One of the things I miss the most about being able to eat nuts is having a wide variety of granola and energy bars to choose from. Now that I go straight to CrossFit after work, I’ve been struggling to find good pre-workout snacks. With 2.2 grams of protein and 61.5 calories in each, these balls of energy should get me ready to go and not leave me with a growling stomach or fear of projectile vomiting during the WOD. Even better, they only have four ingredients and they are completely nut and gluten free. But if you don’t have an allergy you can easily make them with nuts. This is also a great basic recipe to replace Lärabars with.

Ingredients

1 cup roasted sunflower seeds (salted or unsalted)
1 cup (about 12-15) whole, pitted dates
1 cup dried fruit: I used 1/2 cup cranberries and 1/2 cup dried wild blueberries
4 tablespoons chia seeds

 Instructions

1. Place all of the ingredients in a food processor and pulse 5-10 times, until the ingredients begin to mix. Break up any clumps (especially any large balls of dried fruit) that have formed.

2. Leave the food processor running for about 30 seconds to get the ingredients to being to break down and look chopped. Scrape the edges of the bowl (and underneath the blade if easily reachable) with a spatula.

3. Blend for 2-3 more minutes, until a ball begins to form and you are happy with the texture.

4. Form into a square or balls. If you wish to make bars, use waxed paper to squish the energy bar dough between. Once formed into a rough square, refrigerate for at least an hour (or overnight if preferred) before cutting it into 8-16 squares with a sharp knife. I chose instead to make balls because it cuts out a step and seems easier to eat on the go. The recipe made 17 one-inch balls, perfect for a small serving or two.

Recipe was adapted from TheKitchn.