Yogi Energy Balls: Sugar-Free Cardamom Nut-Date Laddus
These yogi energy power balls are the perfect prana-rich sweet treat. Sugar-free*, vegan, and packed with minerals, nutrients, and protein, they’re ideal to serve and savor alongside tea, as a midday pick-me-up, or as prasad after a community sangha. Medjool dates imbue these laddus with a natural (and guilt-free) sweet taste that pacifies and balances both Pitta and Vata doshas. Plus, this treat packs some serious health benefits and features Ayurvedic superfood cardamom, a tridoshic spice that boosts immunity and detoxifies the blood.
This treat is highly SATTVIC.
A big thank you to Pallavi Daggumati/Krishna Priya for making the first version of these at the ashram for prasad. She has been my go-to brainstorming partner and taste-tester. I don’t know what I would do without her! She is a constant inspiration.
* These treats do not have any added, refined, or artificial sugars. All sugars present are naturally-occurring.
Food for Though: What Makes a Recipe Yogic?
We all know that our food impacts our physical health, state of mobility, overall flexibility, and energy levels. Yogis take it a step further to say that the quality of our thought is also directly related to the nature of our food. Certain foods will stimulate the nervous system and aggravate the mind, while others will create inertia in the body and lethargy in the mind. The yogic diet seeks a middle way, focusing on the principles of balance. The ideal diet for a yogi is one that supports the body by providing ojas (“vigor”, the vital energy underlying immunity and strength) without compromising the quality of the mind.
The Qualities of Food: Sattva, Rajas, Tamas
Food can be categorized into one of three qualities: Sattva, Rajas, or Tamas. Sattvic foods are light, healthy, and fresh; they promote mental clarity and are the preferred quality of food for the yogis. Rajasic food stimulates the nervous system, increases motivation, and creates desires. Tamasic foods generate a lethargic, restful quality in the body and a dullness in the mind.
Even though yogis seek to eat predominately Sattvic food, it is key to understand that we need all three qualities to function; without Rajas, we wouldn’t be able to move a finger and without Tamas we wouldn’t be able to sit still for meditation. Also, your diet will vary depending on your constitution (the nature of your personality, energy levels, and body), state of digestion, and goals for spiritual practice. The diet of a karma yogi, someone who is vigorously active in the world, will look different from that of a hatha yogi, someone who is prioritizing long hours of steady postures, breathing, and meditating. Finally, make note that preparation has much to do with the final quality of the food: food that is home-cooked with love and eaten immediately (versus reheated a day or two later), will have a higher quality of Sattva. The longer food sits in the fridge, the more it is imbued with the quality of Tamas.
For the purposes of our recipes, we strive to provide you with recipes that are Sattva-predominant, Vegetarian or Vegan, and Yogi-approved.
“Mind is made up of food.”
— Chandogya Upanishad
Go to...
i. Ayurvedic Ingredient Profileii. Nutrition Facts
iii. Ingredients
iv. Recipe
v. Suggestions for Experimentation
Disclaimer: I am not an Ayurvedic practitioner (yet!)—I am a yoga teacher with a keen interest in attending Ayurvedic talks and workshops as well as reading Ayurvedic research and literature.
Cardamom is tri-doshic. That means it is good for all 3 doshas. It is excellent for balancing Kapha and flushes mucus out of the system. For this reason it’s a must for yogis with heavy Pranayama/breathwork practices. It’s also a powerful aid to digestion and reduces gas/bloating. It reduces ama (toxins) in the blood, increasing their elimination (detoxification) by inducing mild diuresis (increased production of urine).
Almonds are Vata-pacifying. Make sure to soak/peel them; the skins of almonds aggravate Pitta due to their high tannic acid content. They’re extremely beneficial for our Shukra dhatu (reproductive tissues) and Ojas (overall vitality).
Cashews reduce ama (toxins) by increasing agni (the digestive fire). They have grounding and sweet qualities and their high magnesium content regulates blood pressure and soothes the nervous system. Over-stimulation of the nervous system often leads to excess nervousness in Vata and aggressiveness in Pitta, making cashews excellent for balancing both doshas.
Walnuts are a Vata-pacifying brain food; they’re rich in lecithin and omega-3 fatty acids. The body uses lecithin to make acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter essential for muscle activation, memory formation, name recall, and the regulation of cardiac contractions and blood pressure. Walnuts are a very potent source of antioxidants.
Pistachios improve sleep quality; among all nuts, they have the highest quantity of melatonin. They’re balancing for Vata dosha. They’re high in vitamin B6, which plays an important role in the synthesis of serotonin and stabilizes your mood.
Dates are cooling and soothing. Their combination of insoluble and soluble fiber keeps you feeling full longer and prevents constipation. They’re rich in iron as well as calcium, potassium, phosphorus, copper, and magnesium, minerals that boost bone health. Due to their high phenolic content, dates stimulate the immune system, reduce inflammation in the brain (helping to prevent degenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s), prevent DNA damage, and improve hormone regulation.
Shredded coconut flakes heal the digestive system and promote better metabolism. Ayurveda considers coconuts Pitta-pacifying and stress-busting.
Cacao nibs are rich in antioxidants and magnesium. Raw cacao contains chemical compounds that improve focus and memory. In addition to anandamide (“the bliss molecule”) and phenylethylamine (“the love molecule”), cacao nibs also contain theobromine, serotonin, and dopamine—all of which activate pleasure, joy, and reward pathways, helping us to feel optimistic and peaceful. Raw cacao is balancing for Kapha but can be aggravating for Pitta and Vata when used in excess (due to its heating quality).
Ayurvedic Pro-Tip: Don’t consume/use raw nuts. Look for dry-toasted or dry-roasted nuts. If you buy raw, soak nuts for 6-8 hours.
Why? Even though nuts are a storehouse for nutrients and minerals (they’re rich in vitamin E, calcium, selenium, copper, magnesium, riboflavin, iron, potassium, zinc and B vitamins, niacin, thiamine, and folate), they can be hard to digest because of their high protein, healthy fat, and fiber content. According to Ayurveda, nuts are hot in potency (ushna virya). By soaking and/or dry roasting/toasting nuts, you reduce the innate quality of ushnata (heat) and remove phytic acids/tannins, making it easier for your body to digest beneficial nutrients.
Serving Size 1 ball (About 17 g)
Total Servings Approx. 33
Calories Per Serving 58 calories*
Total Calories 1,924 calories*
* Without toppings.
The nutrition facts below are Per Serving (1 ball)
Fat 2.63 g
Carbohydrates 8.35 g
Dietary Fiber 1.1 g
Sugars 6.72 g
Protein 1.14 g
Vitamin & mineral content below is not complete (many nutrients have been left out). The Daily Value (DV) percentage is based on a daily 2,000-calorie diet.
Calcium 1% DV
Iron 1.7% DV
Potassium 2.2% DV
Vitamin E 2.6% DV
Vitamin B6 2.6% DV
Magnesium 3.8% DV
Phosphorous 2.5% DV
Zinc 2.1% DV
Copper 1.5% DV
Manganese 6% DV
1/3 cup walnuts
1/3 cup pistachios
1/3 cup almonds
1/3 cup cashews
20 medium-large Medjool dates
3+ tsp cardamom
Optional (For Toppings)
3+ tbsp cacao nibs
3+ tbsp shredded coconut
1. Roast or soak nuts (6-8 hours). If you are not planning to roll your balls in toppings, buy your nuts roasted or roast them yourself. Soaking nuts will make the mixture too wet. If you are rolling your balls in toppings, I highly recommend having half of your nuts roasted and half of your nuts soaked. This gives the mixture a nice fluid consistency with a sticky surface for toppings to adhere to.
2. Rehydrate dates if they are not juicy. Try to buy dates that are medium-large and juicy. I used Trader Joe’s organic Medjool dates, which did not require any rehydration. If your dates are not tender/are dry, soak them in hot water for about 15-30 minutes.
3. Add nuts and cardamom to food processor. Grind together. Don’t grind the nuts too fine. Reserve 10% of the mixture for rolling in.
4. Use a food processor to pulverize the dates into putty—or do so yourself by tearing the dates into pieces and mushing together with your fingers.
5. Combine date “putty” and nut mixture in one bowl. Knead together. Taste the mixture. Adjust seasonings according to your preferences (I like a lot of cardamom and added an extra teaspoon). You can experiment and add some cinnamon, cayenne, turmeric, or ginger powder. You may want to add a little bit of salt if all of your nuts were unsalted (I used salted cashews; the rest were unsalted).
6. Form into balls. Use the palms of your hands to roll mixture into 1.5-inch balls. Set aside.
7. Roll balls in your choice of toppings. I rolled mine in cacao nibs, ground nuts, coconut flakes, and made a combination of all 3 with the leftovers.
8. Chill balls before serving. You can serve these immediately, but I prefer refrigerating them for at least 4 hours, if not overnight, prior to serving. I make enough to last me the week and find that the flavors get richer the longer they sit in the fridge!
Diversify your spices. You can try adding ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, or a sparing dash of cayenne for an extra kick. I recommend experimenting by rolling the balls in the spices (vs. putting spices directly in the nut mixture).
Diversify your dried fruits. Using medjool dates as your base, experiment with subbing a small portion of the medjool dates with other vitamin-rich dried fruits like goji berries.
Play with nut ratios. I appreciate the taste of pistachios and cashews a bit more than I do walnuts and almonds. Increasing the pistachios and cashews to 1/2 of a cup instead of 1/3 (while keeping walnuts and almonds at 1/3) will up the protein content and make this Yogi Energy Ball nuttier (in a good way).
Make your mixture into a preservative-free jam. You can add more water to make the consistency of the mixture jam-like. Perfect for spreading on morning toast and/or as a natural, mineral/vitamin-rich sweetener to add into oatmeal, yogurt, etc. Make sure to store in an airtight glass container and use within a couple weeks.