No Bake Carrot Cake Energy Balls

Name: No Bake Carrot Cake Energy Balls
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: ½ cup oat flour or unflavored protein powder (, you will need 1-2 tablespoons more if using the all maple syrup option); ½ cup grated carrots; 1/4 cup almond butter (, use sunbutter for nut free); 2 tablespoons maple syrup (, or for sweeter option ¼ cup maple syrup and no apple sauce); 1-2 tablespoons apple sauce (, test batter consistency first and add to get the texture you want); 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts or pecans (, optional (remove for nut free)); 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon; 1/4 teaspoon sea salt; 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger; 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves; 6 tablespoons shredded coconut (, optional for coating)

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These carrot cake energy balls are done in 10 minutes! They use simple ingredients and little effort to make a healthy no bake snack.

These carrot balls are also vegan and gluten-free. They are made with 5 simple base ingredients plus spices and optional add ins!

Carrot cake energy balls covered in shredded coconut and spread out on a plate

This post was originally published on February 4, 2021.

You can make these protein balls by using your favorite protein powder instead of oat flour. Kids love all the different flavors we have like the brownie protein balls and the pumpkin flavored energy bites!

Make ahead anything is a life saver. Having nutritious snacks prepped and ready to go is key for whenever the inevitable "I'm hungry" starts up. These carrot cake bites are a delicious snack you can feel good about serving all throughout the day.

So save your sanity and keep things simple by preparing a batch of these no bake balls to have on hand for the week, it just takes a few minutes and a few simple steps!

Ingredients

Who knew just healthy, simple, whole foods could taste so good? Here's the breakdown of what you'll need to make healthy no bake carrot balls:

Oat flour
Grated carrots
Almond butter
Maple syrup
Apple sauce
Chopped nuts
Seasonings

Different colored bowls filled with ingredients to make carrot cake energy balls

How To Make Carrot Cake Balls

Raw vegan snacks are easy to make, and this recipe is no difference! Here's what to do:

Mix up the base ingredients and chill.
Roll into balls and coat.

Spoon in a glass bowl mixing a batter — step 1

Carrot energy balls being rolled in shredded coconut on a grey plate — step 1

Flavor Suggestions

These easy to make carrot cake energy balls are also easily customizable:

Coating in coconut is optional, you can skip if you prefer.
You can omit the ginger and cloves and use more cinnamon instead.
For sweeter carrot cake energy balls, use ¼ cup maple syrup and no apple sauce.
You can also mix in other ingredients for flavor, nutrition, and texture variety, but you may need to adjust the other ingredients for consistency.
Add extra texture to your carrot cake balls with mix ins!
- Some mix in ideas: oats, dates, raisins, sunflower seeds, flax, or chia seeds.

Preparation Tips

To make nut free carrot cake energy balls, use sunbutter instead of almond butter, and leave out the chopped nuts.
Start with just 1 tablespoon of apple sauce then test the batter consistency and add more to get the texture you want.
- The more apple sauce you add the softer they will be.
I divide the batter into 10 equal parts and roll into balls, you can make more than 10 if you make the balls smaller for more of a mini bite sized snack.
Refrigerating the batter will help to firm it up, making it easier to shape into balls.
Use a fine cheese grater to grate the carrots, or a shredding attachment on a food processor.
*Bonus tip, since prepping the carrots can be a pain, shred extra and make Gluten Free Carrot Cake!
Store carrot cake protein balls in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.

Hand holding a carrot cake energy ball with a bite out of it

Common Questions

What are energy balls?

Energy balls are a mix of nutritious ingredients including protein, healthy fats, and fiber rolled up into a convenient snack.

Are energy balls actually healthy?

Healthy is relative. These energy balls are made from simple, whole food, plant based ingredients that pack in lots of good nutrition, if you ask me that fits the definition of healthy!

When should you eat energy balls?

Whenever you need a pick me up or just want to enjoy a tasty snack! They're a great grab and go morning bite, mid day nibble, or post workout snack.

More Vegan Energy Balls

It's so easy to make a wide variety of flavors of energy balls to mix things up. Check out these other plant based protein ball recipes: