Snack, after school treat, breakfast on the go, or even a dessert, these balls can check ALL the boxes. They are sure to satisfy everyone in your family. They can be made with whatever nut or seed butter you like, just make sure it is a natural nut/butter as one with added sugars, oils etc will alter the taste and texture of these.
Dates are naturally low glycemic and loaded with dietary fibre. They also contain minerals such as prosperous magnesium and vitamin K, all important for bone health. They are such a wonderful natural sweetener and mimic the taste and texture of caramel.
Medjool or Deglet Noor dates you may ask? What is the difference? Medjool dates tend to be larger and have a higher moisture content. Deglet are smaller, firmer and less sweet. If you are using Medjool dates you may find that you can add less sweetener.
You can use any crispy cereal of choice in these. The combination of the crispy cereal, tahini, dates and chocolate come together to taste like a chocolate bar, only a MUCH healthier chocolate bar. One of my friends and taste testers commented that if you ate one of these balls you would be all set for the week as they are so satisfying and delicious. Such a lovely compliment! Be prepared to get many requests for these once you make them!
Tahini separates easily. In unopened jars you will see a clear and distinct sesame layer and oil layer. It can be very tricky, messy and oily business to stir tahini. Firstly, when you purchase your tahini, place it upside down and leave it upside down until you are ready to open it. I use a butter knife to stir the opened tahini. It will be quite a workout! I have heard of people adding tahini to a food processor and blending until smooth or adding a little water to the tahini and mixing. I simply don’t want to dirty a bunch of dishes so I just opt for stirring right in the jar with a knife.
Add date chunks to your food processor and pulse until they broken down into smaller pieces. Add pecans and pulse briefly until they are roughly chopped. Add tahini, salt, coconut and vanilla and pulse until combined.
Pour in 1 cup of the cereal and pulse again very briefly. Remove blade from processor and add in final 1/2 cup of cereal and mix by hand. Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper. Form mixture into balls, by squeezing and rolling the mixture in the palms of your hands. Place formed balls on parchment lined baking sheet in fridge to firm up for at least 30 minutes.
Add chocolate and coconut oil to a shallow pan and over very low heat stir mixture until melted. Once melted drizzle over balls, place back in the fridge to firm up the chocolate for at least 20 minutes and enjoy. Store in an airtight container in fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Ingredients
Directions
Add date chunks to your food processor and pulse until they broken down into smaller pieces. Add pecans and pulse briefly until they are roughly chopped. Add tahini, salt, coconut and vanilla and pulse until combined.
Pour in 1 cup of the cereal and pulse again very briefly. Remove blade from processor and add in final 1/2 cup of cereal and mix by hand. Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper. Form mixture into balls, by squeezing and rolling the mixture in the palms of your hands. Place formed balls on parchment lined baking sheet in fridge to firm up for at least 30 minutes.
Add chocolate and coconut oil to a shallow pan and over very low heat stir mixture until melted. Once melted drizzle over balls, place back in the fridge to firm up the chocolate for at least 20 minutes and enjoy. Store in an airtight container in fridge for up to 2 weeks.