Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Date Chocolate Nut Balls

For the past couple months, I haven't been consuming refined sugars. I will admit that I had a slice of this pie (sans the coconut) that I made on Thanksgiving and tasted a cookie or two over the Christmas Holidays, but for the most part, I haven't been eating it. I haven't been baking very much. I still make my kids cookies or muffins occasionally, but I don't always consume what I make. I also have been experimenting with other ways to enjoy sweet treats.

We are big LARABAR fans in this house. If you are familiar with those, you know that they can be a little bit pricey. Especially when a certain 9 year old wants to eat one- every. single. day. *sidenote- his favorite flavors are - Coconut Cream Pie, Cashew Cookie, and Chocolate Coconut Chew :D

I have seen multiple recipes for Homemade LaraBars and so, I bought a huge bag of dates a few weeks ago.

Long story short- These little Date Chocolate Nut Balls were the first thing that I made with my dates. They are kinda like little nuggets of a LaraBar.

These little treats are so good. They are just sweet enough to qualify as a treat and the perfect way to top off a meal. I made them when I was taking dinner to someone and kept quite a few for us. We have been enjoying them as snacks straight from the freezer. I worked out the calorie info and each one has about 40 calories. I will be making these over and over again.

Here is the recipe for Date Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls
* I used a mixture of cashews, pecans, almonds, and hazelnuts instead of peanuts
* I used unsweetened coconut milk instead of water, just because I had it in the fridge

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Good for you staying away from refined sugar. These look delicious - great recipe
Mary x

Jess said...

Mmm! I've made so many kinds of these balls (sometimes also making them into bars). One great version is to dry bananas until they're gummy (speed this up in the microwave) and use those instead of the dates (or with them). It works very similarly to make a nice, nutrient-dense treat!

Amalia said...

Wow only 40 calories? That's awesome! They look so delicious, I love dates so these would definitely be a great treat! I also like that they're not too sweet, perfect for a snack that you could have everyday :)

Katie said...

Wow thesw look delicious and very healthy yet still sweet to satisfy the cravings. Must try

Mary Jolley said...

I love the idea of mixing a variety of nuts. I might have to try rolling these in unsweetened coconut flakes. thanks for the healthy dessert idea