Lemon Coconut Energy Balls (Vegan & Gluten-Free)

If you want a healthy snack that tastes like lemon cheesecake, you’ve come to the right place. These lemon coconut energy balls are so irresistibly delicious, you won’t even be able to tell they’re actually good for you!

Summertime in a Snack

We don’t know about you guys, but we never get hangry. When we’re hungry we just put our feelings aside and keep moving on (if you couldn’t tell that was sarcasm).

How funny is it looking back 10 minutes after eating and realizing how much better you feel once you get a little snack in your gullet.

We’ve been together for almost 9 years now, so we can say with confidence we always regret not having snacks with us.

Enter lemon coconut energy balls.

They’re so incredibly easy to make, store for a long time, and are perfect to pop in your mouth when you’re feeling like you a need a snickers bar.

These energy balls have just enough sweetness to satisfy your dessert craving, but are also healthy enough to enjoy throughout the day. They make the perfect on-the-go snack for when you are out and about, but don’t want to buy something.

We prefer to make our own coconut manna to reduce costs, but you can definitely use store-bought to save on time. If you are interested in making your own coconut manna though, we will have a recipe posted soon!

Anyways, back to these energy balls. We’re getting hungry.

Key Ingredients for Lemon Coconut Energy Balls

• Coconut: the star of this dish is used in two different ways. Just an FYI, coconut butter and coconut manna are the same thing, but coconut oil is not. Coconut manna is ground coconut with no water in it (think coconut shreds ground up into a paste). We also roll the balls in coconut shreds at the end to give them a nice look and texture. Coconut adds such a distinct tropical, sweet flavor to these balls, all while providing you with nutrients like manganese, selenium, and phosphorus.

• Lemon: you can’t leave this crucial ingredient out because it balances out the sweetness and adds a tart finish to this delicious treat. We love adding citrus to desserts because it makes them taste a lot more fresh. And don’t waste the lemon peel after juicing! We also try to get the most out of our fruit because citrus has become quite expensive and the peel contains important nutrients like potassium, calcium, and magnesium. These are so helpful for maintaining a healthy heart, blood vessels, and bones!

• Cashews: this delicious nut that actually grows on a fruit (cool, right?) adds another sweet element and crunchy texture to these energy balls. We love the rich nutty flavor cashews bring to any dish. To top all this off, cashews are a serious powerhouse of nutrients like vitamin E, K, and potassium.

• Maple Syrup: a Canadian’s secret weapon. Honestly, we really do use maple syrup to sweeten most of our dishes. It has such a well balanced sweetness, but comes with vitamins and minerals you don’t get in ultra processed sweeteners. Just 1/4 cup of maple syrup provides you with 100% of your daily manganese needs!

How to Make Lemon Coconut Energy Balls

First, you’ll make a batch of homemade coconut manna, or melt some store-bought coconut manna in a small bowl.

After your coconut manna is ready to go, add all ingredients into a food processor, except the extra coconut shreds for rolling.

Process everything until it forms a dough-like consistency. If the mixture seems too crumbly, add some plant milk or water a tablespoon at a time.

Lastly, form the dough into balls, then put your extra coconut shreds in a shallow bowl or plate. Roll the outside of each ball in more coconut shreds and place each ball on a parchment-lined pan or plate.

Let the energy balls set in your fridge for about 30-60 minutes. That’s it! Pretty easy, right?

How to Store Lemon Coconut Energy Balls

The best part about these energy balls is how well they store. They store in the fridge for up to 7 days or in the freezer for 3 months.

We also take them in our car when we know we’ll be out for a prolonged period of time. We don’t recommend keeping them out of the fridge for longer than a few hours though.

Why You’ll Love These Lemon Coconut Energy Balls

We hope you’re never hangry again, especially if you’re taking these delicious treats along for the ride. They’re:

• Sweet
• Tart
• Fresh
• Creamy
• Satisfying

If you make this recipe, don’t forget to leave a comment, rate it, and tag us on Instagram with #brokebankvegan. Happy eating!

Other Recipes You’ll Enjoy

• 3-Ingredient Chocolate
• Vegan Cookie Dough Bites
• Easy Vegan Brownies

Lemon Coconut Energy Balls

5 from 1 vote

Recipe by Broke Bank Vegan Course: Dessert, SnacksCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

20

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Rest time

30

minutes

Calories

177

kcal

Cost per recipe

$5.67

USD

Cost per serving

$0.28

USD

Total time

40

minutes

A healthy snack that tastes like lemon cheesecake. These lemon coconut energy balls are made with tart lemon, creamy coconut butter, and sweet maple syrup for the perfect treat.

Ingredients

• 3 cups unsweetened coconut shreds ($2.20 USD)

• 1/2 cup raw cashews ($0.86 USD)

• 4 tbsp lemon juice ($0.36 USD)

• 1 lemon, zested ($0.00 USD)

• 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp maple syrup or agave nectar ($0.75 USD)

• 1/4 cup coconut manna, melted ($0.80 USD)

• 1/2 cup almond flour ($0.49 USD)

• 1 tsp vanilla extract ($0.21 USD)

• For rolling optional

• 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut shreds

Directions

• Melt the coconut manna in a small bowl in the microwave 10 seconds at a time, or by using a double boiler.
• Once coconut manna is melted, add all ingredients into a food processor (except the extra coconut shreds for rolling).
• Process everything until it forms a dough-like consistency, about 2-3 minutes. You may have to stop the food processor to scrape down the sides. If mixture seems too crumbly, add some plant milk or water 1 tbsp at a time.
• Form the dough into 1-2 inch balls, then place 1/4 cup extra coconut shreds in a shallow bowl or plate. Roll the outside of each ball in more coconut shreds.
• Place on a parchment-lined pan or plate and leave it in the fridge for 30-60 minutes, or until bliss balls are firm.
• Store the bliss balls in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days. They can also be kept in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Tips

• For easier blending, you can also soak the cashews overnight.
• Prices and nutritional information do not include optional ingredients.

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