Easy Healthy Date Nut Candies
Fast and Easy treat!
If you're craving something sweet but at the same time want to nourish your body, in stead of adding empty calories, this is a perfect recipe for you! Also, if you're asked to to bring a dish to pass, Date Balls are a quick, easy, healthy and yummy treat. You can make them ahead and freeze them in an airtight container or shrink freezer bag and take them out about an hour before serving. Some of my family will eat them frozen, so check your supply to make sure your freezer treats are still THERE. I had to put some in an empty frozen spinach bag to make sure I'd have them when I needed them!
There is no baking involved, so this is a good recipe to make on hot summer days.
This is considered a 'vegan' dish, and is also gluten free. Many folks these days are on paleo, vegan, grain free diets and this is safe for all of them!
I use organic ingredients whenever possible, but non-organic will work just as well. The coconut is dry and unsweetened, but commercial sweetened will also work. Dates are very sweet, so keep that in mind when choosing the ingredients.
Time: 20 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Ingredients:
2 cups pitted dates
1 cup pecans (or any nut you like)
1 cup unsweetened coconut
1 tsp vanilla
Place the dates in a food processor and pulse until they are chopped
into small chunks.
Add the pecans and coconut and let the food processor run until the mixture forms a ball or has made a paste.
On a plate or piece of waxed paper, roll 1 tablespoon of the mixture into a ball.
Press a pecan (or nut) into the ball.
Arrange on a serving plate.
Your finished!
If you'd rather not use nuts, due to food allergies, you can use sunflower seeds, chia seeds, hemp or sesame seeds. For chocolate lovers, add some mini chocolate morsels.
You can also roll the balls in coconut, cocoa powder or chopped nuts if you wish to make them a bit more decorative.
