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This apricot bliss ball recipe combines dried apricots, oats, pecans, and shredded coconut to make a delightful sweet treat.
The healthy apricot coconut balls are made with simple ingredients and sweetened with dried fruit and a little maple syrup. Vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, and a touch of ground ginger are added to flavor the energy ball recipe.
Our easy bliss ball recipe is great for snack time or enjoy them as a sweet treat. For more oat-based snacks try carrot cake bliss balls, raisin oatmeal bars, date peanut butter balls, or blueberry lemon oatmeal cups.
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Recipe features
- The apricot balls are easy to make and use wholesome ingredients!
- Plant-based, vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free, and oil-free!
- Ready in 15 minutes!
Ingredient notes and substitutions
The healthy apricot ball recipe uses simple ingredients but please see the recipe card below for the full list and exact ingredients.
Dried apricots - The dried apricots are the main ingredient of the recipe. They add flavor and naturally sweeten the bliss balls. They also act as a binding agent to hold all of the ingredients together. I use dried apricots that do not have any added sugar. There are several varieties of dried apricots on the market, and they do not all have the same texture.
If your dried apricots are firm and not soft and plump, soak them for 10-15 minutes, drain, pat dry, and proceed with the recipe. If they are soft and plump, the soaking can be skipped. Since dried apricots come in different levels of firmness, see the troubleshooting section to alter the recipe if needed.
Maple syrup - I add a little maple syrup for just a bit more sweetness. Agave syrup or brown rice syrup can also be used. The maple syrup only adds a little moisture to the recipe, but if you skip it and the mixture is not coming together, check out the troubleshooting section.
Oats - I use rolled oats for the apricot balls. I didn't test with quick oats or oat flour. Quick oats should work fine, but oat flour may make the energy balls too dry. If you need to substitute with oat flour start with less and add more if the mixture is too sticky to roll.
Walnuts and pecans - Walnuts or pecans can be used. I didn't test with cashews but they should also work.
Unsweetened coconut flakes - The coconut adds a little flavor and texture, but it can be skipped if needed.
Tips
- Soak your dried apricots in warm water for 10-15 minutes to rehydrate them if they are firm and not soft or plump. After soaking, drain them, pat dry, and proceed with the recipe. The stickiness of the apricots is important for the energy balls to hold together, but there are several varieties of dried apricots on the market and they do not all have the same texture.
- Occasionally rinse your hands off to remove the stickiness, clean hands work better to roll the dough into little bite-size balls.
- I think the flavor is better after they have been refrigerated.
Troubleshooting the recipe
The mixture is too dry
The dough should come together in the food processor and be sticky, you should be able to squeeze it together to form a ball; if not the dough is too dry. Add a teaspoon of water at a time and process for roughly 5 seconds to see if the dough comes together. If it doesn't, add another teaspoon of water and try again. Process the dough long enough to incorporate the water into the mixture.
How much water you'll need depends on the moisture content of your dried apricots. You can also try adding a little more maple syrup, or a nut or seed butter.
The mixture is too wet
The dough needs to be wet, but not too wet because then it can't be rolled. If it's too wet, it will just be a sticky mess. Try adding more old-fashioned rolled oats to the dough and process in the food processor to incorporate. The oats should soak up some of the excess liquid.
How to make apricot bliss balls
1. Soak your dried apricots in warm water for 10-15 minutes if they are firm and not soft and plump. Then drain and pat dry.
2. Add the apricots and the rest of the ingredients to a food processor.
3. Then mix until everything is broken down into tiny pieces and a sticky dough forms. This will take about a minute or two for the dried apricots to break down. Add a teaspoon of water if the ingredients are broken down but the mixture is not coming together.
4. Once the ingredients have come together, scoop out a heaping tablespoon, squish the dough together, and roll it in your palm to shape it into a ball. The dough should make about 17-19 energy balls.
5. Then, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Storage
Refrigerator: The apricot balls can be stored in the refrigerator for about a week in an airtight container.
Freeze: The energy balls can be frozen for about 2 months in an airtight container.
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I hope you enjoy the recipe! If you did feel free to rate it and leave a comment.
Recipe
Apricot Bliss Balls
- Total Time: 15 mins
- Yield: 17-19 energy balls 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This apricot bliss ball recipe combines dried apricots, oats, pecans, and shredded coconut to make a delightful sweet treat.
Ingredients
- ¾ cup (130 g) dried apricots
- 1 cup (90 g) old fashioned rolled oats
- ½ cup (60 g) chopped raw walnuts or pecans
- ½ cup (50 g) unsweetened shredded coconut (plus extra for rolling)
- ½ tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Soak the dried apricots in warm water for 10-15 minutes if they are firm and not soft and plump. Drain, pat dry, and proceed with the recipe. Skip soaking if the dried apricots are soft and plump.
- Place the apricots in a food processor along with the rest of the ingredients, and blend until it forms into a sticky dough and starts to clump together.
- If everything is finely chopped but still not coming together, add a teaspoon of water at a time until the dough comes together in a sticky clump.
- Once the ingredients are broken down, scoop out about a tablespoon, squish the dough with your palm, and roll it using your hands to shape it into a ball.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The apricot energy balls will firm up while in the fridge and be less sticky.
Notes
The mixture should come together in the food processor and be sticky. You should be able to squeeze it together to form a ball, if not the dough is too dry. Add a teaspoon of water at a time and process for roughly 5 seconds to see if the dough comes together. If it doesn't, add another teaspoon of water and try again.
Process the mixture long enough to incorporate the water into the mixture. How much water you'll need depends on the moisture content of your dried apricots.
You can also add more dried apricots to help bind the mixture together.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: snack
- Method: blender
- Cuisine: American
Ronda says
Has anyone used fresh or frozen apricots in this recipe?
Allie says
I haven't tried fresh or frozen apricots in this recipe, so I can't say for sure, but I don't think they'll work well. The recipe uses the stickiness of dried apricots to help the apricot bliss balls stick together.
Emma says
Would these be good without the coconut?
Allie says
I haven't tried it, but I think they would be. If they aren't sweet enough without it you can add more maple syrup. If they are too sticky to roll without the coconut, you can add more rolled oats.
Mary says
I read the comments and was hesitant to try, but I’m definitely glad that I did! They turned out delicious.
Allie says
Thanks for commenting, I changed around some of the notes I had in the post to prevent dry energy balls and added them to the recipe directions. I'm glad they turned out well for you and that you liked them!
Amy says
I tried the recipe again and soaked the apricots like your note said and they turned out soft and everything held together!
Allie says
Hi, Amy! Thanks for commenting and I'm glad the recipe turned out well for you. If you have any questions just let me know, I want my recipes to be clear and successful for my readers.
Mandy says
These were quite dry. I added a few dates and some water which helped me form them but I would recommend maybe a nut butter or using less oats. They taste kinda like an oatmeal raisin cookie.
Allie says
Thank you for the feedback! I hope you saw the tips in the blog post and recipe notes section about soaking the apricots (if they weren't plump) and adding water if the dough won't form or is too dry. I moved this info into the recipe to make these tips more clear.
Lou says
Very dry and hard to shape
Allie says
Thanks for letting me know. I added some tips to correct that problem so hopefully, no one else has the same issue.