If you love the flavor of lemon poppy seed muffins, then you’ll adore these Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Balls! They’re a gluten-free healthy treat with real food ingredients. 

plate of cookies stacked up with sliced lemons in background

Recipe Highlights

Energy balls are a staple in my household, I am almost always have a batch in the fridge. They can be served as a quick and easy snack or dessert, and you can make them in virtually any flavor. 

As written, this recipe is:

  • vegan,
  • gluten-free,
  • grain-free, 
  • and date-sweetened with no refined sugars.

If you like the flavor of lemon in a dessert, then you are going to love these Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Balls! If you are looking for a muffin recipe, then don’t miss my Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins, too. 

Recipe Steps

Step One

The first step of this recipe is to gather up all of your ingredients. Feel free to get creative in terms of substituting based on what you have on hand, but you’ll need about 1 1/3 cups of nuts or seeds as the base.

ingredients for lemon bite cookies

Step Two

Next, place the nuts and seeds, lemon zest, coconut oil, and dates in the bow of your food processor.

lemon energy ball process shots

Step Three

Process the ingredients and then use your hands to roll the batter into little balls. 

Step Four

Roll the balls over toasted coconut (see the instructions for toasting coconut in the recipe card below). Don’t skip this step, as the toasted coconut adds great texture to the outside of these healthy energy bites.

energy bites with toasted coconut on top

FAQs

Can I make these nut free?

Yes, just use pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds instead of cashews.

How do you zest a lemon?

I like to use a microplane grater to zest the lemon. It does a great job!

lemons with a microplane grater

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Here’s my printable recipe:

Print
lemon energy balls stacked on a plate

Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Balls

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

  • Author: Carrie Forrest, MPH in Nutrition
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 5 minutes
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 12 1x
  • Diet: Vegan
Print Recipe

Description

If you love the flavor of lemon poppy seed muffins, then you’ll adore these Vegan Lemon Poppy Seed Balls! They’re a gluten-free healthy treat with real food ingredients.

Scale

Ingredients

  • 1 cup unsalted, raw cashews
  • 1/3 cup hemp seeds
  • 2 tablespoons poppy seeds
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric (optional, for a natural food coloring)
  • 1 cup pitted dates
  • zest of two medium lemons
  • 2 tablespoons freshly-squeezed lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons toasted, unsweetened dried coconut

Instructions

  1. Combine the cashews, hemp seeds, poppy seeds, coconut oil, turmeric (optional), dates, lemon zest, and lemon juice in the base of a food processor. Process on high until ingredients are well combined, about 45 seconds to one minute.
  2. Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl and use your hands to form the batter into energy bites. You should have enough to make about a dozen energy bites.
  3. The energy bites will be pretty sticky, so it’s nice to roll them in toasted coconut. To toast the coconut, place the dried coconut in a dry skillet over low heat. Let toast for 3-4 minutes or until lightly toasted. Then, just put the coconut, lemon zest, and poppy seeds on a plate and roll the bites over the mixture. Then, place the energy bites in a glass bowl with a lid and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

Notes

Store any leftovers in a tightly-sealed container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Food processor
  • Cuisine: American

Keywords: lemon no-bake cookies, coconut date balls, lemon energy bites

 

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