Vegan date and nut balls

No-bake vegan date and nut balls with moist Medjool dates, walnuts and cocoa: a snack that needs no oven, sweetened only with dates.

At a glance

• Serves 4
• Prep time: 15 min
• No cooking needed
• Total time: 15 min
• Calories: 250 kcal per serving
• Protein: 5 g
• Fat: 15 g
• Carbs: 28 g

Ingredients

• 150g soft Medjool dates
• 100g walnuts
• 1 tbsp rolled oats
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 pinch of sea salt

Method

You’ll need: mini chopper · chopping board · knife

1. Stone the Medjool dates and check them for any hard bits of stalk.
2. Put the walnuts and oats in a powerful food processor and grind them coarsely.
3. Add the stoned dates, cocoa powder and the pinch of sea salt to the processor.
4. Pulse everything until you have a moist, crumbly mixture that holds together when pressed.
5. With slightly damp hands, shape it into plump, truffle-sized balls.

Good to know

You don't need the sweets aisle for excellent truffles. Nuts and unsulphured dates make a caramel-like base.

Swaps

Medjool dates → ordinary dried prunes (same sweetness). Walnuts → cashews (for a softer chew). Cocoa powder → desiccated coconut (as an outer coating).

Cooking tips

If the mixture stays too crumbly in the food processor, add cold water a teaspoon at a time until it forms a ball.

Storage

Store in an airtight jar in the fridge; they easily keep for three weeks.

Allergens

Contains tree nuts (walnuts) and gluten (oats). Vegan.

Dairy-free recipes