! I paired the lovely colourful nut with some orange zest because the combo is super delicious. The pairing of the flavours makes for some tasty vegan protein balls.
- These orange balls only have FIVE ingredients. You heard right. I generously gave 20 minutes to whip these bad boys up but honestly you could do it in ten. These pistachio energy balls are quick to make and you only need 5 ingredients. YOU. ARE. WELCOME.
- You get to give your fingers a little bit of exercise if you buy pistachios still in their shells! De-shelling the pistachios is kinda fun and you can do it sitting on the couch or wherever you want! Let those fingers do your daily workout while the rest of your body relaxes. Those pistachios are worth the deshelling process because they are loaded with healthy fats and are a good source of protein. Therefore, these little orange balls are perfect for a little boost after your workout!
- And lastly, these protein balls are Picky Husband Approved, which is always a reason why I love a recipe. He also has now shortened the term Picky Husband Approved to PHA (pronounced fa…LOL). I’m not sure I’m open to that term sticking around but for now, just know that these vegan energy balls are PHA…
de-shelling pistachios
Here is a little fun story about pistachios and my childhood for you to have a chuckle about. Once when I was about 12, my dad and I took a road trip in our family motorhome. As his co-pilot, I was in charge of snacks. So Dad wouldn’t get distracted while he drove I would assemble snacks for him and hand them to him. Pistachios were one of the snacks. I don’t know why we didn’t have almonds or cashews (something easier to hand to my dad), but we didn’t.
So there I was, a good little daughter de-shelling one pistachio at a time for my dear old Pops, and then handing them to him. My fingers were working hard to expose those delicious green nuts so Dad wouldn’t get hungry. My dad loves to retell this story because he always says I was so patient and helpful but then I reached my breaking point. I blame the pistachios. If cashews replaced the pistachios in this story, nothing would have ever happened. The de-shelling got to me. And after driving for 12 hours when we were only 1 hour away from our destination, I lost it. I refused to de-shell any more pistachios, and I turned from a happy-go-lucky gal into a gloomy silent mess. We rode the rest of the way home in silence. Next time I should probably invest in one of these.
The lesson here, friends, make these vegan protein balls for your road trips (so you don’t have to deal with any shells on the road) and if you are the co-pilot buy cashews, not pistachios.
These orange pistachio energy balls are the perfect road trip snack or just an everyday goodie to have in the fridge (you never know when hunger will strike). Loaded with protein, nutrients and delicious flavours I hope you go nuts for these bites!
| Prep Time | 10 minutes |
| Passive Time | 10 minutes |
| Servings |
balls
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- 1/3 cup coconut butter
- 3/4 cup pistachios (de-shelled)
- 1/2 cup raw cashews
- 1 cup medjool dates (pits removed- roughly 12 gooey dates)
- 3 tsp orange zest (from 1 large orange)
- sea sat to taste
Ingredients
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- If you are making your own coconut butter, see the notes below on how to make.
- Remove the pistachios from their shells (without the shells, measure 3/4 of a cup). Set 1/4 of the cup aside to roll the energy balls in after (optional).
- Remove the pits from the dates, and add the dates, pistachios (1/2 cup) and cashews into a food processor. Blend until the nuts and dates have broken down into a chunky crumb texture.
- Add the coconut butter, orange zest and sea salt to the food processor with the rest of the ingredients and blend until the batter sticks together.
- Roll out the pistachio energy balls into whatever size you want. I did about 2 tablespoons per ball, give or take.
- Optional: take the 1/4 cup of pistachios you set aside at the beginning, add them to a clean food processor and process until a crumb-like texture forms. Roll out an energy ball and then roll it in the pistachio crumbs for a fun look!
- Store in the fridge in an airtight container over long periods of time. Can sit out for a few hours, they will just soften a little in their firmness, but still super tasty! Enjoy!
To make your own Coconut Butter, follow step one in the directions here.
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Ohhhh.. so so delicious. I can vouch as I have sampled these orange + pistachio energy bites! Yum! Yum! Yum! And …. such a funny story!
the orange and pistachio flavour mix is my fav! Glad you enjoyed 🙂