Add the dates, walnuts, hemp hearts and chia seeds to a food processor and pulse a few times to chop.
After these are chopped, add the fresh orange juice, orange zest and vanilla extract until the mixture forms a sticky paste.
Scoop out about 1 generous Tablespoon of the mixture and form into balls with your hands.
Roll each ball in shredded coconut, hemp hearts or finely chopped walnuts. (optional)
Store the date balls in the refrigerator in a container with a tight fitting lid for up to a week. They can also be frozen to keep longer.
Notes
This recipe makes about 18 - 1 Tablespoon date balls.
The balls may seem a little oily at first but there is no added oil - only the healthy oils from the raw walnuts that is released during the processing.
When making zest from the oranges, only use the orange part of the peel and not the white bitter part below the peel.
Use organic oranges for your zest.
The date balls are great plain as they are but they are also delicious rolled in coconut, hemp hearts or finely chopped walnuts.