Fruit & Nut Energy Bites (Base Recipe)

Place all of the ingredients into a work bowl of a food processor in the order listed. (You’ll need at least a 7-cup capacity for this recipe to work. Feel free to halve the recipe if you need to.)

Start pulsing. The mixture will go through a dry, minced stage, and then gradually moisten as the dates are incorporated and the nuts release some of their oils. Keep pulsing until the mixture resembles clumpy wet sand and will stick together when pinched. If you’ve been pulsing for several minutes and the mixture still seems too dry, add water, a tablespoon at a time, until you reach the desired consistency. Sometimes the moisture level in dates vary. The mixture shouldn’t be goopy or extra sticky.

Roll into 1-inch balls or press into a standard bread pan lined with plastic wrap. Cut them into bars, then lift them out using the plastic wrap.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature. Best when eaten within a week.

Notes:
1. I don’t recommend using fresh fruit. The moisture in the fruit will make the mixture mushy. I highly recommend using dried fruit, particularly crispy dried fruit (like apple chips) or freeze-dried fruit. You’ll be able to use more and get a more powerful punch of flavor.
2. If you use dried, chewy fruit, cut it up. If it’s larger than a dried blueberry, it’s best to chop it up so your energy bites will hold together better. Also, if you use this type of dried fruit, don’t use more than 1 cup in this recipe or they’ll (again) have a hard time sticking together.
3. To toast coconut, put the coconut in a dry skillet and cook it over medium heat, shaking the pan around every couple of minutes. It will take less than 5 minutes to turn golden brown and it burns quickly, so keep an eye on it!