Blueberry Cobbler Energy Balls

Active Time:

30 mins

Total Time:

30 mins

Servings:

16

Nutrition Profile:

Sesame-Free Diabetes-Friendly Soy-Free High-Fiber Heart-Healthy Vegetarian Egg-Free Gluten-Free Gut Healthy Mediterranean Diet

These Blueberry Cobbler Energy Balls are as beautiful as they are tasty! Sweet, antioxidant-filled dried blueberries and figs come together with wholesome, fiber-filled oats and chia seeds. Pecans add just the right amount of toastiness, and honey and almond (or sunflower seed) butter bind the energy balls together. The vanilla and cinnamon add a warm cobbler feel and the white chocolate drizzle isn’t just pretty—it also helps bring home the dessert inspiration. Keep reading for expert tips, including how to melt the white chocolate so that it doesn’t burn.

Tips from the EatingWell Test Kitchen

These are the key tips we learned while developing and testing this recipe in our Test Kitchen to make sure it works, tastes great and is good for you too!

Microwave the chocolate in short bursts to promote even melting and to avoid burning or scorching the chocolate.
Make sure your hands are wet when making the balls so that the batter doesn’t stick to them. Then, squeeze the batter between your hands to help the ingredients bind and form a ball that won’t crumble.
You can substitute the white chocolate drizzle with dark or milk chocolate to suit your taste. You can also swap the blueberries for cranberries.
This is a great recipe to make ahead and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months.
For the best flavor, toast pecans first before using them. To toast chopped nuts, place in a small dry skillet and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 2 to 4 minutes.

Nutrition Notes

Like fresh blueberries, dried blueberries are loaded with antioxidants and fiber. Just be aware that dried blueberries—including organic ones—may have added sugar and other ingredients (like oil) that you don’t necessarily need, so read the ingredients list.
Oats are a whole grain and provide filling fiber and complex carbohydrates for energy. Oats can help lower cholesterol and manage blood sugar when eaten regularly.
Whether you choose almond butter or sunflower seed butter for these energy balls, you’re going to get a dose of heart-healthy fats, protein and fiber. These nutrients also balance the carbs in the oats, dried blueberries and figs and slow their release into the bloodstream, providing a steady stream of energy.
Ah, white chocolate. While it’s high in saturated fat and added sugar, it makes a wonderful decorative garnish for desserts. Eaten that way, it won’t add as much to your saturated fat and added sugar bottom line. You can skip the white chocolate if you wish or use a drizzle of dark chocolate, which can have some health benefits, including providing antioxidants.

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Ingredients

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened dried blueberries, divided
¾ cup old-fashioned rolled oats
¾ cup smooth natural almond butter or sunflower seed butter
½ cup chopped dried figs
½ cup chopped pecans, toasted (see Tip)
3 tablespoons chia seeds
2 tablespoons honey
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon salt
¼ cup white chocolate chips

Directions

Finely chop 2 tablespoons blueberries; set aside. Combine the remaining 1 cup blueberries, oats, almond butter (or sun butter), figs, pecans, chia seeds, honey, vanilla, cinnamon and salt in a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped, 10 to 20 pulses; then process until the mixture is crumbly but can be pressed to form a cohesive ball, about 1 minute, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed.
Using wet hands to prevent the mixture from sticking, squeeze and roll the mixture into 32 balls (about 1 tablespoon each); place in a single layer on a parchment-paper-lined baking sheet.
Place white chocolate chips in a small bowl; microwave on High in 30-second intervals, stirring after each interval, until melted and smooth, about 1 minute, 30 seconds total. Drizzle the melted white chocolate over the energy balls; sprinkle with the reserved chopped blueberries.

To make ahead

Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are they called energy balls?

Aptly named, energy balls are a bite-size snack that can help fill you up and keep you energized throughout the day. The oats are a source of energy-fueling complex carbohydrates, which are further ignited by the dried blueberries and figs. The protein and healthy fats in the almond and sunflower seed butter, chia seeds and pecans help slow the digestion of the carbohydrates, providing a steady flow of energy.
Can I make this recipe without a food processor?

The food processor is a time-saver. However, you can still make a batch of energy balls without one. To pulverize the fruit, you can use a food masher, mortar and pestle or rolling pin, or use a knife and mince everything as fine as possible. For the nuts, use a mortar and pestle, food mill, grinder or food chopper, or chop the nuts up with a knife as finely as you can. Another option is to put the nuts in a plastic bag and crush them with a meat mallet or heavy skillet.

Nutrition Information

Serving Size: 2 energy balls

Calories 189, Fat 11g, Saturated Fat 2g, Cholesterol 0mg, Carbohydrates 21g, Total Sugars 12g, Added Sugars 4g, Protein 4g, Fiber 3g, Sodium 22mg, Potassium 131mg

EatingWell.com, July 2024

Additional reporting by

Carrie Myers, M.S.