Meat-Free Fuel Italian vegetarian vegan pescatarian high-protein

Chocolate Hazelnut Protein Balls

Roasted hazelnuts, dark cocoa, and dates blended into vegan no-bake balls, batch-prepped for a Piedmont-style Italian snack.

Not rated yet

Italian

Serves 2 servings · 2 adults, 0 over 10, 0 under 10

15 minsPrep

0 minsCook

15 minsTotal

EasyLevel

🥤San Pellegrino 🍷Chianti Classico

Nutrition per Serving

285 Calories

8g Protein

16g Fat

32g Carbs

22g Sugar

5g Fiber

115mg Sodium

0mg Chol

Ingredients

For 2 servings

pitted Medjool dates 112g (4.0 oz)

raw hazelnuts 96g (3.4 oz)

unsweetened cocoa powder 14g (0.5 oz)

chia seeds 10g (0.4 oz)

vanilla extract 0.5 tsp

pinch fine sea salt

Instructions

Prep

Soak 112g Medjool dates in warm water 10 minutes, drain. Toast 80g raw hazelnuts in a dry pan over medium heat 4–5 minutes until fragrant and skins loosen. Rub on a tea towel to remove skins. Pulse skinned hazelnuts in a food processor 8–10 times until coarsely chopped.

Build

Add soaked dates, 14g cocoa powder, 10g chia seeds, 0.5 tsp vanilla extract, and a pinch of sea salt to the food processor. Blend over medium speed 2–3 minutes until a thick, sticky dough forms with no dry streaks.

Finish

Scoop dough into 6 balls of roughly 35g each, pressing firmly so they hold shape. Roll each ball in 16g finely chopped hazelnuts to coat completely. Refrigerate on a lined tray 30 minutes until firm.

Plate

Portion 3 balls into each of 2 airtight containers. Refrigerate up to 5 days or freeze up to 60 days. Serve with fresh strawberries or a small espresso on the side.

Recipes use AI and Edamam. Always check for allergens before cooking. Spotted something wrong—email us at hello@grubplanit.com.