I’m always ready for a snack, be it at 10am with a cup of tea or 5pm when I get home from work. I generally reach for chocolate which as a go-to snack is delicious but not exactly an ideal choice on a daily basis. So if I can find a healthy alternative that is tasty and doesn’t leave me missing my chocolate, then I’m all for it. I’ve been hording a few different recipes for Date Balls but when I spotted this recipe on Woolworths‘ Instagram page a few days ago, it looked too good not to try. I love to bake (as I’m sure you’ve worked out by now!) but when we battling a heat wave in Cape Town, baking isn’t all that appealing. The great thing with these treats is that that are SUPER easy to make and require no baking – you simply pop them in the fridge to set. They also contain cocoa powder so they still have some chocolaty goodness and the oats give them a nutty texture. You can get recipe from the Woolies website – click here for the link or see my version below. I did pick up an error in the Woolies recipe in that they don’t include the dates in the method but you’ll see where I added them.
Ingredients:
- 80g desiccated coconut
- 2 Tbsp maple syrup
- 3 Tbsp almond butter (I’ve been dying to try this but it is on the pricy side so you can substitute for peanut butter)
- 2 Tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 cup rolled oats (I used instant Jungle Oats)
- 4 fresh medjool dates, pitted (you’ll find these with the fresh fruit)
Method:
- Blend the oats in a food processor until a fine texture
- Pit and chop the dates and add the the oats. Blend until combined.
- Add the cocoa and almond butter and blend until well combined
- Add the maple syrup and blend
- To roll the dough, wet hands with water (I kept a small bowel of water next to me) and roll small amounts into balls and then roll in the desiccated coconut
- Line a plate with baking paper and palce the balls on the paper and refridgerate overnight (I made these in the morning and they were ready to eat by late afternoon)
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two weeks.
- Makes 15 – 20 depending on size.
Enjoy mid-morning, late afternoon, before or after a workout – they are delicious and a challenge to stop at just one! I love that the Woolworths Almond Butter (R89.95 for a 250g jar) has no sugar or salt added making these treats really healthy with very little sugar. I also really dislike peanut butter but this is just too delicious. Since it’s a new year and I am trying to reduce my chocolate intake slightly (by slightly I mean only having in the evenings and not starting at 10am!), these make a really great substitute Give them a go and let me know what you think 🙂
Hope you all had a fabulous weekend!
XXX Cat
Top tip: I made these for a second time now and I added a tablespoon of water to the mix at the end and it made it much easier to roll into balls. It also made them a little more gooey 🙂
