Let your tastebuds transport you to a tropical destination with our new NO-BAKE Coconut Lime Energy Bites! What started as a cake quickly turned into these tasty little treats because who wants to turn on their oven during summer?
These 7-ingredient, flavor-filled bites are the perfect mid-day treat for summer & beyond. They’re tangy, coconutty, and ridiculously easy to make. Let us show you how!
These naturally sweetened coconut lime energy bites begin with our favorite fiber & mineral-rich sweetener: dates! Pitted dates go into the food processor and turn into a sweet, sticky paste.
Next, we blend up cashews, almond flour, and shredded coconut, which form the wholesome base of these energy bites, supplying plenty of healthy fats and even a little protein!
The final ingredients include lime juice + zest for tangy tropical vibes, plus vanilla and salt to enhance all the flavors.
Lastly, we roll in a mixture of shredded coconut and lime zest to make the flavor pop at first bite!
We hope you LOVE these energy bites! They’re:
Coconutty
Bright
Tropical-tasting
Date-sweetened
Satisfying
Quick & easy
+ Perfect on the go!
These bites are the ideal treat for workweek snacking, meal prep, summer adventures, and beyond! If you’re looking for more snacks to fuel your summer, be sure to check out our round-up of Summer Road Trip Snacks!
More Energy Bite Recipes
- Mango Energy Bites
- Salted Cashew Caramel Energy Bites
- 5-Ingredient No-Bake Cookie Energy Bites
- No-Bake PB&J Energy Bites
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don’t forget to tag a photo @minimalistbaker on Instagram. Cheers, friends!
No-Bake Coconut Lime Energy Bites
Ingredients
- 1 cup packed pitted medjool dates (measured after pitting)
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 3/4 cup almond flour
- 1/4 cup shredded coconut (unsweetened)
- 1 Tbsp lime zest
- 2-3 Tbsp lime juice
- 3/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 pinch sea salt
FOR ROLLING
- 1/4-1/3 cup shredded coconut (unsweetened)
- 1 Tbsp lime zest
Instructions
- To make the coconut coating, place the shredded coconut and lime zest into a small bowl or plate and stir to combine. Set aside.
- To your food processor, add pitted dates and blend until small bits remain or a ball forms. Scoop out and set aside.
- To the now empty food processor, add your raw cashews, almond flour, and shredded coconut. Blend until a fine meal is achieved — about 20-30 seconds.
- Divide the date ball into four (or more) pieces and add it back in along with the lime zest, the lesser amount of lime juice, and the vanilla and salt. Blend until a tacky dough forms. If it’s too dry, add a little more lime juice (or water if the mixture is already limey enough). If it gets too wet or sticky, add more shredded coconut as needed.
- Scoop out ~1 Tbsp of dough (we like this scoop) and roll it into a ball. Then roll the ball into the coconut lime mixture to fully coat. Place onto a baking sheet or plate and repeat until all of your mixture is used up. Enjoy now or refrigerate for a snack later!
- Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator (up to 1 week) or the freezer (up to 1 month).
Notes
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.
Susan Aitchison says
Hi, these look delicious. Do you think I could substitute lemons for limes??? I realize they would taste different but limes are quite expensive where I live.
Yes, we think they would be delicious! Let us know if you give it a try!
Susan Aitchison says
I tried this recipe with lemon instead of lime. Oh so yummy!!! Thank you!
Yay! We’re so glad it worked well. Thank you for sharing your experience, Susan! xo
Rachel says
Is there any way you can start adding to the instructions how to prepare things if you DON’T have a food processor/blender/etc ? I realize some things might require these electric tools but seems there should be alternative ways to blend, etc. I never have time to figure out how to on my own so I have to skip a lot of recipes. Just a suggestion for people like me but maybe we are rare. :)
Thank you for this feedback, Rachel! We’ll pass it along to the team. For this recipe, you could try finely chopping the dates and cashews and mixing the ingredients in a bowl, but we aren’t sure the energy bites will hold together well, unfortunately! What might work better would be to use cashew butter instead of cashew flour and maple syrup instead of dates, which might do the trick in terms of binding, but it would require some experimenting/adjusting of proportions!
Anne says
I already left a comment but will add that I made it without vanilla and salt and it was excellent without those ingredients. Next time I will add them.
Thank you for sharing these additional details, Anne! We hope you love the truffles even more next time! Sorry that detail was missing for your first attempt. We try our best to ensure there’s no errors, but occasionally they slip through the cracks!
Anne says
These are simply delicious and so easy to make! I pressed them into a square pan, with coconut/lime sprinkled on the bottom and top. Then I cut it into squares. Easier than balls to freeze in my small freezer.
I didn’t have shredded coconut so I ground flaked coconut in a coffee grinder and it worked perfectly.
Thanks for this amazing recipe!
Yay! We’re so glad you enjoy this recipe, Anne. Thank you for the lovely review! Making in a square pan and using a coffee grinder to make shredded coconut were very creative ways to work with what you had. Nice work! xo
David Sarnowski says
I notice the ingredients call for vanilla and salt. However, these don’t show up in any steps/directions. I assume they are added in step 4, but it would be great for this to confirmed.
Hi David, yes, adding in step 4 is correct! We’ve updated the post, but it might take a bit to start showing on your end :)
Katrien says
I love this recipe and am making it right now. I can’t find when you add the vanilla and salt, though. I’m going to assume it’s when you add the zest and lime juice.
Made the chocolate tahini truffles too <3
Yay! We’re so glad you’re loving both recipes, Katrien. Thank you for the lovely review! Good catch – the vanilla and salt do go in with the lime zest and juice!
teenaz siganporia says
hi id love to try making these hence i would like to clarify that when you say shredded coconut does it mean the desiccated coconut or freshly grated coconut
thanks in advance
Hi! We mean desiccated coconut. We hope you love the bites!
David says
You mention salt and vanilla in the ingredients, but they don’t appear in any of the steps of the recipe. I am assuming they are added during step 4, but would love to have this recipe corrected to show that.
Thank you for bringing this to our attention, David. Sorry about that! We’ll give it another look and adjust!
Ariana says
Could I substitute something for the cashews? We have several nut allergies in the house. Would almonds or sunflower seeds work? Should I soak them first?
Hi Ariana, we think a mix of sunflower seeds + hemp seeds might work! Almonds could also work, but they might add a bit too much crunch. We wouldn’t recommend soaking because it will cause the bites to be too wet. Hope that helps!
Maria says
Can regular flour be used to make these?
Hi Maria, we think they would taste too floury and be quite dense, unfortunately! Cashew flour or a lesser amount of coconut or oat flour would be the best alternatives. Hope that helps!
Jane says
My understanding of raw cashews is that they’re not safe to eat. Per internet search: “ Raw cashews contain a substance called urushiol, which is also found in poison ivy. Urushiol can cause skin irritation, blisters, and allergic reactions.
To make cashews safe for consumption, they are typically roasted or steamed, which destroys the urushiol. Therefore, the “raw” cashews sold in stores have actually been processed to remove the harmful substance.
If you come across truly raw cashews, it is important to avoid handling them or consuming them. ”
Is there something that I’m missing in your recipe?
Sounds like a great recipe otherwise!
Hi Jane, raw cashews you buy from the store aren’t truly raw (they’re steamed or boiled), which is why they’re safe to consume! That also seems to be consistent with this part of your comment: “Therefore, the “raw” cashews sold in stores have actually been processed to remove the harmful substance.”
We’re realizing it might also be helpful to tell you that when we say raw cashews, we’re saying use the cashews from the store that are labeled raw (though they’re not truly raw and are safe to consume)! We don’t expect you to go harvest cashews for this recipe :)
Ana says
This recipe sounds like the perfect afternoon pick-me-up! I was wondering if there’s a reason for not soaking the raw cashews before using them or if roasted cashews can be subbed in? I concerned about eating raw cashews since most recipes that call for them mention the soaking process. Thoughts?
Hi Ana, we think roasted cashews would work! We wouldn’t recommend soaked cashews because the bites would turn out too wet. Also, just a possibly helpful FYI – raw cashews you buy from the store aren’t truly raw (they’re usually steamed or boiled), which is why they’re safe to consume!
Amanda says
Can you use coconut flour or cassava flour instead of almond flour?
Hi Amanda, we think coconut flour would work as long as you’re okay with a stronger coconut flavor and more dense energy bite! Also, keep in mind it’s much more absorbent – you’ll probably only need 3-4 tablespoons. Let us know how it goes!