charger Pre-Run

Chocolate Almond Energy Balls

Name: Chocolate Almond Energy Balls
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 20 bites
Ingredients: 16 Medjool dates, pitted (about 260 g); 1 cup (90 g) rolled oats; 1/2 cup (120 g) natural almond butter; 2 tbsp (30 ml) pure maple syrup; 2 tbsp (20 g) chia seeds; 1/4 cup (25 g) unsweetened cocoa powder; 1/4 cup (40 g) hemp hearts; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 1/2 tsp fine sea salt

2-3 hours before

Fuel for hour three and beyond, when sweet gels have stopped going down. Dates and oats for carbs, a measured amount of almond butter and hemp for fat and salt that your body can actually use once the run gets long. Two bites, chew, keep walking the hill.

skilletCook0 min

soup_kitchenPrep15 min

restaurantYield20 bites

boltCarbs~16g

water_dropSodium60mg

exerciseProteins~2g

grassFiber~2g

For your run

When: 2-3 hours beforeDetails
Two bites give about 32 g of carbs with 8 g of fat, so they need a couple of hours to clear. Eat them with your coffee, then head out.
Why it works: Dates and oats supply about 32 g of carbs per pair of bites. Almond butter and hemp add fat, which your body oxidises more readily at the low intensities of an ultra and which slows the sugar hit so you're not spiking and crashing at hour five. Half a teaspoon of salt across the batch covers sodium. Cocoa masks the dates so it doesn't taste like every other gel.
Wrong time: The almond butter is what makes these satisfying and also what rules out eating them close to the start. Inside 60 minutes the fat is still in your stomach at km 5.
How much: 2 bites 2-3 hours before. 3 bites if the run is over 2 hours.
On the run: Pack in pairs. They hold shape in a vest pocket up to about 28°C; above that keep them in a mid-pack bag. Chew thoroughly; walking a climb is the right moment.
Replaces: The nut-butter packets and trail-brand bites people carry for late ultra hours, about $0.20 per bite.
Fits: Easy runWorkoutLong runRace
GI risk: Medium GI risk

Ingredients

Bites

16 Medjool dates, pitted (about 260 g)

1 cup (90 g) rolled oats

1/2 cup (120 g) natural almond butter

2 tbsp (30 ml) pure maple syrup

2 tbsp (20 g) chia seeds

1/4 cup (25 g) unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 cup (40 g) hemp hearts

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp fine sea salt

Notes

This is not a pre-run snack; the fat that makes it useful at hour four is the same fat that sits in your gut at km 5. The almond butter is deliberately lower than a typical energy ball recipe so each bite stays carb-led. The salt is not a pinch, it's a dose. Keep them cold until you pack; they soften in a warm vest but don't melt.

Instructions

Pulse the dates in a food processor until they form a sticky paste with no large pieces.

16 Medjool dates, pitted (about 260 g)

Add the oats, almond butter, maple syrup, chia, cocoa, hemp hearts, vanilla, and salt. Process until it comes together into a dough that holds when pressed.

1 cup (90 g) rolled oats

1/2 cup (120 g) natural almond butter

2 tbsp (30 ml) pure maple syrup

2 tbsp (20 g) chia seeds

1/4 cup (25 g) unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 cup (40 g) hemp hearts

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp fine sea salt

Roll into 20 balls about 3 cm across. Damp hands help. Chill 30 minutes to firm up, then pack in pairs in small bags or parchment.

Your training deserves smarter fuel

check100+ recipes timed to your run.
checkPersonalized to your training week.
checkEvery recipe tested by real runners.

Try Fuel App NowBETA

Will eventually be released to the Apple App Store and Android Play Store.

Chocolate Almond Energy Balls

You track your miles.We'll handle the meals.

Your training deserves smarter fuel

You track your miles.
We'll handle the meals.