Soft and citrusy, these Lemon Turmeric Energy Balls are just amazing. They are loaded with flavor and powerful SUPERFOODS - healing spice turmeric and nutritious chia seeds. These immune boosting, added-sugar-free power balls are rich in fibers and plant-based proteins. Perfect healthy snack.
I'm totally obsessed with turmeric. Like TOTALLY! People call turmeric a SUPER SPICE, with a pretty good reason. Turmeric IS one of the most powerful natural remedies in the world. AND it's gorgeous, yellow and beautifully aromatic... AND I absolutely love it! Of course in the colder winter months, like now, I use turmeric more often, because of its health benefits.
I enhance almost all my meals with this super healthy spice. I put it in my scrambled eggs in the morning, in soups and stews of course, and even in my smoothies. My husband is joking, telling if I could eat turmeric with a spoon, I probably would. And somewhat and right. Like I said, I'm obsessed!
The reasons why I'm SO obsessed with turmeric lately is because of the cold and flu season that's started to happen around us. Honestly, I'm not such a fan of antibiotics or any pills as a matter of fact. I believe we can prevent many diseases just by eating right and healthy food, and why not giving natural remedies a chance to protect us. Right?!
I must say we are doing quite well... my family I mean. My kid had some sore throat last week, but after a double dose of vegetable stew with turmeric, chamomile tea with ginger and honey, and of course the-one-and-only-mother love, we were able to repel a troublesome sore throat. We VS flu - 1:0!
So last week I decided to make these Lemon Turmeric Energy Balls because everyone in the house loves it. And we can't get enough lemon and turmeric in our bodies these days for immune boosting. Energy balls are really great for the quick energy boost, but also they are very nutritious and healthy snack that will satisfy your hunger and cravings for sweets, without unnecessary calories.
To make Lemon Turmeric Energy Balls I used almonds rich in healthy fats and oats that are high in dietary fibers and contain a beta-glucan, substance that activates immune cells in our bodies, thus protecting us from the diseases. Both almonds and oats are also very good source of plant-based proteins, and they both contain essential minerals, like manganese, copper, phosphorus and magnesium.
To sweeten my Lemon Turmeric Energy Balls I used Medjool dates, so these energy balls don't contain any added or refined sugars. I enriched these energy balls further with chia seeds full of plant-based proteins and dietary fibers.
These Lemon Turmeric Energy Balls are ...
- made with only 7 simple ingredients in less than 10 minutes,
- full of high-quality dietary fibers that promotes good digestion and weight loss,
- rich in plant-based proteins,
- full of healthy fats that contribute to our energy levels,
- excellent post-workout snack,
- refined sugar-free,
- enriched with immune boosting spice – TURMERIC,
- good for immunity,
- gluten-free and vegan,
- low in calories and very nutritious.
Last week I bought some organic lemons that aren't treated with any chemicals. I've used some of these lemons for making my famous all time favorite Raspberry Lemon Cake, and the rest I decided to use for making these amazing Lemon Turmeric Energy Balls. The addition of fresh lemon juice and lemon zest enriched these energy balls with the beautiful fresh, citrus aroma. They turned out to be like the little ray of sunshine on a cold winter days.
These Lemon Turmeric Energy Balls are packed with healthy, high-quality dietary fibers, healthy fats, and plant-based proteins. Also, they are vegan, refined sugar-free AND gluten-free. Just perfect!
And now I'll leave you to enjoy in these mini zesty lemon bomblets.
Enjoy!
Looking for more energy balls recipes? Try these:
Lemon Turmeric Energy Balls
Ingredients
- 12 Medjool dates
- 1 cup rolled oats gluten free
- ½ cup almonds
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- 4 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- Pinch of black pepper
- ½ cup shredded coconut for dusting
Instructions
- Remove the pits from dates and soak them in hot water for several minutes. When the dates are softened, drain them and place in food processor. Save the water.
- Add the other ingredients to a food processor and blend until mixture turns into a dough-like consistency. Add 1 tablespoon of water in which you have soaked the dates if the mixture is too dry.
- With the small spoon scoop the mixture and roll into balls. Roll the balls in shredded coconut and place on the baking sheet.
- Store energy balls in an airtight container in the refrigerator until serving.
Notes
Keep turmeric energy balls in air-tight container in refrigerator for 2 weeks. Can be frozen up to 3 months.
I just made these and my husband and I both loved them. I have never enjoyed turmeric until tasting these. My husband loves turmeric. I will be making these often. 😊 Thank you!!
Made these yesterday looking for healthy snacks for my toddler and these are delicious! Love the inclusion of turmeric which I know is so good for us. Didn’t have dates or raisins but I had dried cranberries and it worked perfectly. Lemony goodness! Will definitely be making these again.
Thank you Grace for your lovely comment and feedback. I'm so glad you and your little one liked it :)
Ok, these are unbelievable! The citrus and nuts... a delicious combination. What a refreshing alternative to everything chocolate (or banana). Not that I dislike chocolate, of course, but a bit of variety is welcome! Hadn't found a whole food lemon treat that's up to standard -- until now! I already had whole blended lemon in the freezer, so used that instead of the lemon juice and zest. Just added a tsp. of water to thin it out. Extra lemony! Thanks for these fantastic treats!
Do these help with inflamation
Can help, yes.
Do you freeze these after placing on baking sheet or just refrigerate for a bit then place them in sealed bag? These are delicious!
You can do both really. They just need to harden a little. Thank you :)
Can you use turmeric root?
Definitely. Even better. :) I would use one teaspoon of grated turmeric root here.
We have a coconut allergy in the house.
Is there anything else we can roll the energy balls in??
Yes. You can roll these in ground almonds :)
Terrific!
Glad you like it Vandana :) Thanks for comment!
Hi, do we have to use fresh coconut or dried dessicated coconut
Dried desiccated coconut :)
What I can use in place of nuts?
(I have a toddler with nut allergies.)
Thank you kindly.
Hi Angie. You can substitute almonds with sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds.
Made them - love them! Didn’t have almonds - substituted for pecans and coconut flakes for almond flower.
These sound delicious! I have made energy balls before, but nothing like this. I love finding ways to incorporate turmeric into our diet.
What can I substitute for the dates?
Dried raisins, dried plums (prunes), dried apricots.
The flavor was great, but I found that after I mixed mine it was too sticky (consistency a little thicker than peanut butter) and had to refrigerate it in order to form the balls. Then refrigerated overnight. The next day I brought to work for a snack and was expecting it to be more solid but it still has a soft doughy consistency which I wasn’t a fan of. Is that the expected texture?
Hi Angela. Not sure what went wrong... they should be soft, chewable but firm, not as you described. I can only guess that soaked dates gave too much moisture. In that case you can always add some more oats. The dough should be sticky but not too moist - you should be able to form a ball.
I made these today and WOW! Little nuggets of deliciousness!
Glad you like it Susie :) Thanks for lovely feedback!
I can't have oats. What could I SUB for oats?
Almonds. :)
These were lovely. Thanks for the recipe! A nice lemon bomb like you said. I love the fact that you don't have oil in it so it's lower in fat. Thank you!
Why do the instructions say to place on a baking sheet, if they are not being baked? Could they not be placed in a single layer in an airtight container, then put right into the refrigerator until serving?
I just made the energy balls, but this instruction is confusing me!
Thanks!
I place them on baking sheet so they don't stick while cooling in refrigerator. You can definitely just put them in a single layer without baking sheet.
To benefit most from turmeric is has to be combined with an oil (like a tablespoon of coconut oil in this recipe) en some ground black pepper. I guess that could easily be incorporated in the recipe. Plan to make them for sure!
Coconut oil would be perfect addition. Great idea. Thanks :) Hope you'll give it a try.
Hi! I’m not really a fan of dates. Wondering if I could substitute golden or regular raisins? If so, how much do you think is needed?
Thanks for your help! I’m really looking forward to trying these!!
You can definitely sub dates for raisins - golden or regular either is ok. Since I've never tried making this recipe with raisins I can't tell you exactly how much would be needed. What dates do, they bond the mixture, making it sticky. So, maybe you can start with a handful of raisins, and then add more if needed. Hope this help.
Thank you for the recipes and for the info on turmeric. I have scoliosis and I'm always trying to find natural ways to deal with the pain rather than taking over the counter pills. These treats look amazing! I included this link in my turmeric recipes roundup post, thank you so much!
Glad you like it. Thank you so much :)
How many per day ?
I usually eat 2-3 in a day.
Hello, in the recipe section it states that it makes 24-balls. Below that section is the nutritional information section. However it does not indicate what a serving size is. How many balls are in a serving?
I missed filling this info. Corrected now. Thank you for letting me know this. :) Nutrition values in table refers to one ball.
Thank you so much for this delicious recipe. Other than being so easy to make, I love that it includes turmeric. I also like that dates are used, because it gives it the right amount of sweetness, not overly sweet, like honey or maple syrup would make them. The first time I made them, I didn’t realize that I did not have vanilla, so I used half the amount of almond extract. They were still delicious, but now I use vanilla extract. These are a staple in my home. Thanks again and I look forward to more energy ball recipes.
Thank you Lana for your lovely comment. I'm so happy to hear you liked this recipe. Enjoy as much as you like - these are healthy and guilt-free.
Hi .. how long do these stay good for in a air tight container? Do they need to be kept in the fridge?
Preferably in cold place, not necessary a fridge. They will last up to one week (7-10 days). You can freeze them, up to three months in freezer.
I made these for an after school snack for my kids and the LOVED them!! They both asked that I put some in their lunch box tomorrow. Thanks for the awesome recipe!
Hi Shae! I'm sooo glad they like it. Thank you so much for lovely comment. Enjoy!
I made these this morning and I am amazed at how good they are! I didn't have coconut flakes (I'm not generally a coconut fan) but I used coconut flour instead and they are so good! I one-and-a-halved the recipe but didn't have quite enough lemon juice so I used a little lime juice. To me they taste just like lemon bars! I will be making these regularly!
Oh I love the addition of lime... such a great idea. I bet lime gave so much freshness. Thank you so much for lovely comment. I'm so glad you like it.
These Lemon turmeric energy balls are the best. I used quick oats (porridge) instead of rolled oats and stuck to the rest of the recipe. I was unsure about how it would taste with turmeric but they turned out perfect. 10/10!
Thank you so much Jackie for this lovely feedback :) I'm sooo glad you like it.
Are these turmeric energy balls cooked in the oven or no-bake? The instructions state to place them on a baking sheet, but the instructions end there.
These are NO BAKE. I use baking sheet to place balls on to it so the balls don't stick to bottom of box - container.
Thanks so very much for the quick reply and clarification! I just returned from the store with the ingredients, and I can't wait to try this recipe!
It's super healthy and sooo good for health. Enjoy! ;)
OMG these are BOMB!!! soooo good!!! I will try VERY hard not to eat them all hahahah
Thank you!!
Hehe yes... sooo good and so HEALTHY! Thank you so much. Enjoy! ;)
Natalie, I was so skeptical as I haven't found Tumerick to be to my liking but these were a amazing and the lemon seems to be the perfect foil. Thank you so much for this recipe. I found that I could double the Tumerick and still not tasted which allows me toThree balls and get my Tumeric it for the day
Thank you Laura for this lovely feedback. I'm so glad to hear that you find the way to intake your turmeric in a tasty way :)
Great article, I like turmeric tea as well.
Thanks Lucy. Glad you like it. I never tried turmeric tea. Interesting.
Love these so moist, used walnuts instead almond and cocoa for dusting, will get some almonds and coconut in for next time.
I'm glad you like it Bea :)
Hi Natalie. These sound amazing but I have a nut allergy. Is there anything I could substitute the almonds with?
Hi Paula. Maybe you can try substitute almonds with pepitas (green pumpkin seeds) or sunflower seeds. But since I haven't tried that substitute in this particular recipe, you will have to experiment with ratios. Let me know how that turned out. :)
Do you think I could use fresh grated turmeric in the recipe?
Absolutely :)