Plant Based Energy Balls: Orange Creamsicle
Today we are making Orange Creamsicle flavored, Plant Based Energy Balls! Was this just a summertime favorite where I lived, or were orange creamsicle popsicles available worldwide (or at least across the US/Canada)? We’d always have a stash in our freezer, every summer! If you’re new to the 2000’s creamsicle world, orange creamsicles are popsicles. It’s just vanilla ice cream in the form of a popsicle, coated with a sweet, icy orange coating. This made it a “creamsicle.” Did it have healthy ingredients? Should I have been bulldozing them into my stomach on the daily every summer? Probably not …
I’m all for chocolate, peanut butter, caramel, everything-loaded-on-top desserts, but when it’s a humid day, I don’t really feel like being weighed down with the perils of chocolate and sugar sitting in my stomach, walking around like a bloated balloon.
Slide into the frame: strawberry cheesecakes, blueberry crumbles, apple galettes, cherry pies, lemon tarts, coconut bars and fruity desserts of the world. And drum roll … orange creamsicle everything!
So today, I decided to make no bake energy balls (my family calls these any form of raw snack balls my speciality because they just know they’ll be full of wholesome ingredients!) and went with a flavor of orange creamsicle to mimic the childhood popsicles I was so used to eating!
Why You’ll Love These Plant Based Energy Balls
Reminiscing Childhood: These no bake energy bites use simple ingredients, give you an energy boost and have no added sugar (only natural sugar from dates)! They are reminiscent of a childhood snack, which makes them even better, right?!
Substitutions: Nuts
So I turned my love for orange creamsicles into this easy treat made with all feel-good ingredients! You just need a blender and 10 minutes for this basic recipe. Here’s what we’re mixing together, and what role each ingredient plays. To healthy snacking!
Cashews & Almond Flour: These are dry so they help to hold the balls together. Both cashews and almond flour are great for a dose of healthy fats. Cashews are at the top of the list as my favorite nut, because of how versatile they are! Have you seen how they become cheesecake filling or work their way into a cheese ball?!
Almond flour and raw cashews have more of a buttery taste, unlike roasted almonds or roasted cashews. We need these dry and we need it in a specific form to get the best results.
For the almond flour though, you can grind up hemp seeds or quick oats. This can make hemp seed flour or oat flour!
For a chocolate dough, try to substitute one tablespoon of the almond flour with cocoa powder. You may have to add in a drizzle of pure maple syrup, date syrup, agave nectar or more dates to counteract the bitterness in cocoa.
Substitutions: Other
Dates: These help to add a soft texture, to help the dough all stick together, and to add sweetness! I recommend to use very soft, pitted Medjool dates. These have a natural caramel-like flavor, and it helps the dough become … well, a dough! You can try to use some plump black raisins, cashew butter or almond butter in replacement of 1-2 tablespoons of the dates. I do not recommend substituting more.
Juiced and Zested Clementine: The fresh zest and the juice of the clementine are both integral to the flavor here! They add a real flavor of orange, which is so important when you want a strong flavor without orange extract. You can also use tangerines or oranges, but make sure to only use the same amount as a small clementine would give (in terms of zest and juice).
Vanilla: For flavor! Let’s be real, we’ve all sniffed a bottle of vanilla extract before. But have you ever smelled pure vanilla bean before? You can usually find it at grocery stores, although it’s more expensive. Trust me, this will change the flavor of your recipes in a much better way than the dollar store diluted vanilla flavoring!
I found a Madagascar, alcohol-free vanilla extract in the natural aisle of my grocery store, and the flavor was very different from the cheaper vanilla I was used to buying all the time, when I would bake growing up.
Plant Based Energy Balls Notes
- If you love a chocolate and orange flavor, drizzle melted vegan dark chocolate chips over top of these balls before refrigerating!
- Alternatively, mix cacao nibs into the dough before rolling into balls – these are the “raw” form of a chocolate chip!
- A little bit of chia seeds, sesame seeds and flax seeds can also make for great add-ins and extra nutrition.
More Energy Ball Recipes You’ll Love
Cookie Dough Energy Bites: This sweet treat is like raw cookie dough wrapped up into a healthy energy bite. They use a base of common pantry ingredients, such as cashews and dates, and are studded with chocolate chips!
PB&J Oatmeal Bites: These no bake treats are a remake of a PB&J sandwich, except in a homemade energy bites form!
Peanut Butter Fudge Brownie Bites
If you make these Orange Creamsicle Plant Based Energy Balls, then leave a comment and star rating! Don’t forget to tag your photos @peanut_palate on Instagram. Enjoy!
Orange Creamsicle Plant Based Energy Balls
Equipment
- Blender or Food Processor
Ingredients
- ¾ cup raw cashews
- ⅓ cup soft, pitted medjool dates
- 2 small clementines, zested
- 1 small clementine, juiced Squeeze the juice out of one, like you would with a lemon
- ½ cup almond flour
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Blend together all ingredients until a dough forms.
- Shape this dough into 6 balls. Roll them with your hands, and the longer you roll, the smoother it'll become until each one forms a shiny ball.
- Enjoy! See below for storage options.
Notes
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Storage
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days or in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
