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    Home » Recipes

    Healthy Vegan Chocolate Cake Pops

    Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

    Dairy and refined sugar are a thing of the past with these vegan chocolate cake pops. The only thing left is pure guilt-free deliciousness. Gluten-free, plant-based, and easy to make.

    Imagine a world where you have your cake and eat it too. Well, with these vegan chocolate cake pops you can. But, they’re so much more. They make perfect little decadent dairy-free desserts, energy bites, or a quick and simple afternoon healthy plant-based snack the kiddies will love.

    They’re rich, chocolaty, and decadent, and you can make them with just 6 simple ingredients. Oh, these bad boys are also completely gluten-free and naturally sweetened.

    It’s time to grab life by the cake balls and whip up a batch of these easy vegan chocolate cake pops.

    Table of Contents

    • Ingredients
    • How To Make Vegan Cake Pops
    • Tips and Notes
    • Serving Suggestions
    • Storage
    • Vegan Chocolate Cake Pops (Energy Bites)

    Ingredients

    The best thing about these delicious cake pops, apart from the taste, are the ingredients. All natural, wholesome, and completely plant-based.

    • Walnuts: be sure and use raw walnuts that haven’t been roasted with oil or salt.
    • Dates: the dates serve two functions: replacing the sugar and helping batter in order to make the cake pops. If you do
    • Cacao Powder: adds rich chocolate flavor.
    • Vanilla: for adding depth of flavor.
    • Nut Butter: I prefer almond butter but you may use any nut or seed butter you wish.
    • Chocolate Chips: melted and used for dipping or in place of frosting.

    How To Make Vegan Cake Pops

    1. In a food processor, blend the walnuts until all of the walnuts are finely ground. Add the dates, cacao powder, vanilla, and almond butter. Blend again until the mixture is moist and crumbly and resembles large cake crumbs. It should be sticky enough to form into a ball and hold its shape.
    2. Using a measuring spoon or cookie scoop, spoon out 1 heaping tablespoon of the batter and roll into balls. Place each cake pop onto a lined baking sheet with parchment paper.
    3. Add the chocolate chips to a microwave-safe bowl, melt in 20-second increments, and stir occasionally, until the chocolate is melted and completely smooth.
    4. Drizzle the melted chocolate over the cake pops and enjoy! (NOTE: If you plan on using any optional topping add those before the chocolate hardens.) You could also place the chocolate cake pops in the fridge for 30 minutes and allow the chocolate to set up and harden.

    Tips and Notes

    • The cake pop mixture should be moist enough and not crumble when you roll it into a ball.
    • Do not overmix. You want the mixture to retain some texture.
    • If you want it a little sweeter you can add a little maple syrup before blending in the food processor.
    • You can create fun little treats for the kids simply by purchasing some cake pop sticks or lollipop sticks at any of the local craft stores.
    • Refrigerate the cake pops before drizzling them with chocolate. It helps them to keep their shape and not fall apart.
    • If the dates seem dry, soak them in water for a five minutes, then drain thoroughly and pat dry with a paper towel before blending.

    Serving Suggestions

    Make a batch of cake pops ahead of time, keep them in the fridge, and enjoy them as energy bites or post-workout snacks.

    Add lollipop sticks and insert them into a decorated styrofoam block for a healthy snack at a gathering or kid’s birthday party.

    Storage

    Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 1 month.

    If you enjoy these vegan chocolate cake bites try my homemade vegan Larabars, peanut butter protein energy bites, or chocolate banana oatmeal cookies.

    Print
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    Vegan Chocolate Cake Pops (Energy Bites)

    ★★★★★

    5 from 2 reviews

    Print Recipe

    Dairy and refined sugar are a thing of the past with these vegan chocolate cake pops. The only thing left is pure guilt-free deliciousness. Gluten-free, plant-based, and easy to make.

    • Total Time: 30 minutes
    • Yield: 15 cake pops 1x

    Ingredients

    Units Scale
    • 1 ½ cup walnuts (raw)
    • 1 cup packed pitted dates (Medjool are best)
    • ¼ cup raw cacao powder or unsweetened cocoa powder
    • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 2 tablespoon creamy natural almond butter (only ingredients should be almonds and maybe a little salt)
    • ¼ cup non-dairy chocolate chips

    Optional Toppings

    • chopped cashews
    • chocolate shavings
    • dust with cocoa powder
    • unsweetened shredded coconut

    Instructions

    1. In a food processor, pulse the walnuts into a fine meal. Add the dates, cacao powder, vanilla, and almond butter. Pulse again until the mixture is moist and crumbly. If the mixture seems too dry and crumbly, keep processing until it is sticky enough to form into a ball.
    2. Using a measuring spoon or cookie scoop, spoon out 1 heaping tablespoon of the batter and roll into balls. Place each cake pop onto a lined baking sheet with parchment paper.
    3. Add the chocolate chips to a microwave-safe bowl and melt in 20-second increments until the chocolate is melted and there are no lumps.
    4. Drizzle the melted chocolate over the cake pops and enjoy! (NOTE: If you plan on using any optional topping add those before the chocolate hardens.) You could also place the chocolate cake pops in the fridge for 30 minutes and allow the chocolate to set up and harden.

    Equipment

    Enjoy Life Semi-Sweet Mini Chocolate Chips

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    Almond Butter

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    Glass Mixing Bowls

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    Cacao

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    Parchment Paper

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    Cuisinart Food Processor

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    Baking Sheet

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    Notes

    The cake pop mixture should be moist enough and not crumble when you roll it into a ball. 

    Do not overmix. You want the mixture to retain some texture.

    If you want it a little sweeter you can add a little maple syrup before blending in the food processor.

    You can create fun little treats for the kids simply by purchasing some cake pop sticks or lollipop sticks at any of the local craft stores.

    Refrigerate the cake pops before drizzling them with chocolate. It helps them to keep their shape and not fall apart.

    If the dates seem dry, soak them in water for five minutes, then drain thoroughly and pat dry with a paper towel before blending.

    • Author: Shane Martin
    • Prep Time: 10 minutes
    • Set Up Time: 20 minutes
    • Category: Vegan Snacks & Appetizers
    • Method: Raw
    • Cuisine: Vegan
    • Diet: Vegan

    Nutrition

    • Serving Size: 1 cake pop
    • Calories: 107
    • Sugar: 3.5 g
    • Sodium: 0.5 mg
    • Fat: 8.8 g
    • Carbohydrates: 6.1 g
    • Fiber: 1.6 g
    • Protein: 2.2 g
    • Cholesterol: 0 mg

    Keywords: vegan chocolate cake pops, plant-based snacks, vegan chocolate cake energy bites, oilfree, easy vegan recipes, no-bake

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Traci Savage

      December 18, 2022 at 6:56 pm

      I just made these for Christmas and had to taste test. Holy smoke! I think I had an out of body experience. They are so good. Everyone will love them and never know they are healthy. They taste naughty, but are really nice. 😆. Thanks for another great recipe, Shane! Merry Christmas!!

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Shane Martin

        December 20, 2022 at 11:32 am

        Haha, Traci! That is so awesome. Merry Christmas!!!

        Reply
    2. Toni

      August 21, 2022 at 2:05 pm

      I just made these! They are so good! I didn’t read the directions to well and ended up putting the chocolate chips in the mixture instead of drizzling over the top…. Oh well, they are great either way!😉

      ★★★★★

      Reply
      • Shane Martin

        August 21, 2022 at 2:47 pm

        Sounds like a totally delicious accident to me:)

        Reply
    3. Lynne Murray

      August 12, 2022 at 7:17 pm

      Can I use other nuts, my husband can’t eat walnuts. Maybe pecans?

      Reply
      • Shane Martin

        August 13, 2022 at 8:14 pm

        Pecans, cashews, or almonds should do well.

        Reply

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