Almond Date Balls
Recipe: Almond Date Balls
Almond Date Balls are naturally sweet, easy to make, gluten free, nutritious and healthy snack or dessert option. Best part is that no cooking is required and these energy balls come together within minutes. Did I mention that the recipe is versatile? Yes, add nuts, seeds, other dried fruits of your choice.
Memories
Sharing Almond Date Balls With The Group FoodieMonday/ Bloghop
This week’s theme suggested by Saswati is Healthy Desserts. Saswati’s blog is Delish Potpourri. Check out her colourful food photos and different recipes from world over. At the moment, wherever you look the fad is on energy balls or bites. So why not just jump on the bandwagon and get the recipe on my blog. Healthy, no refined sugar and so easy to make.
Sharing Almond Date Balls With The Group Sunday Funday
When Camilla who blogs at Culinary Cam suggested we use Almonds, Almond meal or flour to celebrate National Almond Day which falls on 16th February, I decided to add better photos for an old post. I had posted the recipe on 09/04/2018 for the theme suggested by FoodieMonday/ Bloghop Group.
What Are Almonds?
In short, although almonds are popularly known as nuts, they actually are seeds from a drupe. Almond fruit is closely related to peaches, cherries, plums.Almonds come from a Prunus tree.
Some Recipes With Almonds You May Like
More About Almond Date Balls
- Make sure the dates are soft and not hard. If they are hard, cook them with 2-3 tbsp of milk or water till it becomes a paste.
- Add other dried fruits like apricots, figs, raisins, cranberries, etc. Usually about 1-2 tbsp is enough.
- Can replace part of the coconut with pumpkin, sunflower seeds or other seeds of your choice. Make sure you toast them beforehand.
- Toast the almonds in a pan over low heat for 4-5 minutes. Alternately can toast them in the microwave oven for 2-3 minutes.
- Can omit adding chocolate chips if you wish.
- Replace pistachio with chopped cashew nuts, hazelnuts, walnuts, pecans, etc.
- Add orange or lemon zest for flavour.
Recipes With Beans By Members Of Sunday Funday
- Mayuri’s Jikoni : Almond Date Balls
- Sid’s Sea Palm Cooking: Banana Pancakes
- Sizzling Tastebuds: Basil Almond Pesto
- Karen’s Kitchen Stories: Chinese Almond Cookies
- A Day in the Life on the Farm: Copycat Panera Thai Chicken Salad
- Sneha’s Recipe: Energy High Protein Shake
- Culinary Cam: Gató de Almendras Mallorquín
- A Messy Kitchen: Grain Free Almond Flour Cinnamon Pancakes
- Making Miracles: Lemon Almond Muffins
- Mildly Indian: Roasted almond cookies
- Food Lust People Love: Smoky Spicy Roasted Almonds
Ingredients Required For Almond Date Balls
Almonds
Toast the almonds in a pan over low heat for 4-5 minutes stirring constantly so that they don’t burn. Alternately, toast them in the microwave oven for 2-3 minutes. Chop them roughly, so that processing them in the food processor is easier.
Dates
Make sure you use soft dates like medjool, barhi, halawi. Pit the dates and then measure in a cup. We need approximately 100g dates. Can add other dried fruits like figs, apricots, cranberries, raisins, etc. Total weight of dates and other fruits should be approximately 100g.
Desiccated Coconut
Make sure the desiccated coconut is not sweet. We want unsweetened for this recipe.
Sea Salt
About ⅛ tsp sea salt adds a delightful flavour.
Nut Butter
Try and add almond butter if possible. However, if you don’t have any peanut or pistachio butter can be used. The amount required will depend on how soft or dry the dates are.
Chocolate Chips
I prefer to chop a milk or dark chocolate to small pieces. If you do use ready made chocolate chips then add at the end to the food processor so that the chips get broken into smaller pieces. Or chop them up roughly using a knife.
Pistachio
Optional. But I like to add pistachio slivers. Can replace with other chopped nuts like hazelnuts, walnuts, pecans, cashew nuts or even almond flakes. Or replace it with sunflower, pumpkin, hemp or sesame seeds.
ALMOND DATE BALLS
Ingredients
- 100 g medjool dates
- ½ cup desiccated coconut
- 1 cup almonds
- 2-3 tbsp nut butter
- ¼ cup chocolate chips
- ⅛ tsp sea salt
- 2 tbsp pistachio slivers
Instructions
- Toast the almonds and roughly chop them up.
- Pit the dates.
- Add the almonds in a food processor. Process to a coarse powder.
- Add the desiccated coconut and salt. Pulse again to mix.
- Add the dates and process again. The dates will get chopped into smaller pieces.
- At this point add nut butter of your choice. At first add 1 tbsp and process. If the mixture is still a bit dryish then add another tablespoon.
- The mixture should become like a paste or dough.
- Make sure it doesn't become too soft as then rolling into balls will be difficult.
- Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl
- Add the pistachio slivers. Mix well.
- Take about 1 tablespoonful of the mixture and roll it into a ball.
- Allow the almond date balls to chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Store them in an airtight container.
- If the almond date balls don't get eaten in a day or two I prefer to store them in the fridge.
Notes
- Add nuts of your choice.
- If the mixture is sticky, apply very little oil on your palms when you roll the balls or add more coconut or nut flour.
- Add seeds of your choice.
- Add milk or dark chocolate chips. Can make them without chocolate too.
- Use soft dates.
- Omit salt if your nut butter contains some.
Pin For Later
A Small Request
If you do try this recipe then please either
- add a comment below,
- send a picture to my email mayuri.ajay.patel62@gmail.com
- tag me as #mayuri_jikoni on Instagram
- or comment on Pinterest @mayuri62
2 Comments
Jagruti Dhanecha
November 1, 2018 at 11:47 pm
These bites sounds easy and simple and packed with goodness, I don’t mind having a couple right now.
mayurisjikoni
November 3, 2018 at 12:44 am
Thanks Jagruti.