Ingredient Fruit Berry Blueberries Blueberry Cobbler Energy Balls 4.7 (3) 3 Reviews These energy balls combine dried blueberries, oats and pecans for a bite-size taste of blueberry cobbler. You can use almond butter for a nuttier taste or sunflower butter for something mellower to bind them together. These portable snacks are ready in just 30 minutes and can be stored in your fridge or freezer for a quick grab-and-go snack. By Melissa Gray-Streett Melissa Gray-Streett A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Melissa Gray-Streett trained in traditional French-style cooking, restaurant and front-of-house management. Since transitioning to recipe development and food styling in 2015, Melissa has developed over 1,500 original recipes and styled over 300 photo shoots. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Published on July 11, 2024 Reviewed by Dietitian Emily Lachtrupp, M.S., RD Reviewed by Dietitian Emily Lachtrupp, M.S., RD Emily Lachtrupp is a registered dietitian experienced in nutritional counseling, recipe analysis and meal plans. She's worked with clients who struggle with diabetes, weight loss, digestive issues and more. In her spare time, you can find her enjoying all that Vermont has to offer with her family and her dog, Winston. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines Save Rate PRINT Share Close Credit: Photographer: Morgan Hunt Glaze, Prop Stylist: Lydia Pursell, Food Stylist: Emily Nabors Hall Active Time: 30 mins Total Time: 30 mins Servings: 16 Nutrition Profile: Gut Healthy Mediterranean Diet Sesame-Free Diabetes-Friendly Soy-Free High-Fiber Heart-Healthy Vegetarian Egg-Free Gluten-Free Jump to Nutrition Facts Jump to recipe 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. Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) 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. EatingWell.com, July 2024 Save Rate Print Nutrition Facts (per serving) 185 Calories 12g Fat 17g Carbs 4g Protein Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label Nutrition Facts Servings Per Recipe 16 Serving Size 2 energy balls Calories 185 % Daily Value * Total Carbohydrate 17g 6% Dietary Fiber 3g 12% Total Sugars 10g Added Sugars 4g 8% Protein 4g 9% Total Fat 12g 16% Saturated Fat 2g 11% Cholesterol 2mg 1% Vitamin A 1µg Vitamin C 1mg 1% Vitamin D 0µg Vitamin E 3mg 20% Folate 11µg Vitamin K 3µg Sodium 25mg 1% Calcium 82mg 6% Iron 1mg 5% Magnesium 54mg 13% Potassium 181mg 4% Zinc 1mg 8% Vitamin B12 0µg Omega 3 0g Nutrition information is calculated by a registered dietitian using an ingredient database but should be considered an estimate. * Daily Values (DVs) are the recommended amounts of nutrients to consume each day. Percent Daily Value (%DV) found on nutrition labels tells you how much a serving of a particular food or recipe contributes to each of those total recommended amounts. Per the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the daily value is based on a standard 2,000 calorie diet. Depending on your calorie needs or if you have a health condition, you may need more or less of particular nutrients. (For example, it’s recommended that people following a heart-healthy diet eat less sodium on a daily basis compared to those following a standard diet.) (-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a special diet for medical reasons, be sure to consult with your primary care provider or a registered dietitian to better understand your personal nutrition needs. Additional reporting by Carrie Myers, M.S. Carrie Myers, M.S. Carrie Myers is a portfolio entrepreneur with more than 30 years of experience in the health and wellness space. As a writer and editor, Carrie has worked for both consumer and trade print and online publications. She's been quoted in several articles as a health and fitness expert. Carrie is also a certified life and wellness coach and exercise physiologist, and the founder of CarrieMichele Co., a lifestyle company that helps women create lives they love where they can be authentic. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines and Linda Frahm Linda Frahm Linda Frahm has been a copy editor and fact checker working with food and nutrition content for the past 30-plus years for consumer print and online publications. EatingWell's Editorial Guidelines