These super healthy chocolate snack balls are so rich, fudgy, and delicious!
Healthy chocolate snack recipe
No bake chocolate bites are dipped in melted chocolate, resulting in a healthy snack that is totally addictive!
You will fall in love with the rich, fudgy texture.
Low calorie, gluten free, refined sugar free, vegan, and packed with protein, the decadent dark chocolate energy balls have absolutely no business tasting so good.
Pack them in a lunch box, or serve as a healthy after school snack. It is pretty much impossible to stop at just one.
Also try these Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients for the chocolate snack bites
The recipe calls for cocoa powder or chocolate protein powder, pure vanilla extract, coconut oil or nut butter, a little salt, sweetener, and black beans.
Unlike many other chocolate snack balls, this one contains no dates, butter, corn syrup, powdered sugar, or heavy cream to achieve the rich and fudgy texture.
We have not tried substituting chickpeas, lentils, red beans, pinto beans, or anything else for the black beans. Be sure to report back for others if you experiment.
Feel free to use any nut butter or seed butter here. Options that work well include peanut butter, almond butter, cashew butter, hazelnut butter, or coconut butter.
For nut free chocolate snacks, choose sunflower butter or coconut oil.
Or turn them into double chocolate bites by going with Homemade Nutella or chocolate peanut butter or macadamia butter.
You can also change up the flavor by adding a fourth teaspoon of pure peppermint extract to make mint chocolate snack balls or a few drops of pure almond extract and a pinch of instant coffee granules for mocha bites.
Dip the finished chocolate snack balls in melted chocolate. Or roll them in unrefined powdered coconut sugar, diced toasted hazelnuts or almonds, chia seeds. Roll them in shredded coconut to make your own chocolate coconut balls.
Chocolate snack ball health benefits
If you’ve tried and enjoyed the famous recipe for Black Bean Brownies published on my blog many years ago, there is a good chance you will love this recipe too.
While beans in desserts may seem unusual to many Americans, they have been a staple ingredient in Asia for centuries, and for good reason.
Black beans are anti inflammatory and full of fiber, protein, vitamins, and antioxidants.
The cholesterol free superfood legumes also contain iron, calcium, magnesium, manganese, copper, phosphorus, potassium, folate, selenium, vitamin B6, and zinc.
Peanut butter provides additional protein and healthy fats, and cocoa powder is high in antioxidants, iron, and fiber.
Most importantly, these healthy chocolate snacks supply an immeasurable amount of endorphins due to their delicious taste!
Step by step recipe video
Watch the healthy chocolate snack ball recipe video, above
How to make healthy chocolate snack balls
Start by draining and rinsing the beans very well in a colander. This is an important step to remove salt and any bean flavor.
Add all of the ingredients to a high quality food processor.
While this can technically be done in a blender with a tamper, the texture is much better in a food processor.
Blend everything together until the mixture is completely smooth.
Use a spoon or a mini cookie scoop to form truffle shapes or balls, and place the homemade chocolate snack balls on a parchment lined plate.
Refrigerate or freeze until firm or while you prepare the optional chocolate coating.
Chocolate healthy snack balls
If you wish to cover the chocolate bites in melted chocolate, the easiest way to make your own chocolate coating is to carefully melt six ounces of chocolate chips or white chocolate chips in a microwave or by using the double boiler method.
Optionally, stir in two teaspoons of vegetable or coconut oil for a smoother sauce. Then dip each chocolate fudge ball into the chocolate coating.
Place on a parchment lined plate and let the chocolate set.
A second chocolate coating option is to stir together three tablespoons each of pure maple syrup, cocoa powder or raw cacao powder, and warm coconut oil. Dip the balls in the chocolate sauce, then refrigerate or freeze to set the coating.
Storage tips
These healthy chocolate snack balls are easy to transport, and they are a popular book club or party recipe.
It is fine to leave them at room temperature for a few hours in a cool environment.
Due to the possibility of the chocolate shell melting, we do not recommend these snack bites at outdoor summer events.
For optimum freshness, store leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to five days. Or freeze in an airtight covered container for up to about two months.
Healthy Chocolate Snack Balls
Ingredients
- 1 can black beans or 1 1/2 cups cooked
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder or chocolate protein powder
- 3 tbsp coconut oil or nut butter
- 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup (or make keto No Bake Brownie Bites)
- optional 1/4 tsp pure peppermint extract or pinch instant coffee
- optional chocolate coating recipe above
Instructions
- Drain and rinse the beans very well. Blend everything until completely smooth. While a blender technically works, the texture and results will be much better in a food processor. Use a spoon or mini cookie scoop to form balls or truffles. Place on a parchment lined plate. Roll in shredded coconut, or refrigerate while you make the optional chocolate coating recipe above. View Nutrition Facts
Video
Notes
More Healthy Snack Ideas
Just did these fudge balls! Omg they are just super delicious! I put some walden farms pancake syrup instead of pure maple syrup so it is even healthier! My blender doesn’t work so well, so they’re still some pieces of beans in the balls but nevermind – i like it even better! Thank you for this and every other recipe! Love from france xx
I made these today, and they are wonderful!! My mom said that they were “heavenly”, and I agree. I used a little four-cup Cuisinart, which worked well. I would say that to use a bigger food processor than that, you’d definitely want to double the recipe… Which is not a bad thing, it’s just more chocolate for you! and I followed the recipe exactly, using the sugar option and the coconut-maple syrup-cocoa powder option for the coating. I think these are even better than your black bean brownies, and trust me, I am quite devoted to those as well thanks for the recipe, Katie!
Can xylitol be substituted for stevia in your any of your recipes?
hey these sound awesome i was just hoping there might be another substitute as the people i want to feed them to have high allergies for peanuts and coconut any ideas?
I’ve made these several times and they are divine! Everyone loves them too! Today I’m going to try going with carob powder rather than cocoa, I think it will come out fine if I use the same exact measurements right?
Michelle I have used toasted carob powder in the past and they are still yummy, just not as rich!
Katie your black bean brownies are so delicious! Thank you.
Healthy Chocolate Balls, this is a gold recipe 🙂
I used chickpeas because I can rarely find black beans here and I happened to have some chickpeas cooked in the fridge. I also gave homemade almond butter in place of the coconut oil because I was just too lazy to get it out of the jar, because the climate where I am means that my coconut oil is hard at room temp. They were delicious. There is only one left which will no doubtedly not last the rest till tomorrow. I also made the coating with date syrup and it was awesome!
These are yummy! So fudgy!
I was a little hesitant to try this just because every other time I’ve tried vegetable-based desserts they’ve tasted a little… vegetable-y lol (avocado pudding I’m looking at you). But I just made these and they’re really good! No bean taste at all. I added a few drops of peppermint extract to mine and they taste just like Thin Mints. Thanks for sharing this 🙂