Easy Energy Balls with Dates | Dry Fruit Laddu

Easy energy balls with dates or dry fruit laddu (ladoo) on a plate.

5 from 5 votes

Easy Energy Balls with Dates | Dry Fruit Laddu

These energy balls, also called dry fruit laddu, are easy-to-make healthy no-bake sugar-free energy bites prepared using dried fruits and nuts of your choice. You will need less than 15 minutes to make these energy bites. These energy balls or laddu can be served for breakfast, as a mid-day snack, or after-meal dessert.

Prep Time5

Cook Time8

Total Time13

Course: Desserts, snacks, sweets

Cuisine: American, Indian

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegetarian

Servings: laddus

Calories: 114kcal

Author: Kushi

Equipment

Ingredients

1 cup Dates or Khajoor, seedless
2 tablespoon Ghee
¼ cup Cashews or Kaju, chopped
¼ cup Almonds or Badam, chopped
2 tablespoon Pistachios chopped
¼ cup Raisins
2 tablespoon Watermelon seeds

Instructions

How to make dry fruits laddu or energy balls with dates?

First, add dates and grind them to a coarse paste in a mixie jar or blender. Keep this aside.
1 cup Dates
Heat ghee in a pan on medium flame. Add cashews, almonds, pistachios, raisins, and watermelon seeds, and saute for 4 minutes or until golden.
2 tablespoon Ghee, ¼ cup Cashews, ¼ cup Almonds, 2 tablespoon Pistachios, ¼ cup Raisins, 2 tablespoon Watermelon seeds
Add dates, paste, and mix for another 2 to 3 minutes or until everything is combined.
Let the mixture cool for 5 minutes. While still warm, shape them into laddus or balls of the desired size.

Video

Notes

These laddu or energy balls are gluten-free and can be easily made vegan by substituting ghee with vegan butter or coconut oil, or you can skip adding fat. I have added ghee to give additional flavor.
If the dates are too dry, you may find binding difficult. So soak it for 15 minutes and drain and then use it in the recipe.
Don't want to make balls or laddu? Then pour the mixture over the parchment paper on a baking dish and press it. Let it chill for an hour. Then cut into protein bars or burfi bites.
If you love the aroma of coconut, then add desiccated or shredded coconut flakes to the recipe.
Figs and walnuts can also be used in the recipe. Just make sure the amount of dates and figs to nuts and seeds is approx 1:1 so that you get the crunch and binding. Vary the amount of nuts to taste.
You can substitute or add sesame, poppy, or any seed you love instead of watermelon seeds.
Cashews can be substituted with roasted peanuts.
Love nutty flavor? Add 1 or 2 tablespoon of peanut butter, almond butter or cashew butter.
Raisins can be substituted with cranberries.
To make it protein-rich, you can add 1 tablespoon of protein powder to the recipe.
Making it for kids? You can also add chocolate chips, and crushed pretzels.

Nutrition